Mishpatim: Laws are Important

וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם

"And these are the laws that you shall set before them."

In this week's portion, the Torah describes a long series of laws. Among these laws, are some that seem quite specific, and at first glance seem to have very little to do with our daily lives. Why does God preoccupy Himself with exactly what happens when an ox gores someone else's ox? And why does the Torah, the Mishna and the Talmud spend page after spend going into the intricacies of such cases, for example whether or not the animal was known to be dangerous from beforehand, who owned the ox to begin with, the value of it, etc.? Aren't there more important philosophical ideas we should be focusing on, such as the meaning of life, our purpose on earth?

The Talmud relates that when Moshe ascended to heaven, the ministering angels protested, to the extent that Moshe was afraid that he would be burnt up by them. God told Moshe to "take hold of His Throne of Glory," and answer their protests. Moshe responded them by asking the angels a series of related questions, many of which referred to our specific earthly conditions: The Torah states, "I am the L-rd Your G-d Who took you out of Egypt" - were you in Egypt? The Torah states, "You shall have no other gods besides Me" - do you live among nations that worship idols?  "Remember the Shabbos and keep it holy" - do you do any physical work?  It says, "Honor your father and mother"  - do you have a father and mother?, and many other such questions. The angels then agreed that the Torah should be given to the Jewish people. (For a quick link to a full translation to this story, click here.)

The Torah is all about our experiencing God through the physical world. The Tanya, one of the most reknowned works of Chassidic thought, goes as far as saying that it is exactly in this world that we experience God to the fullest extent. The Talmud teaches that in the World to Come, Tzadikkim will sit with their crowns and benefit from the rays of the Divine Presence (the "Schinah"). The author of the Tanya, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (the first rebbe of Lubavitch, also known as the "Alter Rebbe" or "Baal haTanya"), says that they this means that we experience only the "rays" of the Schinah, but not the Divine Presence itself. To be able connect to God Himself, not just the rays, both intellectually and experientially, that's only in this physical world of ours. We do so by learning God's laws, and putting them into practice.

As we learn the Torah and its laws, we gain insight into God's thoughts. From oxen, fences, fires, and pits, we learn fundamental principles that gives us a lense into understanding the meaning life itself. By putting these laws and commandments into practice, we connect directly to God -  the word "mitzvah" (commandment) comes from the word "tzavsa," connection.

One might ask, does God really care about some "small" commandment or application of justice? Those influenced by Greek philosophy might say that God has more important things to worry about, like the cosmos. The truth is that God cares A LOT. He is worried and He is involved. One need only take a brief look at the exclamations of the prophets to see how much He cares about His laws and about justice. 

Justice has a special importance in Judaism. We learn from the Ethics of our Fathers that without justice the world could not continued to exist. (Pirkei Avot 1:18)  Establishing courts of justice is even one of the seven universal Noachide laws, that applies to not just to Jews.

We see that we pray for justice three times a day in the Amidah (Standing prayer). The Amidah, also known as the Shmoneh Esreh, named after its 18 blessings (actually 19, but that's a separate discussion), is the culmination of each of our daily prayers. In each of the blessings we declare God's greatness and ask for His continued involvement: He gives us knowledge, pardons our sins, redeems us, heals us, blesses our fields, rebuilds Jerusalem - interestingly, almost all the prayers describe an action by God.

However, there are two blessings that do not describe God's actions, but rather His feelings. We don't bless God because He makes us repent. We bless God because He wants us to repent. Repentance is something that we have to do on our own. Similarly, we don't say that God "creates" justice - we bless God because He is a King that loves justice. We know that ultimately God is the King, and that His justice is constant and absolute. We might not always understand this justice, given our very limited capacity, and "accounts" we don't see, such as previous and future reincarnations, as well as the World to Come. Nevertheless, despite God's absolute justice, He also expects us to implement justice on our own. He won't do that for us either.

As we enter the month of Adar, this is also related to the idea of Purim, and the destruction of Amalek. The portion that speaks of Amalek in the book of Deuteronomy (which we will read in about two weeks) comes right after God's demand that we use "just weights." Amalek represents the ultimate injustice, as well as the belief that God does not rule the world. The Torah tells us the the Throne of God is not complete until Amalek, and everything it represents, is utterly destroyed. God loves justice, and He wants us to pursue it. “Justice, justice shall you pursue” (Deut. 16:20)

And yet, for the Jewish people, it's not just only a general concept of justice that we are looking for. Rashi comes to explain why is it necessary to say "before them?" Who else would it be for? Rashi says "before them but not before gentiles." Even if you know that they [gentiles] judge a certain law similarly to the laws of Israel, do not bring it to their courts, for one who brings Jewish lawsuits before gentiles profanes the [Divine] Name..."

It's important to remember that in a conflict between Jews, even if secular law's outcome would be the same as the Torah's, we're supposed to apply the Torah's laws from beginning to end. That's because Torah involves a conception of justice tha goes beyond our man-made laws. After all, we're interested in learning and applying God's thoughts, and it is only in this world that we can learn to appreciate them.

For more on the difference of man-made laws and God-given laws, and how they relate to the Environment, check out "Olhar Ecologico Atraves do Judaismo," available at ModernJewishHome.com here.

PS: Among the laws we learn about this week is the fundamentally misunderstood law about "an eye for an eye." An eye for an eye does not mean one is supposed to poke the defendant's eye out. That would be extremely barbaric. The Talmud thoroughly explains that Torah is speaking about monetary compensation. So why does the Torah write "an eye for an eye" in that way? That's because there's a lesson to be learned about the gravity of the sin committed, but our Merciful God would never demand such a thing.

Yitro: The Man Who Added to the Torah

This week's portion focuses on Yitro, the father-in-law of Moses. Rashi, the foremost commentator of the Torah, states that the Torah calls him Yitro, which comes from the word Yeter, "addition," to indicate that when he converted and fulfilled the commandments, a letter was added to his name. Rashi, as well as the Midrash (Sifri Behaalotecha 10:29), also states that Yitro's name alludes to the idea that a whole section of the Torah was "added" in his merit, when he said "You should choose from the nation worthy men who fear G-d." [Shemot 18:21]"  The essential idea behind Yitro's name seems to be the idea of "adding."

When faced with the greatness of others, there are two possible reactions: you can either add or you can subtract. One reaction is to be jealous and to want to put the other person down. ("Why should he/she be better than me?). The second reaction is to look internally, and try to improve ourselves by emulating the other  ("I should try to be more like him/her"). This second idea is also a kind of jealousy, but a good jealousy, called kinat sofrim (the jealousy of scholars).

We see this "jealousy of scholars" found even among our matriarchs, such as in the story of Rachel who wanted to have the merit of raising the Tribes of Israel, like her sister Leah. This idea of "adding" is also present in Yosef's name, in which Rachel said "The Lord shall add to me another son.” (Genesis 30, 22-24)
As Rabbi Schochet explains, Yitro's reaction to the miracles that God performed for the Jewish people represents the exact opposite of Amalek's reaction. When Yitro heard of the miracles, he rushed to join the Jewish people; when Amalek heard about them, they rushed to fight the Jews. In fact, one of the events that brought Yitro to Judaism was exactly the war the Jews fought against Amalek.

The common saying, "if you can't beat'em join'em," is almost correct. A better saying would be, "don't even try to beat'em, join'em." But in order to fulfill this, we must have humility. Yitro was a reknowned and accomplished priest in Midian. He gave it all up, and humbly joined the Jewish people.

Perhaps the best of example of this humility is also in this week's portion, when Moshe, the most humble of men, listens to Yitro's advice mentioned above. This alludes to the second meaning of Yitro's "adding," as stated in the Midrash. Even though Moses had a direct line to God, and had good reason for what he was doing (after all, he knew it was important for all people to interact with the Tzadik of the generation), nevertheless he was willing to listen to the advice and constructive criticism of others. Not only did Moses listen, he accepted Yitro's suggestion and changed his ways.

There's a story about the Alter Rebbe that is related to these ideas. It involves a child who wanted to be taller than another, and decided to push the taller child into a small hole. The Rebbe told the child that this was not the correct path. In order to reach the heights of others, you have to elevate yourself...
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov also alludes to these concepts when he discusses one of the reasons for disagreements and disputes. When entering into a discussion (even a friendly one), we often prevent ourselves from truly listening (and learning) from the other side due to our desire to "win" the discussion. The source of this desire is good. It comes from the Kabbalistic attribute of "Netzach" (Victory).

Netzach is the attribute associated primarily with Moses. In order to correctly use the attribute of Netzach, we have to be humble like him.

Finally, the fourth Rebbe of Lubavitch, the Rebbe Maharash, gave a rule to one of his followers that also encompasses these ideas: "Whenever you see some faults in another person, know that you have these same faults in yourself. The good features that you see in others you should adopt for yourself. Remember the Baal Shem Tov's view of hashgachah pratis: If G-d arranges things so that at a certain time you happen to meet a certain person, this happens for a specific purpose. Everyone must be a teacher so that others may learn from him. If one does not believe in this, he is a heretic (G-d forbid)." For the story behind this teaching, click here.

May we all have the merit to add and not subtract. May it be not only when we experience the greatness of others or when we are given criticism (especially when it comes to our parents, who usually always give the best advice), but in every single encounter we have. Everything, absolutely everything comes from God.

On the topic of respecting our parents, as we listen the Ten Commandments this Shabat, let us strive to fulfill them to the max, and yet not be discouraged if we fall short at times. We must humbly recognize that we are not perfect, nor are we supposed to be. But we are supposed to try.



PS: Rashi also mentions that Yitro had six other names, including "Reuel," which means "a friend/fellow of God." This name gives a whole other meaning to the commandment "Love your Fellow as yourself," as well as Rabbi Akiva's dictum that this commandment encompasses all of Torah.

For a practical guide to Rebbe Nachman's teachings, check out "Crossing the Narrow Bridge," available at ModernJewishHome.com, here.

Political Analysis: What's Going on in Iran

The launching of "Fire with Fire" as February's Book of the Month marks the beginning of this blog's analysis of current events, focusing primarily on the Iranian threat and what should be done to counter it. Instead of simply giving an opinion, we hope to provide updates as well as informative background information, so that our readers can make informed opinions of their own.

It is important to note that the Iran is currently undergoing a militarization of its society. In the past years, the army and its veterans have been chipping away at the power of the clerics that originally led the Islamic revolution in 1979. Today, the majority of elected seats and most positions of power are held by ex-military officers and war veterans, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has control over substantially all economic activity in the country. Virtually no business can survive without providing kickbacks and a portion of their profits to the revolutionary guard. For example, in a contractor's bid, it is common for the members of the guard to "win" the bid, and then simply subcontract the work to the "second place" for a fraction of the payment.

Ahmadinejad, who is also an ex-military officer, speaks of a deranged messianism, which is hard to fathom that even he believes in it himself. He has stated that he is contact with the Hidden Imam (the Shi'ite messiah), and he said that during his UN speech a glow of light surrounded him and that his listeners were entranced by him. All this is an effort to appropriate for himself the Islamic cleric's only remaining claim to power.

On a more positive note, most of us are under the impression that Iran is a closed society with no access to the outside world. That's clearly not true. Iranians have access to the internet, cable television including CNN, BBC, and foreign radio including even Israeli stations and Voice of America. Many of the cultural initiatives created by the Shah (Iran's previous ruler) were maintained, and today 60% of all Iranian college students are women.

Part of what led to the creation of the "Green Movement" is that the government tried to restrict any political advancement, while still permitting the cultural openness that now exists in the country. Frustrastion with this unrealistic policy was compouned by a blatantly fraudulent election (Ahmadinejad's first election was also fraudulent, yet not as insulting to the population's IQ), a faltering economy, and a highly controversial foreign policy that only serves to further isolate the country and further worsen economic conditions.

The Green Movement has gained some traction, but its power does not compare to that of the revolutionary guard. The harsh crackdowns have begun shown just how far the guard is willing to go to liquidate any threat to its position. Nonetheless, its worth noting that the members of the guard are not simply crazy - they are pragmatic, and will continue to make a cost-benefit analysis of whether or not it is worth continuing the crackdown and pursuing nuclear weapons. So far, the benefits seem to be outweighing the costs.

Further sanctions could change this outcome. However, while France and Germany believe in pursuing sanctions (France so far has shown even greater willingness to forcefully stop Iran than the US itself), China and Russia still present obstacles to any action at the UN Security Council level. It is therefore likely that the US will have to pursue a path of sanctions outside that framework, persuading its allies one by one. If the US can convince even a handful of countries to stop trading with Iran (such as Japan, Italy, South Korea, the Netherlands), that could be a major setback for the Iranian regime. Click here to view Iran's major trade partners.

