Interview with Bracha Goykadosh

May 6, 2010

In today’s world of literature, where authors and books seem to abound a dime a dozen, and every other person you meet claims to be an “aspiring writer,” it takes a very talented author to actually bring a character to life. One such talent is Bracha Goykadosh.

There is nothing flat, typical, or two-dimensional about the characters that Bracha writes about. To the contrary; I find them so authentic, so true-to-life, so “real”—it almost feels like I’ve actually met them in person! After reading too many books with characters comprised of the former qualities, static and unoriginal, it’s so refreshing to see something totally different in Bracha’s writing.

Take her newest book, Shadows on the Moon. I mean, how could any modern-day teenager NOT relate to Ella Sender? She’s so sarcastic and biting—yet, her tough exterior is only a façade covering up so many layers underneath… As an adult, who already went through my teenage years, I still found myself moved by Ella’s depth and her feelings. And Ruti Reuben, the so-called “perfect” class queen—who doesn’t remember the girl exactly like that from their high school class?!

I think the reason why I, and so many readers whom I speak for, too, loved this book so much, is due to its frankness and realism, elements that unfortunately are not found in your typical teen or adult novel. This, of course, can only be a credit to the book’s gifted author, Bracha Goykadosh. We spoke with Bracha about her entry into the world of writing, and about her writing in general. Here’s what she has to say:

You’ve been writing for a long time, yet you seem to be a young person. How old are you and since when have you been a published author? Read more…


50% off With Help From Above

May 5, 2010

When I first met Jodi, I was floored by how normal she looks. After reading about all her colorful travels and experiences in With Help from Above, I’m not sure what I was expecting her to look like! But the truth is, I think it’s her normalcy and level-headedness that helped shape her experiences and turn them into real stepping stones for personal growth.

Jodi’s approach to life is—when the going gets tough, you can either fall apart, or you can grow. Why not choose the latter and become a better person? And that’s exactly what Jodi has done.

Reading about the difficulties Jodi and her family experienced upon their move to Eretz Yisrael, and about the various accidents and mishaps that befell them, I couldn’t believe how Jodi managed to get up each time she was struck down—and even stronger than before, too. When I mentioned this to her, she gave a little laugh and said, “You know, when people are inspired by my life, that helps me, too.”

I, for one, became inspired tremendously from her life by reading her book. There’s nothing like a real-life example to drive home the message of how we Jews are supposed to view the experiences that we go through…

The book is available here for special 50% discount until May 14th.  Here’s an excerpt…

Judge to the Merit

The international community will never be the same following the terror that has been unleashed against the world under the banner of Islamic Jihad.  Our family was living in Eretz Yisrael when the Twin Towers that once graced the skyline of Manhattan were destroyed.  That day in September shattered America’s sense of optimism and invincibility.  That same day has also become a day of personal loss to our family; it was the day that our son lost his unparalleled enthusiasm for learning.

At the time when the two planes were crashing into their targets, thousands of miles away, in a beis medrash in Ashdod, our oldest son, Chaim, was diligently plowing through pages of the Gemara on his own. Read more…


Great news for all of you Halachically Speaking fans out there!

May 4, 2010

Just in time for Shavuos, Halachically Speaking 2 is now in its printing stage and about to hit the bookstores!

Personally, I found Halachically Speaking to be an incredible sefer. It is extremely reader-friendly and easy to understand, and is chock-full of all those halachos that you heard about once upon a time, but then didn’t hear about again, and then sort of forgot about altogether… All the shoe-related halachos, such as sleeping with shoes on; putting in shoelaces on Shabbos; wearing the shoes of a deceased person; and removing your shoes for duchaning (if you’re a kohen)… Halachos relating to inyanei derech eretz, such as leaving over some food on your plate; not drinking from a cup in one shot; and not eating in the street… All the potato-related halachos you could think of, such as the brachah to recite on Pringles, instant mashed potatoes, and potato knishes; the status of a hot potato when it comes to Bishul (Cooking) on Shabbos; potatoes on Pesach; and  bishul akum regarding potatoes… The halachos of washing netilas yadayim in the bathroom, like when you’re on an airplane; the halachos regarding when to say and when not to say a brachah on water… and this is only a sampling of some of the topics covered in this book!

