Celia Gurevitch Jewish Community Library

One of the five books we won is a book on CD: the unabridged version of Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis‘ “Life is a test.” The 8 CDs contain more than 9 hours of content read by Mare Winningham. You might be familiar with her playing Meredith’s mother on the popular TV series “Grey’s anatomy.” You may not be ware though that she is also a musician and her latest album “Refuge Rock Sublime” is a country/bluegrass/Jewish folk record. I mentioned these details, because when you are listening to a book a big part of the experience is the voice the book is read. No matter how great a book is, if you dislike the reader’s voice you may end up not liking the book.

But I digress, back to the book the Rebbetzin’s book. She is the founder and president of Hineni in New York City. The subtitle of her book is “how to meet life’s challenges successfully. ” Here are some excepts from the press release

It is written as a trilogy, combining three books in one and takes the reader on a trajectory that is permeated with such a genuine sense of warmth and love that can only be termed palpable. In a society immersed in grotesque materialism, decadence and loss of any real and meaningful direction and purpose, we are clueless about what life is really about and more importantly, who we really are and what our potential could be. Rebbetzin Jungreis is the consummate storyteller and it is through this treasure trove of true stories do we begin to understand that our identity is not inextricably tied to our careers or professions or the external superficialities that our culture imposes upon us. Rebbetzin Jungreis utilizes the timeless wisdom of the Torah to illustrate her points and to lead the reader on the road to true self-discovery. The book begins with the saga of Sam, Phyllis and daughter Kelly (names changed to protect anonymity), yet they could be any one of us. What follows is the story of the personal transformation of these three individuals that is beyond miraculous. By the middle of this book, the reader will feel a tangible connection to these people.

As a final recommendation for the book here is a short video clip of herself sharing what the title of the book refers to.