Just Published

Nature Upclose Six-Book Series written and illustrated by 
John Himmelman

Have you ever wondered how some of nature’s smallest creatures spend their days? Here’s your chance to take a scientifically accurate peek into their lives. Striking illustrations and a lively storyline capture the real life challenges of these creatures in the Nature Upclose series featuring ♦ A Hummingbird’s Life ♦ A Luna Moth’s Life ♦ A Wood Frog’s Life ♦ A Mealworm’s Life ♦ A Mouse’s Life and ♦ A Slug's Life.

Click to see more about these books.
“What one remembers of love depends on whether it was blissful or painful; whether it brought fulfillment or anguish. My love for Esther never seemed to fit either category. My wife called it an obsession. Perhaps it was . . .”

When Max, a hard-nosed, cynical young journalist, first meets the passionate, restless twenty-year-old Australian, Esther, in his Fleet Street office in London in 1951, he is certain he will find her insufferable; instead – within an hour – he is smitten.

Spanning the decades, and moving across continents, to cities: from the lively streets of London to the awe-inspiring lights of Jerusalem, from literary cocktail parties to the war-torn Lebanese-Israeli border, we watch Max and Essie move in and out of each other’s orbit – deaths, marriages, and careers – like planets drawn together by being in the same magnetic field, yet always, somehow, forced apart by another equal power.

As Max grows into a respected journalist, husband, and father, and Essie, an award-winning author and syndicated writer living in Jerusalem, his love for her never falters.

Esther is a wise, passionate, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive story of unbreakable bonds, and the many shapes of love.

“Readers with a taste for tragic romance should clear their calendars for an evening, grab a box of tissues and enjoy this haunting story of love . . .”
Publishers Weekly
Fleeing from the Portuguese Inquisition to England, Roderigo “Ruy” Lopez, a Jewish doctor, establishes himself in London. He gains a prestigious post at St. Bart’s Hospital and becomes the personal physician to Queen Elizabeth I and several aristocrats including the Earl of Essex.

All goes well until Sir Francis Walsingham, the head of the queen’s Secret Service, conscripts Lopez to be a spy and engage in espionage. He now has to follow what Spain, England’s great enemy, is plotting.

Subsequently, the unwary Lopez becomes inadvertently trapped in the royal web as the political battles between the queen’s important ministers and the vengeful Essex unfold. Lopez has no way of seeing how his international ventures will backfire on him, and being Jewish in an anti-Semitic court does not help.

The author, David Lawrence-Young, has based this novel on real events in the life of Roderigo Lopez in the 1500s.

How often have we seen the Torah Scrolls and been unaware of the mysteries surrounding their preparation, the reasons for variations in sizes of letters, why some letters are inverted and yet others have dots above them?These are but a few of the questions that might tax the mind of the congregant when following the reading from the Torah in the synagogue.

To open the door to this fascinating experience of living with a Sopher, a scribe, as he meticulously prepares himself and his parchment for his complicated task, the author of this volume decided to write this illuminating story of the Bible text, taking the reader far beyond the confines of the scribe and his intricate task of writing the Scroll.

He relates its impact through history, the scholarship and skills with which it was interpreted, and the vital part that its reading has always played in the life of the people, who have ever treated its presence with that particular aura and respect exclusively reserved and preserved since Sinai for the Torah and its message.

The Book of Books: The Role of the Sacred Torah Scroll in Judaism provides a comprehensive guide in English to these and many other facets of the Torah Scrolls, the most sacred and precious possession of the Jewish People and indeed of mankind.

The idea for writing this book suggested itself as I observed my fellow Jews on Sabbath mornings at synagogue services. By and large, even regular congregants evinced no knowledge and even less curiosity about the Hebrew letters samekh and pei interspersed throughout the printed Five Books, and various glaring irregularities like minuscule and large letters or other oddities like dots above words and so on.

On further inquiry I learned that very few were aware of the regulations involved in writing a Torah Scroll, the stories of the Bible Canon, the Masorah, the printed Bible and other essential information pertaining to the most sacred possession of our people and civilization – the Book of Books.

I was, therefore, persuaded to produce this popular presentation of the Bible text. I hope it will introduce Jew and non-Jew to the history of the Bible Canon and to the impressive story of how it was committed to memory and preserved through the millennia. This story, unmatched in the annals of civilization, should deepen our pride in, and heighten our reverence for, the Holy Scriptures. It will certainly enlighten the worshipper, enliven the Torah reading period in the Synagogue, the study of it at home, and help provide the background for the stirring events of recent years, such as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the restoration of the Aleppo Codex to Jerusalem.


Although pertinent, the historical data and information covered in this book have not been stressed in the teaching of Jewish history and literature to our youth. I have endeavoured to correct this omission: a knowledge of the development of the Bible text should enhance an appreciation of the role of the Holy Writ in Jewish life.

