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Incredible!
This is a true story so full of non-stop action, physical and spiritual courage, Divine Providence, spine-tingling adventure -- and an utter dedication to Torah -- that it can only be Incredible!
As CEO of Arachim, the ultra-successful global kiruv organization, Rabbi Yossi Wallis has touched and transformed the lives of tens of thousands of Jews, and has developed personal, warm relationships with many of our greatest Torah leaders.
Before he became a renowned kiruv master, Yossi ("Joe") Wallis lived a life of breathtaking exploits and hair-raising escapes. It began on the tough New York streets, where Joe led the Bronx's first all-Jewish gang, black leather jackets and all. It was a life that included dangerous encounters with the Mafia underworld, a stint in the Israeli air force, and an unexpected discovery of his Torah heritage while waiting in a restaurant for his treife sandwich.
Rabbi Wallis wasn't the only illustrious member of his family. Under the deft hands of master storyteller Rabbi Nachman Seltzer we meet Rabbi Wallis's ancestor, Rafael Vallis, one of the three last Jews to be publicly burned in a Spanish auto-da-fe. And Yeedle Wallis, Rabbi Wallis's father, whose against-all-odds survival in the Holocaust and journey to pre-State Palestine is something you'd expect only to find in fiction.
This is a story that reads like a thriller, and, at the same time, it is an inspiring account of a spiritual journey.
This is a story that is simply Incredible!
As CEO of Arachim, the ultra-successful global kiruv organization, Rabbi Yossi Wallis has touched and transformed the lives of tens of thousands of Jews, and has developed personal, warm relationships with many of our greatest Torah leaders.
Before he became a renowned kiruv master, Yossi ("Joe") Wallis lived a life of breathtaking exploits and hair-raising escapes. It began on the tough New York streets, where Joe led the Bronx's first all-Jewish gang, black leather jackets and all. It was a life that included dangerous encounters with the Mafia underworld, a stint in the Israeli air force, and an unexpected discovery of his Torah heritage while waiting in a restaurant for his treife sandwich.
Rabbi Wallis wasn't the only illustrious member of his family. Under the deft hands of master storyteller Rabbi Nachman Seltzer we meet Rabbi Wallis's ancestor, Rafael Vallis, one of the three last Jews to be publicly burned in a Spanish auto-da-fe. And Yeedle Wallis, Rabbi Wallis's father, whose against-all-odds survival in the Holocaust and journey to pre-State Palestine is something you'd expect only to find in fiction.
This is a story that reads like a thriller, and, at the same time, it is an inspiring account of a spiritual journey.
This is a story that is simply Incredible!
- GenresNonfictionJewish
440 pages, Hardcover
Published March 21, 2016
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 21, 2023
Способность видеть чудеса свойственна не только религиозным людям. Можно, просто считать себя везучим и обращать внимание на случайные совпадения.
Книга Рава Валиса - смесь мессианской литературы, свидетелей еговы и книг Эфраима Севеллы, о холокосте, только без пошлости.
Все что произошло с отцом Рава Валиса, удивительно и невероятно, пособие по смелости, находчивости и целеустремленности. Как выжить в лагере, в гетто, как пробраться в Палестину… Нам казалось что эти навыки уже не понадобятся - но вот в мире снова война, снова нужно выживать и принимать решения которые оставят вас в живых.
Я много раз плакал над страницами книги - ведь она об истории еврейского народа за последние сто лет.
Да, обращение к любителям животных, уголовникам, летчикам и бизнесменам - можно пропускать, хотя и из этих глав можно извлечь много интересного. Можно например увидеть в себе много разных личностей и увидеть как ваши друзья откликаются на какую-то одну часть вашей души.
Кто-то был на семинарах организации которой руководит Рав Валис? Интересно услышать ваше мнение…
Шаббат Шалом
October 18, 2020
The facts of Wallis' life, and his family history, are incredible!
I wish the writing had been a little more subtle, because the style detracted from the feeling of, "This really happened," and made it seem more like a 'story.'
I'd like to read more about Wallis. I recall my grandmother's cousin (from the same town in Poland) saying that as a child, his mother had shown him the key to their house in Spain. So this Spanish-Polish connection was not new to me.
The book would have benefited from some documents, in addition to the photos.
I wish the writing had been a little more subtle, because the style detracted from the feeling of, "This really happened," and made it seem more like a 'story.'
I'd like to read more about Wallis. I recall my grandmother's cousin (from the same town in Poland) saying that as a child, his mother had shown him the key to their house in Spain. So this Spanish-Polish connection was not new to me.
The book would have benefited from some documents, in addition to the photos.
July 15, 2018
Amazing biography of a Jewish family from the Spanish Inquisition until modern day.
The incidents recounted in the book are really Incredible.
Easy to read, not great literature, but fascinating.
The incidents recounted in the book are really Incredible.
Easy to read, not great literature, but fascinating.
July 1, 2020
Incredible stories and a wonderful read.
December 17, 2023
Inspiring and expertly written.
February 18, 2017
easy read, journalistic style.
Fascinating family history
Fascinating family history
January 17, 2017
Amazing, inspiring book. The stories are truly incredible.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews