Mei Central Park Ad Sinai

Who says, "Mir ken nisht tantzen af aleh chassenehs"? (We can't dance on every wedding.)

Tonight I actually attemped it. First I attended the most amazing wedding - my friend's son to her bat bayit (that's a female house guest that more or less lives in your house). What a fabulous simcha! I felt like I was invited from both sides.

The chattan and kallah radiated kedusha (holiness). The music was fabulastic (Shlomo Katz!!) and the crowd was friendly and full of excitement.

As the hour grew late, we got in the car and drove to the tail end of the bar mitzvah simcha of our dearest old friends. Our families have been friends for three decades, bli ayin hara. I babysat for the mother of the bar mitzvah boy, she babysat for my son, and the bar mitzvah boy's sister babysits for my grandchildren. So, the closeness continues, B"H, to the next generation.

The bar mitzvah boy Yair's maternal grandfather, Yisroel Neuberger is a very distinguished author with three popular books to his credit, which have been translated into many different languages. Tonight Leah Neuberger told me that their first book, Yisroel's autobiography, From Central Park to Sinai, had just been translated into Hebrew, and that the media here in Israel have really taken to this book.

From Central Park to Sinai tells the story of the inwardly-turbulent life of Roy Neuberger Jr., son of a millionaire, as he searches beyond gold and privilege for a life of meaning and inner peace. After years of exploration into every faith and movement, Yisroel finds a treasure in our Torah and a Jewish way of life.

Israelis, who so emulate Americans and their materialism will be curiously fascinated by this teenager that had everything, but knew there was something beyond a life of unending consumption.

It's actually called, Mi Manhattan el Har Sinai. The translator is Mrs. Yaakov Feldheim and Feldheim is the publisher, so it is also at Feldheim stores, as well as Tsomet Sfarim (the Shomer Shabbat stores only) and other fine book stores. You can learn more on line at http://www.tosinai.com/.

Yisroel's other books include Worldstorm and 2020. Yisroel's books have been translated into several different languages and have sold all over the world.

IY"H, I hope I'll get a chance to interview Yisroel about the release of a Hebrew Central Park. Keep checking http://www.voices-magazine.com/ to see that video clip and others.