By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Chaim Miller, compiler of the Gutnick Chumash and other works, is attaching his name to two internationally respected scholars who have written about the Rebbe.
In the lead-up to the 20th anniversary of the Rebbe’s yartzeit, the Jewish world has been eagerly anticipating two new biographies about the Rebbe that have been well researched and in the works for years.
The first to be announced was “Rebbe – The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History,” to be released on June 10, 2014 by HarperWave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
It was written by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of some of the bestselling books on Judaism of the past two decades and named by Talk Magazine as one of the 50 best speakers in the United States.
COLlive has learned that Telushkin has already been booked to speak at major Jewish events around the Unites States, starting from Gimmel Tammuz and the months following it.
Telushkin’s book is also being discussed at branches of Barnes & Nobles Booksellers around the country, where local Shluchim will be leading question and answer sessions about the book and the Rebbe’s lifetime work.
The second publication to be announced was conceived immediately after 3 Tammuz 5754 by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, the legendary Talmud scholar and prolific author who was hailed by Time Magazine as a “once-in-a-millennium scholar.”
Within two weeks after its release, “My Rebbe” has been selling fast, according to Maggid Books, an imprint of Koren Publishers Jerusalem. The book is described as “part biography, part memoir” about the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
Now, Rabbi Miller announced the publication of a 590 page “Turning Judaism Outward – a biography of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe,” which according to a source was written in the last year.
Asked why it was necessary to pen another offering, Miller explained: “Everyone who has written about the Rebbe’s life picks and chooses the bits that they personally feel are impressive. That’s the ‘short, long way.’ You get some nice information, but in the end you lack a really substantial picture. It’s a bit like eating the dessert before the main course–it tastes good to start with, but then you don’t feel satisfied.”
At the recent meeting between Senator Cory Booker and Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau, Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of the Orthodox Union (OU) Kosher Division known for his political connections, said that Miller asked him to write the Forward to the book.
Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, praised the new work as, “A riveting biography… this will prove to be a fascinating read even for those distant from Chabad or who knew little about this dominant figure in Jewish life.”
The book is being published by Kol Menachem – The Gutnick Library of Jewish Classics, based in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood. It will be available soon in Jewish bookstores. (Read Chapter 11 of the book here)
The publisher, Rabbi Meyer Gutnick, said: “We felt it was important to address the Rebbe’s life in its entirety, with all of its paradoxes and mysteries. It’s a greater challenge, an impossible one really, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try.”
For more information visit kolmenachem.com or call 718-951-6328.
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Amazing!!
May you go Mechayil el Choyil
I enjoyed it much more than Telushkin’s.
These books about the Rebbe aren’t for us, his chossidim. They are for all of the other yiddish neshomo’s who have yet to be lit. Let 500 books be written about the Rebbe so that every Barnes n Noble has people reading them in the aisles. These are the wellsprings and as we learned in Hayom Yom last week, this reawakening of the neshomo is restoring life to something that isn’t alive (“dead”). Please, let’s not make the mistakes of the past. We just completed counting Sefirah. Remember what brought about the plague that decimated Rabbi Akiva’s students. A book… Read more »
1. I’d change the title to Back to the Future because it encapsulates the Rebbe’s vision: re-engage us as mitzvah-doers thus triggering Bias-haMoshiach in line with the whole Basi LeGani theme. 2. I agree with the picture-haters, not for the book cover, inside, yes, great photo. On the cover should’ve been a leibidke picture from the mems or nuns, there are tons of those. The current pic is obvioulsy gimmicky. 3. Get an American proofreader to weed out pompous and non-American usage britishisms. For instance, from the free download: “alarming” speed should really be frenetic) Heck, maybe I write my… Read more »
I purchased this book yesterday and started reading last night. It is a work of pure genius. Rabbi Miller’s style of writing is engaging, inspiring and intellectually satisfying. While the book superficially looks like it has been written by an academic (which seems to have upset some of the less ‘academic’ people above), it is clearly the work of a pure chassid. I will be buying a few more copies to give to some friends. An outstanding and unprecedented triumph!
Every photo of the rebbe is geshmak!!
looks impressive cant wait to read
Just read the sample chapter. Miller is a genius! This will definitely be the best biography of the Rebbe
Rabbi Miller is probably the best writer we have in Lubavitch. I am sure this will be very special. Am very excited to read this book.
An impressive work. Yasher Koack Rabbi Miller!