And, like I said, Halachically Speaking 2 will be in the bookstores in time for Shavuos, the day of Kabbalas HaTorah. Well, folks, what better way to show our dedication to the Torah than by studying the “manual” to it—namely, halachah? So, as you run to the grocery store to pick up another few tubs of cream cheese for your cheesecake, and stock up on jars of Nescafe coffee for your Shavuos all-nighter, and stand for hours at your local Shop-Rite’s floral stand, trying to pick out the nicest bouquet for Shavuos (and of course for your wife!)—don’t forget to make a stop at your local bookstore, too, to pick up your very own copy of Halachically Speaking 2. Trust me—you’ll be glad you did.


A Time to Laugh…

April 30, 2010

Those of you lucky enough to be a student of Rabbi Kurland in Sh’or Yoshuv yeshivah will know exactly what I’m referring to when I say that Rabbi Kurland’s style is one of a kind. It’s not just the humor he injects into every lesson—which, by the way, there’s a lot of. (There’s a reason why his book is called A Time to Laugh, A Time to Listen!) It’s also his amazing knack of being able to teach fundamental concepts  in a down-to-earth, concrete way that you’ll find both inspirational and enjoyable. Each gem of an article in this book begins with a good joke, which then leads into a powerful essay that connects pesukim, midrashim, and Gemaras from all over, in a breathtaking display of Rabbi Kurland’s unique manner of teaching.

Ready for a laugh? Want some inspiration? Go ahead; it’s all yours—A Time to Laugh, A Time to Listen.

Here’s a sample…

The Hebrew school teacher was projecting her own heretical views, when she asked her class if they really believed that Jonah was swallowed by a whale and survived. Little Sarah, unabashed, was brave enough to respond:

“Yes! I believe every word of it!”

“Well, how will you prove that it is true?” the dissident teacher asked.

Sarah, not hesitating for a moment, answered, “When I get to Heaven, I’m going to ask Jonah myself!”

“But how do you know that Jonah is in Heaven?” asked the teacher. “Maybe he’s in the other place.”

Sarah didn’t flinch. “Then you ask him!”

Children are bright, resourceful, and quite perceptive, very often putting us adults to shame. One thing is for sure: Any parent or teacher who thinks for a moment that he is “merely dealing with a child” underestimates and misunderstands the “absorbent sponge” and pure-minded phenomenon that stands before him. Everything we do and say will be soaked up by this precious child, either through his unusual sharp senses, or through the process of osmosis. We adults must always be on our best behavior, lest our children’s lasting impressions of us come back to haunt us one day! Read more…


Diamond in the Rough-Excerpt

April 13, 2010

This gripping novel sheds light on complex family dynamics and the inner strength needed to overcome years of tension and friction. You will be mesmerized by the man who must come to terms with a difficult past and find it within himself to open up his heart and home, and enthralled by the underground revolution that has far-reaching ramifications for individuals on the other side of the globe.  Here’s a sample chapter for your reading pleasure…

Chapter 9

Toronto, Canada

With Pesach just around the corner, Mrs. Zichel was determined to use every spare moment for scrubbing. She removed the red washcloth and examined the silver mezuzah case with a critical eye.

“You see, Shlomo?” she said with satisfaction. “Every house needs a woman to clean it and organize it and care about it! The best cleaning lady in the world won’t do what a balabuste does in her own house.”

From his place in the hallway outside Mrs. Zichel’s apartment, Shlomo nodded politely and stifled a big yawn. The night shift had completely exhausted him. A serious car accident had foiled his plans to slip home at twelve o’clock noon. He’d been in the emergency room for five hours straight without a moment’s rest. In all, he had been at the hospital for twenty-five hours. Read More…


The Top Ten

January 6, 2010

Chanuka is when Jewish publishers, including Israel Book Shop Publications,  release many of their new books. This year in particular, there were many exciting new releases in Judaica stores, many of them innovative and eye catching.  Which books  were the most popular? After polling some of the busiest Judaica stores, who consulted their sales reports, here is our unbiased top ten Judaica book list from the past few weeks and the Chanuka season.  Stay tuned for the kids’ top ten,  and the top five CDs too, coming soon, IY’H! (Note: an ↑ means the book is newer and has been climbing the list, a ↓ means the book is not as new and has been descending.