The timing for all this to happen is somewhat limited. We will have a better picture in the coming weeks and months. These issues are likely to be coming to a climax during AIPAC's policy conference, which starts March 21, 2010. The policy conference is a chance to make your voice heard in Washington. You can register for it here. So far, US lobbying efforts have been extremely successful, with the US Senate passing an Iran Sanctions bill this last Thursday night.

If sanctions don't work, as the Israeli government and military are wont to say, "All options are still on the table." More about military option in further posts on this blog.

Act Now and Stay informed!

For more information and to take action regarding this important matter, here are at least two organizations you can contact: United Against Nuclear Iran (www.uani.org), and the America Israel Political Affairs Committee (www.aipac.org).

February's Book of the Month: "Fire with Fire" by Allan Kahane

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In the wake of the Senate passage of the Iran sanctions bill, it is very appropriate that the book of this month is "Fire with Fire," which gives fresh insight into how to fight against Islamic terrorism,  and particularly the world's top terrorist-sponsoring nation: Iran.

From BookWire Review:

Allan Kahane has created a thought-provoking look inside the world of antiterrorism work that also happens to be a pulse-pounding thriller. The plotting is tight and takes place on the world stage, careening from the U.S. to Egypt, from the Middle East to Europe. Anti-terrorism agency STOP uses methods that are not sanctioned by any government. These agents are committed to stopping the spread of terrorism, taking an ends-justifies-the-means approach. Kahane sketches each agent's background in an economical fashion that offers depth without pulling the reader out of the flow of the story.

At the center of the tale is Jake Burke, a stand-in for the reader. Haunted by his own encounter with terrorism, Jake's impotent rage is shaped and honed by the group that allows him to strike back. STOP's current campaign is focused on forcing Iran to expel terrorist cells. When STOP's targeted strikes begin causing escalation, Jake's brilliant and unconventional thinking provides a solution.

Kahane deftly weaves reality into his story, including a realistic look at the current political world map. The terrorist events depicted in Fire With Fire are disturbingly possible, from a suicide bomber in a toy store to a dirty bomb released at a U.S. university. According to the publisher, international businessman Allan Kahane wrote Fire With Fire to provoke conversation about western democracies' responses to terrorism. He makes here a compelling case for the methods used by the counter-terrorism agency, including blackmail, threats, and targeted strikes. While you may not agree with STOP's methods, the book is an intriguing starting point for discussion and a hell of a good read.

Beshalach: When Pharaoh Let Us Go

This week's portion gives us an account of the series of the miracles that took place as we finally were able to rid ourselves of Pharaoh. These include the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, the pillars of clouds and fire that led the people through the desert, as well as the mannah, spiritual bread the fell from the sky. Constant miracles, which were even greater than the ten plagues discussed last week.

Yet, again, the Torah portion begins with quite enigmatic language. Despite all the miracles in the background, we are told that God did not lead our people in the shortest path to the Promised Land, lest the people see war and decide to go back to Egypt.

How could war make them reconsider? They had God Himself on their side! Their certain victory should have been fairly obvious, no?

As we soon find out, despite all the miracles, when certain challenges presented themselves, the Jewish people doubted God, as well as the leaders He chose. The Talmud (Megillah 10b) notes that the very first word of the portion "Vayehi" is a combination of two negative words, "Vay" and "Hee," which connote distress. Rabbi Immanuel Schochet explains that this distress is related to the future complaints of the Jewish people, which occured despite all the miracles they witnessed. (For audio lessons from Rabbi Schochet, click here).

People forget miracles - it's human nature. Faith is not something that comes naturally. It has to be worked on, developed. That's what God was doing with us in the desert. God was molding our faith. Moshe is called in the Zohar as the "Raya Mehemna," the Faithful Shephard. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that this can also be undertsood as the Shepherd of Faith - he helped develop the faith of the Jewish people.

Both the challenges and the subsequent miracles helped develop our faith. There are plenty of examples of this in this portion alone:  the pressure of the Egyptian cavalry and chariots followed by the splitting of the sea; the lack of drinkable water followed by either fresh water coming from a rock or by the sweetening of bitter water with a tree (Torah); the war with Amalek and the subsequent victory thanks to Moshe's raising his arms in prayer; the lack of food, followed by the mannah; and many others.

