Son Tells ‘Inside Story’ of Rubashkin’s Life

By Libby Herz

He was born in a modest home in Boro Park in 1959. Years later, he built up the largest kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa and raised the standards of kashrus nationwide.

But when he was targeted with accusations stirred up by a relentless corporate campaign, he was put on trial. Imprisoned and faced with severe humiliation and the loss of his religious freedoms, R’ Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin always held tight to his Emunah in Hashem. Now, Jews everywhere look to his story for inspiration.

How did he survive in the cut-throat prison system? How did he endure solitary confinement and the notion of never seeing his family again? In his brand new book, “Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin: the Inside Story,” you can read his hair-raising tale.

The book was written by Rubashkin’s son, Getzel Rubashkin, and is published by Israel Bookshop. The six-hundred-page book covers Rubashkin’s life; the first half of the book tells the tale of his younger years, including details about his company in Iowa, and the trial.

The second half of the book focuses on Rubashkin’s harrowing experiences in prison. Read about the living space, cafeteria, lockdowns, and life in prison as a yid. Was Rubashkin able to keep shabbos and yom tov in jail? Was he granted the right to wear his yarmulka and tzitzis despite the strict prison dress code?

The book, brimming with dramatic story-telling, is as terrifying as it is hopeful. You will shudder, laugh, and cry, and be swept along Rubashkin’s journey. In this chilling, entertaining read, you will be filled with Rubashkin’s firm emunah.

“A Yid is never alone, Hashem is always with him. No matter where we are and what we face, Hashem is with us,” says Rubashkin.

Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin: the Inside Story, carries a message of complete faith in Hashem. It is available in all Jewish bookstores or click here to purchase.