“Amidst the shouting and barking, cracking of whips and thud of the clubs, Beila and the children craned their necks to look for me. For a fraction of a second, through a sliver in the crowd, Sara’le and Hillel’s terror-filled eyes locked with mine as they were clinging to Beila and each other. That fleeting final glimpse of them is branded onto my soul. It will haunt me for as long as I am alive. Eyes begging me to save them. I could not. They were gone, engulfed by the chaos.” ... Misha Levine, in the Stutthof Death Camp, July 17, 1944.

Misha Levine, born and raised in Vilna at the turn of the 20th century, recounts poignant memories from Lithuania buried deep within. Known as the “Jerusalem of Lithuania”, medieval Vilna was also modern and sophisticated – the uncontested epicenter of East European Jewry. Time and again Misha was caught up in events that toppled all but the strongest of body and spirit. His moving tale of survival is also a rare window into the Lithuanian Jews' trials during the turbulent first half of the twentieth century: the Russian Revolution, World War I, the Bolshevik Revolution, the Spanish Flu epidemic, war with Poland, three wars for Lithuanian independence, the Russian invasion and the Nazi Blitz Krieg takeover – culminating in the Holocaust and its aftermath. A higher percentage of Jews were murdered in Lithuania than anywhere else in Europe: an astounding 96.4%.

Benjamin Levine, the author of They Were Set Ablaze and Misha’s son, wrote this story in the voice of his father providing a unique portrayal of events branded into Misha’s soul: the nationalist Nazi collaborators’ murder squads, the Shavl ghetto and three concentration camps, Stutthof, Dachau and Mühldorf.

After unspeakable horrors, including the murder of his wife and two children, Misha found the capacity to love again. After the war, he met a beautiful Lithuanian survivor, two decades his junior, in Munich – birthplace of the Nazi movement. She, too, had the strength and courage to miraculously withstand the Kovno ghetto, Stutthof Concentration Camp, from where she made a daring escape, and her Russian liberators.

Did they have the resilience to rekindle a will to live ... would their love be enough to fan the flame of hope necessary to marry and raise a new family after all they had endured?
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‘This important book sets forth in detail the history of the international declarations and agreements relating to the rights and aspirations of the Jewish people in mandatory Palestine.  It is a “must” for any student of the century-old Arab-Israeli Conflict’.

Prof. Robert J. Aumann,
Nobel Laureate
Could the whole world be wrong?
You’ll be surprised what international law REALLY says about the Arab-Israeli conflict.

To Whom Was The Promised Land Promised? - Some Fundamental Truths About The Arab-Israeli Conflict

‘Occupied Territories’, ‘The West Bank’, ‘Illegal settlements’, ‘Unlawfully annexed East Jerusalem’. These phrases, rife with insinuation about Israel’s right to the territory of ‘Palestine’, have become commonplace in today’s rhetoric. The media, academia, international bodies of law, activists on college campuses, and even many Jewish communal leaders, have accepted the validity of these terms without question.
 
In To Whom Was the Promised Land Promised?, Professor Abraham Sion, a seasoned legal scholar, expert on land titles, and media commentator, examines the historical and legal aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict to determine who actually acquired the legal title to this land. In this meticulously-researched volume, Sion pores through the foundational documents of the State and traces the region’s history through the copious treaties and resolutions that shaped the legal and political landscape of the Middle East in the twentieth century.
 
Sion’s research is highly unique since it comes with an approach – fully based on authentic documents and conducted with the impartiality of a legal expert – that contradicts most, if not all, previous approaches to the conflict. Ultimately, his findings refute the stance taken by mainstream writers today and contradict political and judicial decisions on the subject.  
 
To Whom Was the Promised Land Promised? is an essential resource for scholars, students, international lawmakers, activists, community leaders and all those seriously interested in the legal aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

​See at Amazon

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'Ruth The Sleuth and the Messy Room' received a 'Seal of Approval' from Literary Classics
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Congratulations to Aviva Hermelin on a great review from Midwest Book Review:

LATEST REVIEW FOR BOOK 5:

Exceptionally entertaining and thoroughly 'kid friendly' in organization and presentation, "Summer Vacation With The Grizzbears" is very highly recommended for family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.

A new release from the popular Animals Build Character series promoting compassion, respect, and responsibility from observing animal wisdom, "The Grizzbears Make New Friends: Listen and Learn From the Animals, Book 2" is sure to please an audience of young readers ages 5-10. Using animals from the Golan to teach thoughtful ways of showing respect, compassion for others, and other positive character traits, this original series is written and illustrated by a talented Israeli former preschool teacher. Divided into six illustrated chapters in 39 pages, "The Grizzbears Make New Friends" describes stages of adjustment as the Grizzbears family of four settle down to live among the other animals of the Golan Mountains..."The Grizzbears Make New Friends" is a great teaching book for children of different ages, cultures, and backgrounds. The Animals Build Character series demonstrates that wise animals can make good counselors and teachers. Read the complete review.
Joseph Lichtman, a young man from Frankfurt, is determined to escape the culture of the ghetto, still dominant fifty years after Napoleon. Dramatically, he not only leaves his family, but also steps back from his faith.

