There she was, alone at her desk with a package of Melba Toast. And she was hungry. Very hungry. And craving Melba Toast, too.

But she had absolutely no idea which brachah to make on Melba Toast! Were the crackers Hamotzi, and she should wash on them? Or were they Mezonos?

And so she wrestled with the question, her stomach grumbling, until she sighed, gave up, and took out an apple instead…

With the recent release of Halachically Speaking Volume 3, the poor, hungry lady in the above scenario would have very nicely been able to eat her Melba Toast crackers, as she would have quickly found the answer to her brachos question in Chapter 10 of this book. Plus she would find the answers to a host of other interesting halachah questions there, as well.

Halachically Speaking Volume 3 follows on the heels of Halachically Speaking Volumes 1 and 2, both of which became instant hits among frum readers, selling out within a very short time. What makes these books unique, in addition to the easy-to-read and easy-to-understand format, is the fact that these halachah books focus on halachos that are little-known or generally misunderstood. Readers will find in Halachically Speaking Volume 3 the halachos regarding wearing a yarmulke, the do’s and don’ts of tevilas keilim, the issues regarding showering on Yom Tov, playing games on Shabbos, and many, many other halachos.

This book is a real must for every Torah-observant household! (And by the way, according to the halachah brought down in this book, the correct brachah to make on Melba Toast is actually Hamotzi!)

Click here to purchase online.

Shlomo grew up frum in a nice frum family. He loved his parents and they loved him. In fact, they loved him so much they didn’t want to hurt him, ever. So, no one ever told him he was adopted from a non-Jewish family. He only found out after he was married! That sent him into a tailspin of shailos and internal confusion, as he attempted to clarify exactly who he was—and wasn’t.

Imagine if everything you knew about yourself wasn’t true. That’s the unenviable position that Mendy Brand finds himself in. For nearly 20 years he lived the life of a top-notch yeshivah bochur with a sterling reputation. Then a shady fellow posing as a newly-arrived chavrusah, lures him into the terrorist underworld of Hamas. Soon Hamas sends him to be a double agent at Israel’s Secret Service Department, but who is really using who?

Is he Mendy or Gil or Jamil?

Who are his real parents?

Above all, whose mission will he ultimately fulfill, and at what price?

 WARNING: This is Rachel Schorr at her best. Do not read before bedtime!

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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Ever since the Garden of Eden, women and food have had a complicated and frequently dysfunctional relationship.  We all know that we eat in order to live, but it is all too easy to slip into a warped existence where we are living to eat, or on the other end of the spectrum – living in order to exert control over our eating by starving ourselves. Somewhere in between is the ideal middle ground – a place where the role food plays in our lives is healthy – we don’t exaggerate its importance and we don’t downplay it. We eat normally, reach a reasonable weight for our frame and are at peace with the numbers on the scale. For many of us, however, that highly-desired middle ground continues to elude us…

Freidy Dvir is the pen name of a young woman who has been through too much in her life.  Although she began as everyone’s darling little girl with adorably chubby cheeks, by the time she was a 220 pound teenager, everyone was giving her unsolicited advice and uncomfortable looks.

How long can a girl daven for a thyroid disorder or a food allergy to explain away her ballooning weight?

How many weight loss programs and diets can a teenager flunk out of and still feel good about herself as a person?

Is it even possible for a young woman to achieve personal and professional goals when life is one continuous food fight?

Freidy is a remarkable woman – with enough spunk to battle on despite the continual pain, criticism and public embarrassment. This is her journal. Join her as she bares her heart, her obsession with all things edible, and ultimately, her journey to a normal weight and peace of mind. Although she undergoes bariatric surgery in the end, the biggest and bravest changes occur within  her own mind.

A Lighter Burden is not only a book about weight loss – it’s a guiding light for anyone who is struggling to achieve balance in their life.

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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My son was scared to go get the chocolate, but the fear wasn’t enough to keep him away from one of his favorite treats.

After being punched by a tougher, older boy as he walked from cheder to the bus stop one afternoon,  “Noach” wasn’t seeking a sympathetic hug or a kind word from his parents – he wanted justice.

Harnessing spunk that defied his tender age and slender frame, he did his homework well.  He found out where the bully attends school – and then called the boy’s principal at home to speak about the issue. (He made the call from a friend’s house, otherwise I probably would have been the one on the phone.) Two days later he was invited by the principal to come over to the school to identify the juvenile offender.

