Rappaport 55

by Dov Haller

Step into Rappaport 55. Because behind the broken table and messy room, you'll find a lot of interesting people. You might even find yourself. The dirahs. That's what they call the tiny apartments off the narrow alley ways of Meah Shearim. Here young men who've come to learn in Israeli yeshivas sleep and cook and experience a life very different from the one they've known back home, in American or Canada or England or Australia. The heating rarely works, and the water pressure is weak, but the power and potency of life in the dirah is unmatched. Rappaport 55 is just one more dirah on streets filled with them - but the people inside will intrigue you. Because you know them. And because real life is happening here. You'll laugh along with this story, maybe even cry a bit, as you find yourself totally involved in the challenges and struggles and the big and little successes of this group of young men on the cusp of adulthood. Under the drama and hilarity of this engaging novel lies a story packed with penetrating truths about people and growth. And it's a great read besides!

Genres: Jewish

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Rivka · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a book about four young men, each seeking their own while joining the small Yeshiva nobody heard about, for one term. Here they thrive under the guidance of the devoted Rosh Yeshiva, emerging as better people in a better world.
Today I took it slow, to prolong the pleasure for longer than 24 hours. So, all 288 pages within 48 hours. Frankly speaking, I was afraid the Shaar Press would edit some incongruent unnatural English out of normal people's speach but they didn't! Now, how can I bribe Dov Haller into writing a new novel, and soon?

[Frum Books]

A humorous and personal drama that captures the magic of Yerushalayim and its impact on our personalities and hearts. Four young men arrive in a dingy dirah with perfect plans for their year. As they let go of their visions of themselves and their pasts, they reluctantly open themselves up to hear what the voice of Yerushalayim has to say. Dov Haller captures the nuances of frum life while tapping into the hopes and struggles inside of us, making for an illuminating, sarcastic, and engaging read that can be revisited over and over again.