I live near Rabbi Miller and take issue with the suggestion that the other books are superior as have “been in the works for years” while his was “written in the last year”. He is a full-time writer, while the other authors have other ‘day jobs’. When I recently asked him what he was working on, Rabbi Miller explained that the has been ‘working round-the clock’ for over a year – having spent many previous years researching – to finish this work before the 20th anniversary of gimmel tammuz. I am certain that this will be the most thorough and… Read more »
I am one “in the know” (it’s anonymous so believe me) I just read the chapter provided here and have been “blown away” it seems this will be a great biography.
As to R Steinsalts. I have the book, I perused it. And I’m not impressed at all it reads more like a expanded Bio of what the rebbe did. Not what was the motivating factors.
Read the chapter
I must admit I was thrown off by the cover photo. Poor choice I think.
I look very forward, as should we all, to reading the entire book
A chassidishe yid told me something very poignant. Why don’t we find the Rebbe writing or having someone write a biography of the Frierdiker Rebbe (like he had Nissan Mindel write one of the Alter Rebbe)? Because biographies are about past history. The Rebbe is not past history. We don’t write ABOUT the Rebbe (as if we are analyzing and revealing the complexity of the Rebbe); we write what the Rebbe teaches us, his Torah. We are not journalists and biographers; we are students and ambassadors to spread Chassidus to the chutzah. I am sorry to be so blunt, but… Read more »
I was a student of Rabbi Miller in leads. I can tell you, he was Boruch Hashem blessed with an amazing koach hasbara.
This book looks exciting and I look forward to reading it cover to cover. ..
Very informative and nicely written.
This is my approbation after reading chapter eleven.
I’m looking forward to buy it.
Will it be sold on Amazon?
already found a fact wrong in this chapter
Because it makes the Rebbe look human? Isn’t that precisely the gadlus of the Rebbe – davka a human being…?
Yasher koach to Rabbi Miller! Looking forward.
Mr. Miller is way out of his league.
And all the haskamas. From the YU and OU crowd, the professors, the big, wise people etc. Good people – but not a one from our quarters… which tells you a LOT about MR. Miller’s perspective of life.
Judging by the preview I’ve just read, this book looks like it has a lot of potential
Took the words out of my keyboard. Extreme disrespect is blatant in the sample chapter. Did a chossid really write this? Are the Rebbeim his buddies? This is shocking! The choice of cover tells the rest of the story.
Moshiach NOW!!
And read the sample chapter not my taste. Written with little respect
Every house should buy one for their bookcase
I will definitely be buying a copy!
I am obsessed with this cover – it truly captures the Rebbe as a “Man of G-d.” The Rebbe looks young, tall, handsome, and princely – exactly what he is. The regal bearing combined with the majestic aura protruding from this photo truly entails what the Rebbe is. He was and still is able to reach out to every person. On the one hand he is a tzaddik, but on the other he made himself relatable. Furthermore, I think for anyone to call this cover “disrespectful” (yes you #15) or “mundane” (# 11) are totally out of his or her… Read more »
Too many negative people post sometimes. 1. The book was not written for CH. The cover is very trendy. 2. Why is it not respectful to have a picture of the Rebbe when he was younger. The Rebbe is well dressed and looking outward. It fits the title. 3. Why is Rabbi Miller ” not makir es mikomo”? Are you kidding. He has done tremendous work in bringing the Rebbe’s teaching to all Klal Yisroel (even in our community itself). This is just one more beautiful project. 4. We all try to give over to people who the Rebbe was… Read more »
The rebbe would appreciate the picture on the cover
Chaim is writing for the Amcha. The cover is tasteful and beautiful.
Grow up and be Breit
All this feigned disgust with the cover speaks volumes about those dispensing their enlightened opinions about a book they have not seen nor read in real time. Never judge a book by its cover. As well, for those of us who grew up without the rebbe, the rebbe’s life before becoming rebbe is far from an anathema, for us, it is the picture, completed. This need to pretend like it didn’t happen is so like everything else the older generation has relayed. Stunted, half-truths and self-denial to name but a few of those traits.
Rabbi Miller contributed tremendously on so many levels (books, lectures etc) so I can certainly see why this impressive person would write this book.
Why it is not on amazon yet for pre-order?
BTW, the cover is amazing.
Steinsaltz book is personal memoir. Telushkin book is focused on mivsoyim. Miller’s book is full annotated biography. Can’t wait to read it all.
I have seenTelushkins book where he quotes the Rabbi from Bnei Brack about our Rebbe .i would not want my children to see that or anyone for that matter
the cover should be changed!