Accompanied by a friend who was eyewitness to the attack, Noach nervously made his way to the school and was given the opportunity to view one of the older grade’s classes in session.  “Did anyone here hit this boy?” the principal asked the students. Sure enough, the boy cowering in the corner was the culprit. He was suspended for a few days and ordered to bring in some nice chocolates for Noach – along with a note of apology.

Noach forgave the boy and has since moved on to other more consuming topics such as the latest illustrated novel and when Shimmy can come to us for Shabbos.

If only every  fight and falling-out could be resolved so easily…

Eliyahu Matlon is hiding –  from himself.  An orphan from birth, he betrayed the only family he ever had, and crossing the ocean to begin a new life in America, did nothing to ease his guilt and heartache. Those closest to him do not even know what he did – not his wife, not his daughters, and certainly not his neighbors who view him as a generous, upright supporter of their local Torah community. The only remaining victim is his brother Yosef, back in Yerushalayim.  And Yosef will neither  forgive nor forget.

Welcome to the complex world of the Matlon brothers. Travel back and forth in time between the present  day  and Yerushalayim of Old, as Eliyahu struggles to overcome 40 years of estrangement and gain his brother’s forgiveness.  Yosef knows that Eliyahu’s unspeakable misdeed can never be righted. It is unforgiveable and yet Eliyahu pleads: Forgive Me.

Guest Blogger: Sara Miriam Gross

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I know mothers are supposed to be the paradigm of patience for their children—you know, role modeling and all that—but I shamefully confess to have been very impatient these past few weeks. Yes, I have been guilty of muttering, “What’s taking so long?!” under my breath a number of times, and I’ve been the one nudging others to find out if there’s anything that could be done to speed up a certain process.

Wait—don’t “t-t-t” me like that! My impatience was for very good reason. You see, what I’ve been so impatiently awaiting these past few weeks was the release of the second volume of MiddosMan, and after I explain to you the wonders of this children’s book, you’ll understand exactly why I was so anxious for it to come out already. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you start tapping your feet impatiently, too, waiting to run out and buy your own copy of the book!

The MiddosMan series has all the maalos a parent could ever wish for in a children’s book. These books are adorable, with rich and vivid illustrations (laminated pages, too!); easy-to-understand stories featuring a cast of warm and relatable characters that will instantly capture your child’s interest; and an accompanying read-along/sing-along musical CD. Through all this, the series teaches real-life, practical middos lessons to young children—and, as our experience has shown, kids just love it!

We’ve been told by parents that the book and CD keep their kids glued to the couch for hours, as they carefully follow along with the story by themselves. The funny voices and catchy songs on the CD enhance the entertainment, and there’s nothing like that “brrring” sound that indicates it’s time to turn the page.

The first MiddosMan book, Learning to Share, was so popular among kids, the book was almost completely sold out within a very short time. Now the second book, Being a Nice Friend, has just made its debut—and I’m running to pick one up for my kids before it sells out, too! So come join me—you can always read more of my blogging later! But the enjoyment this book guarantees to provide is one thing you don’t want your kids to be left out of.

Click here to purchase online.

Looking for a great gift for that action-loving tween of yours? Look no further than our newest tween book: Not For Sale.

On Chanukah we celebrate the victory of good over evil, of the pintele Yid triumphing over the darkness of wicked people who surround it… These are messages all parents want their children to absorb. Not For Sale, by popular author Bracha Rosman, is a thriller for tweens that emphasizes these very messages.

In this exciting book, readers will meet the Rosens, a warm and close-knit family whose move to town is apparently making someone very displeased. But who is that someone? And why would anyone be opposed to Rabbi Rosen’s plan for creating a community center to be used by all the Jewish people in the city?

Questions and suspicions swirl around, as danger abounds at every twist and turn of this story… There are break-ins and broken dreams…a suspicious utility worker and a dedicated detective hoping to crack the case… And throughout it all, the Rosens sticks together, determined to overcome all obstacles placed in their path and to triumph over their unknown perpetrators, who are only too eager to see them fail…

Sounds like a goose-bump-raising roller coaster of a book, doesn’t it? Well, we told you it was for that action-loving kid of yours, didn’t we? :)

Click here to purchase online.