Title Author Publisher Genre ↑↓
Rabbi Sherer Yonason Rosenblum Artscroll – Mesorah Biography
Cooking With Color Estee Kafra Israel Book Shop Publications Cookbook
Diamond in the Rough Esther Rapaport Israel Book Shop Publications Novel
Breaking Free Riva Pomerantz Targum Press Novel
A Touch of Inspiration Rabbi Yechiel Spero Artscroll – Mesorah Short Stories
Emergencies in Halacha Rabbi Moshe Rotberg Israel Book Shop Publications Halachah
Dessert Time Rivky Katz Judaica Press Cookbook
Too Beautiful Hanoch Teller Feldheim Short Stories
Reb Baruch Ber Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Rosenthal Feldheim Biography
Aleinu L’Shabeiach Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein Artscroll – Mesorah Torah

Honorable mention: Triangle of Despair↓, In Forest Fields, The Beit Hamikdash, A Clever Title Goes Here↑.


Emergencies in Halachah @ The Lakewood Scoop

December 29, 2009

We love it when other outlets feature Israel Book Shop books. A few days ago, TheLakewoodScoop.com, and incredible website with all manner of Lakewood news, excerpted Emergencies in Halacha, a book about emergencies in halacha. They did it with permission, of course, like anyone who excerpts our books. And then they gave us permission to reprint it here. Select Lakewood Scoop comments follow the article. You can read the original piece at http://www.thelakewoodscoop.com/news/2009/12/fire-on-shabbos-what-do-you-do.html .

We all hear it all too often. The wailing of the fire trucks sirens and the roar of their engines. When a fire occurs on Shabbos (as it did for a Lakewood resident last Shabbos, as reported on Thelakewoodscoop.com) just as is the case of all other emergencies, people panic as they begin contemplating what to do. While we all know that pikuach nefesh takes precedence over all of the Torah at times of emergency and desperation, this clarity can become blurred. TLS got permission from The Israel Book Shop to reprint a section of their newly published Sefer Emergencies in Halacha which deals with the halachic issues of fires.
Keep reading…


Come for the Polls and the Prizes, stay for the posts!

December 29, 2009

Welcome to the Israel Book Shop Publications blog, a new way for Israel Book Shop to connect with readers of the best Jewish books available! The blog features previews and excerpts of recent and popular books, reviews and opinions, and of course, our feedback topics and polls, where we want to hear from you! Whichever of these brought you here, feel free to stick around and check out the others. Read a chapter from one of our recent bestsellers, and let the author know how you feel about it. Vote in our poll, give us your opinion on the pressing questions of the day, and you’ll be automatically entered into our raffles.  Disagree with one of the comments? You can comment on comments, too, and your opinion will post right where it belongs, underneath the comment. Get to know Israel Book Shop, and let us get to know you. Start by reading (and feedback-ing) below!


What is Your Opinion? (2)

December 25, 2009

Cast your vote on the poll to the right, then comment on this post… (leave a comment to be entered into our raffle, see details below.)

Are Today’s Children More or Less Literate Than Their Parents Were at the Same Age?

Brief explanation: Frum education has been evolving constantly for many years. We’ve gone from Talmud Torah in the afternoons, to full time yeshivah. Many yeshivas have gone from off-hours public school teachers to frum women and then to frum men teaching secular studies. Some Yeshivas have done away with the English department altogether. How has this affected literacy in our communities? Meanwhile, the world of frum literature has grown immeasurably. Judaica stores don’t even have room for all of the titles now available that cater to the frum market. Has this raised the level of literacy in a measurable way?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Raffle details:

Submit your answer via the comment section below. The best responses from both sides will be made public and their authors will receive a $50 gift certificate. All respondents will be entered into a weekly raffle for a free book, and a monthly drawing for $100 of books of their choice.


THE RESULTS ARE IN!

December 23, 2009

Your votes have been counted, and your opinions have been heard.

62% of you were against the idea of putting a hechsher on books, for a variety of reasons: The Israel Book Shop logo is a hechsher of sorts (A.W.) [good job, A.W!]  Books…already feature haskamos (Sara) A book that is perfectly suited to an individual from one background can be confusing to another. (C.L.) We need to trust our adults to make responsible decisions…(Chanie Greenberg)

38% of you voted Yes to a hechsher. Many people suggested alternatives to a hechsher, such as a rating system, or an age recommendation, haskamos, or asking a friend.

Israel Book Shop Publications, in response to all of the opinions posted, plans to ensure that our back cover descriptions be as accurate as possible in portraying the book properly in order for discerning readers to be able to make an informed judgment.

Look out for a new question in the next few days…

The following are the winning answers from each category:

NO!

C.D. Urbach Says:

Keep Reading…