What’s wrong with the cover??? It’s a picture of the Rebbe… If you think there’s something wrong with it then you think there was something wrong with the Rebbe at the time the pic was taken. That’s your problem, this is a biography about his life including parts that aren’t your favorites…
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Having read Telushkin cover to cover and having read Miller, I dont see how anyone can compare. Not to mention Steinsaltz. Telushkin is by far the best of the lot. I’m not sure between Steinzaltz and Miller. Each has a mala over the other. Telushkin is definitely a must!
I can’t believe these comments!
Where is ahavas Isroel?
if you don’t like the book, don’t buy it, but to take the time to write these negative comments about the cover, about the author, this is an avla, and jealousy!
Rabbi Miller had proven to be an excellent writer, this work was reviewed in Kolel Menachen, and I am sure that is going to be a best seller
I personally love the cover, I think that will attract more people to buy it
well, i hope we aren’t speaking loshon hara, but lubavitch and rebbe shouldn’t be about making more business, ‘jumping on a bandwaggons… shlichus- maybe, tfillin and other mivtzoim, but not putting out more goods. but, maybe its a good work and if the author has the best intents, then god bless.
Another masterpiece by the great Reb Chaim Miller. He is a hidden Jem in the Chabad community. We should take advantage of what he has to offer.
Rabbi Miller, don’t listen to the haters who will always hate, trust me. You did something, and it came from a place of sincerity and wanting to better our knowledge of the Rebbe. Details are definitely important, but all these ppl have no chance to ever put such a publication on their own, so they’ll bash you for trying.
Thanks for standing above the rest with ur efforts.
I don’t understand why so many people feel this cover is disrespectful. Are you somehow embarrassed by this picture? It’s a picture the Rebbe himself posed for, in his youth, and, in my view, is gorgeous.
Dont understand why so many people are writing negative comments. Rabbi Miller has written some brilliant books over the past decade. No reason to believe that this one isn’t too!
I’ve heard from a few people who read it that its amazing and worth buying. Order your copy today!
I have no issues with the cover. It is a photograph of our Rebbe, so what’s the problem?? But for those who do, I suggest they read the sample chapter here. It is brilliantly written and seriously inspiring. Miller looks like he has written a masterpiece!
Brings kovod to the rebbe very grube
Not a fan of this book
Looking forward to it
I am honestly shocked by the cover. How disrespectful!!
I read the pages placed on line as an introduction, very interesting as is the Steinsaltz biography, Telushkins contribution in my estimation is less impressive.
The picture on the cover was, obviously, chosen carefully. What a statement. It is in poor taste IMHO and i will be skipping this one.
With all due respect to R’ Miller, he is out of his league and not makir es mekomo.
Yasher koach for trying to spread the rebbe out to the public.
Don’t really like the picture of choice… It makes the Rebbe look mundane…
I read the sample chapter and find the wording quite disrespectful ex Moussia with no title “his wife” or later on Rayatz with no title Rebbe.
Are these the words of a Chosid?
As a publishing industry insider for over 25 years, the cover is very poor, inappropriate, and disrespectful. I hope they change it before it hits the streets.
I’m sure this will be the best biography so far
It totally illustrates the title. You can see the Rebbe actually looking outwards.
Not even a good cover photo
Rabbi Y Krinsky says even he still doesnt know what made the Rebbe who he was/ is. I think all these books will still leave us thirsty to understand an incredible person, who at the end of the day, will remain a mystery to all. That is what is so incredible about him. For myself all I can say is Ashreinu mah tov Chelkeinu that we had the privilege to be in his daled amos and be inspired by such a great man. That is why the jew writing this is doing so from a place of golus, New brunswick… Read more »
if you judge a book by the cover then this book must be terrible.how you dare use that picture for the cover of a book writing about our holy rebbe.
Not such a good choice of picture
I’m not sure any of these biographies can compare, or even come close to resembling, the biography of Rabbi Steinsaltz, “My Rebbe”. a. Rabbi Steinsaltz is a genius of the highest order – whose mind and works far, far supersede any mind and works in the Jewish world today. b. Most importantly, Rabbi Steinsaltz, speaks from an entirely different angle, the angle of an insider. For unlike ANY other author mentioned, Rabbi Steinsaltz spent hundreds of hours with the Rebbe, most in yechidus one-on-one and, as all know, he had an unparalleled kesher with the Rebbe!
I’m not sure what qualifies a person to write a book on the rebbe.
A person may have skills in writing over a parts of a sicha in proper and comfortable to read English. However that skill is a far cry from being able to write a history/biography on the rebbe.
A dangerous move… going where a person not qualified shouldn’t go.