The mannah is perhaps the best example of God developing our faith. We had to trust God that he would deliver our sustenance every day. We had to learn that on Friday we received two portions, and that on the Sabbath we weren't supposed to even try to collect one. All this "molding" did not come easy, and not without setbacks, but after 40 years in the desert and 2000 years in exile, we Jewish people are proud to be called "Maaminim Bnei Maaminim," believers sons of believers.

Rabbi Natan of Breslov (Likutei Halakhot, Hilchot Pessach 7) explains that the whole idea of the Exodus and the entering of the Promised Land is related to the concept of faith. The very reason for the exile was due to a slight blemish in faith, found in Abraham's question to God, "How will I know that I will inherit [the land]." (Bereishit 15:8) It is only after Abraham asks this question that God tells him that his descendants would be slaves for 400 years. Rabbi Natan goes on to explain that the whole purpose of life is for us to develop faith.

As mentioned last week, we should not be afraid of challenges. Rather we should embrace them as ways to come closer to God. This week we learn that the greatest challenges we face are not when we are slaves, but actually when we are free. Free to grow.

For more information on the life of Rabbi Natan, which was action-packed with extreme challenges and with faithful success, check out "Through Fire and Water." Available at ModernJewishHome.com, here.

Bo: Come to Pharaoh

In this week's Torah portion, we learn about the last three plagues, which culminate with the Passover sacrifice and the death of the Egyptian firstborn. The portion starts out with words that are somewhat enigmatic. God tells Moshe, "Come to Pharaoh" instead of "Go" to him. This implies that God is in the same place as Pharaoh, and that by coming to Pharaoh, Moshe is actually coming to God as well. Continuing the thoughts of last week's portion, it is important for us always to remember that when we are on a mission and we're facing difficulties, God is in the difficulties, too. Every obstacle we face comes from God. He places them in our way in order for us to realize just how much we need Him, and to bring us closer to Him.

On a similar note, even the plagues themselves were sent in order for us and the Egyptians to come closer to God. Rabbi Yossi Jacobson points out that the ten plagues parallel the ten faculties of the soul, known as the sefirot. These faculties had been utterly corrupted by Egyptian culture, and the plagues began a process of purification of the impure husks (klipot) created. The healing of the ten soul faculties was ultimately achieved with the giving of the Ten Commandments. More information on this concept can be found here.

This idea of  rectifying the ten faculties of the soul and nullifying the ten levels of klippah connected to them, is also found in the works of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, particularly in his famous "Tikun HaKlali" (General Remedy). Rebbe Nachman and his main disciple, Rabbi Natan, discuss a spiritual discovery Rabbi Nachman made regarding a general rectification that is achieved through the recitation of ten particular psalms. These psalms represent the ten expressions of song, which are the basis for the entire Book of Psalms. These psalms are to be said in order, and are the following: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150.

Rebbe Nachman said that he is "very strong" about everything he taught, but that he is "strongest" regarding the great power of this general remedy. He also stated that reciting them seems relatively easy, but that in practice it will be difficult.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. The bottom line is that we have to work in order to achieve. If we realize that the whole process is actually bringing us closer to God, then the work and hardship won't be that bad after all - it will actually be good. I don't mean to be repetitive, but the idea is worth repeating: the main thing is to have faith and not be afraid. Never give up - there's no such thing.

More information regarding Tikun Klali can be found in Avraham Greenbaum's book, available at ModernJewishHome.com, here.

Artist of the Month of Shvat: Sandra Felzen

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Sandra Felzen was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Sandra began her art studies from 1981-86 in New York. Past solo exhibits include “Brazil is the Name of a Tree” in the Brazilian-American Cultural Institute in Washington, DC, “Estações” (Seasons) in the National Museum of Fine Arts of Rio de Janeiro, “Terra” (Earth) in the Centro Cultural Candido Mendes in Rio de Janeiro and “Vereda” in Centro Cultural Paschoal Carlos Magno in Niteroi, Brazil. She has participated in several group exhibits including “5th International Biennale of Contemporary Art”, Florence; "Variations" in Gwenda Jay Gallery, Chicago; "America 500" in Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires; “Cells of Creation” in Espaço Cultural dos Correios, Rio de Janeiro and "Recent Trends in Works of Art on Paper" in Museo de Arte Moderno, Buenos Aires. She currently resides in Rio de Janeiro.

