Synopsis
For eighteen unforgettable years, Rabbi Leonid Feldman served as the charismatic spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in West Palm Beach, Florida. As the world's only Soviet-born Conservative rabbi, Rabbi Feldman succeeded in deeply impacting the lives of his congregants, his colleagues and members of both the Jewish and gentile communities. This book is an eclectic collection of memories, drawn from the "Feldman Years" and shared by the people whose lives he profoundly touched. The stories, photos and other memorabilia catalogued in its pages are intended to serve not only as a chronicle of Rabbi Feldman's extraordinary tenure, but moreover to trigger fond memories of the life and times of this gifted teacher and spiritual mentor. Produced by his grateful followers at Temple Beth El as a keepsake testament and presented to him at the rabbi's induction as the congregation's Rabbi Emeritus, The Book of Chai may be enjoyed and appreciated by anyone interested in learning about this true Gadol Hador (giant of a generation).
About the Author
Leonid Feldman is a living example of the drama of modern Jewish history. Born in the former Soviet Union, Rabbi Feldman has experienced violent anti-Semitism, imprisonment as a Zionist activist where, as a Refusenik, he staged a hunger strike, Jewish rebirth, and ultimate freedom in the West. His life experiences enable him to teach and lecture on Judaism with a passion and perspective that is unique and exhilarating. The spiritual leader of Temple Beth El from 2004 through 2022, he is an Associate of The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL), a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and the President of the Ami-Da Institute for training Russian Jewish leaders. Rabbi Feldman is the first and only Soviet-bornConservative rabbi in America. His emotional return to his hometown of Kishinev was featured on NBC's Today Show, as well as on Israeli national television. Rabbi Feldman has been a visiting professor at the Jewish University of Moscow and the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. He has served as a scholar for the Wexner Heritage Foundation and as Director ofEducation for Soviet Émigrés in Italy.He has lectured in 42 states and 21 countries. Rabbi Feldman has testified before the United States Congress and Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and addressed the California Senate and Florida House of Representatives. In 2000, he delivered the keynote address to over 3,000 people at the UJC Young Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. In 2002, he was the keynote speaker at the Evangelical Christian Convention in Nairobi, Kenya. Rabbi Feldman holds graduate degrees in rabbinic studies from the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, in Education from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and in Physics and Theater Arts from Kishinev State PedagogicalInstitute in the USSR. He currently lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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