Reaching Cologne, he successfully climbs the cultural and social ladder as a journalist. But the higher he gets – losing himself in the rich life of the enlightened circles of European culture – the more he experiences his own limitations and ultimately, emptiness. In the end, his detachment and loose liberal views land him in a Venetian prison.

Joseph’s search for light and spiritual freedom, against the background of the ongoing enmity against Jews in Europe, eventually brings him to Palestine. There, he faces the challenges of this new land with his wife and son in a complex blend of cultures and religions. He eventually witnesses the courageous, but unsuccessful attempt to start a new agricultural settlement, Petach Tikva. Joseph endures the harsh conditions of his new land with emotional consequences. In time, these experiences lead him to recognize a good greater than his own well-being.
In this landmark book, Gol Kalev demonstrates how Zionism has turned into the organizing principle of Judaism. It has become the primary conduit through which both Jews and non-Jews relate to Judaism - in both the positive and negative.
 
Through an in-depth analysis of long-term shifts in Israel and in North American Jewry, as well as assessment of global trends that impact Judaism, Kalev shows that the anchor of the Jewish nation-religion has shifted from its religious element (Judaism 2.0) to its national element - Zionism (Judaism 3.0). This is occurring without  any compromise to the religious aspects of Judaism. Whether in support or criticism, Zionism has become the one aspect of Judaism that evokes  emotions, anger, passion and engagement.
 
Tying Theodor Herzl's original vision of Zionism to today's realities, Kalev shows that Judaism 3.0 is not only the most accurate reflection of the contemporary state of Judaism, but also the optimal architecture to address key issues of our times, such as intermarriage, Diaspora-Israel relationship, Tikun Olam and peace.
 
Kalev then shows how Judaism 3.0 is also the relevant framework to counter emerging threats to Judaism. First and foremost, the existential threat of Israel-bashing, which has replaced anti-Semitism as the primary currency of age-old opposition to Judaism
​THE TORCHBEARER follows THE SWORDSMAN as the second book of the WINDOW TO YESTERDAY series.It is the eve of the First Crusade. Young David lives in the land once called Israel, now ruled by Muslims. From his shackled destiny, David rebels and seeks adventure and freedom. But at what cost? Brilliant Rebecca and Rabbi Elazar have found a haven in the idyllic German lands, where Judaism blossoms. Then comes the fateful November cry for revenge… With love and laughter, courage and betrayal, together - and apart - they step into war.
Fast-paced but profound, as much comic as tragic, The Torchbearer captures Jewish history's harrowing glory.

See the Window To Yesterday series
The Fittest Survivor
by Sigmund Abeles

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While this book is a first-hand account of a Hungarian family destroyed in the murderous Holocaust as well as those who survived, it is also the story of two men from different generations who discover each other’s existence to remember and record their family’s history.“The Fittest Survivor” provides an insightful and under-reported aspect of World War II history, refracted through the personal perspective, and courageous life of one notable forced slave labor survivor, Vilmos Abeles.

AMAZON 5 STAR REVIEW
https://amzn.to/33EwSmV
5.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful tribute and a moving story
September 17, 2019
Format: Paperback
Sigmund Abeles was my graphic art teacher and mentor when I was a college student. Since then I have followed his professional career in the art world over the years. I have viewed his work in galleries, museums, and read about him in art magazine articles. Once many years ago I studied with him in a pastel workshop. I have long been inspired by his skillful and intense realism in his treatment of portrait and figurative work. His art is consistently probing, penetrating and openly personal whatever the medium. I was quite curious to read The Fittest Survivor to learn more about my former teacher and how he would use his talents in a very different medium.

I was thrilled to find the book wonderfully illustrated with his drawings, paintings and family photographs. And I was especially happy to see that Sigmund Abeles does with words what he does so well with his visual tools. As I expected, this is a very intense and personal story, a double portrait really, of one man’s heroic survival of the Holocaust against terrible odds and another man’s discovery of his father’s family history. It is also a page turning detective story. Carefully the writer collects facts and stories about a part of his family he never knew. His visits in Brooklyn, New York with his aging but still very sharp second cousin, Vilmos Abeles are very moving. Finally, Sigmund Abeles takes us on his journey to eastern Europe to learn more about his roots, affirming the tragic fate of so many other relatives.

The Fittest Survivor is both a very personal and a universal story that reminds us that 6 million is not just a number. Kudos to the artist/author

amzn.to/33EwSmV
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​NEWS UPDATE:  Dvora Waysman has been awarded the  "Shabazi Prize" for her historical novel, "The Pomegranate Pendant", published by Mazo Publishers.

The committee of the Shabazi Prize for the Heritage of Jews from Yemen said "we have decided to honor and award you with the Shabazi Prize for your novel, The Pomegranate Pendant. We acknowledge its sensitive and creative literary style, which is deserving of the highest praise. Your book is a special cultural treasure, which adds an important chapter to the Zionist History by commemorating the First Aliyah of Jews from Yemen [Aliyah b'Tamar] and their participation in the redemption of Eretz Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel."

The Prize is awarded to researchers, authors and artists who have contributed to the research of the heritage of the Jews of Yemen and their culture.

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