Vaera: "I Appeared"

This week's Torah portion begins with God speaking to Moses, and answering (though not really answering) Moses' question/complaint regarding why the Jewish people were suffering so much, since after all, he was sent by God Himself to redeem them. How could this lead to them suffering even more? The story continues to enfold, and progress is made. God sends miraculous plagues upon the Egyptians, with Pharaoh still stubbornly refusing to let the Jewish people go, all along the way.

The incredibly tragic events that took place and are still taking place in Haiti this week evoke many of the same themes as Vaera. They remind us of God's vast power as well as our vulnerability, and, perhaps more importantly, of the tremendous degree of unexplainable human suffering present in the world.

We cannot even pretend to understand why such tragedies take place. To try to find reasons for the Haitian people (including infants and children) to deserve such a tragedy would be simply inhumane. That is not our job - specially given all the suffering that we've been through ourselves throughout our history and especially in this past century. However, it is our job to feel the pain of our fellow men, and to help. We must ask God how He could do such a thing - even if we know we won't get immediate answers.

What we can be certain of, though, is that just as in Egypt, we and the entire world will be redeemed. It might take time, we might encounter Pharaohs such as the one now in Iran (who even claim divine inspiration!), but the bottom line is that we know that we will be made whole with miracles even greater than those encountered in Egypt.

There's a famous Jewish saying that states: "Kol Hatchalot Kashot." "All beginnings are difficult." (Rashi and Mechilta, Parashat Yitro). The main thing, as Rebbe Nachman of Breslov would say, is not to be afraid and not to give up. There is no such thing as giving up.

As we start this blog and we pass the beginning phases of ModernJewishHome.com, we know that there will be initial challenges, but we know we will also pull through, with the help of our Boss.

Sefer Shemot: The Book of Names

This week we start a new Book of the Torah: Shemot (Exodus), which in Hebrew means "Names."  Our rabbis teach us that there were three important cultural practices the Jews kept that allowed them to maintain their Jewish identity through exile in Egypt: 1) their Jewish names; 2) the Hebrew language; 3) and their way of dress.

Nowadays, most of us don't dress particularly different then the rest of the nations. Most of us outside of Israel don't know any Hebrew either. However, when it comes to Jewish names, we pretty much all have one - and if we don't, we can always get one (it's often derived from the name commonly used by the person).

Fortunately, as the title of the Book of Shemot indicates, of all three things, having Jewish names is the most important. No matter how far people go away from their Judaism and Jewish identity, their name can always bring them back to their roots.

Names are full of meaning and describe the essence of a person. The Holy Rabbi Isaac Luria (the "Ari" - the Lion) of Tzfat, perhaps the greatest kabbalist to ever live, states that the parents' choice of name for a child is a form of divine prophecy. God places the name in the mouth of the parents. Various mystical sages, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe, when asked to give a name to another's child, would refuse to do so, so as to not take away this special prophetic moment.

Simply having a Jewish name should be cause enough for celebration. Yet, us here at Modern Jewish Home believe that we should always strive for more. In order to ultimately achieve the three cultural aspects mentioned above, as well as other key characteristics that make us live fully as Jews, we should start by improving the Jewishness of our homes.

By keeping our homes Jewish, both in their look and feel, we set the correct foundation for everything else. We make a powerful and immediate impact on all those that live there, and on all that come to visit. That's what we mean by "Celebrating Jewish Life in Style."

Book of the Month: Family Portrait

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Embedded in the images of an old photograph was a family history waiting to be revealed to Ann Helen Wainer. Family Portrait documents Ann's journey of discovery that led her to learn more about the people in the photograph, and ultimately, about herself.

Ann's family, the Kuprewassers, lived in Poland during Hitler's rise to power and cautiously watched the events unfold in Nazi Germany. Like other Jewish families at the time, they faced an uncertain future. On the eve of one of the world's greatest atrocities, the Holocaust, Ann's grandfather gathered his clan for a family portrait, on that would survive its characters - who either perished in Nazi death campts or remain unaccounted for.

Amazingly, the photograph survived, as did the story of the Kuperwassers. In this extraordinary memoir, Ann reconstructs her family's history by means of extensive research, countless interviews with family, friends, and other survivors, as well as from an oral history recorded by an uncle.

In the process, Ann discovers a lifetime of treasures in the stories and information about her family, and Family Portrait guarantees that they will endure for generations to come.