An old Chassidic tradition. A collection of fascinating stories based on a strong family tradition of authenticity. A long series of weekly letters to a mother, an ocean away. A child’s wish to make that mother a part of his childrens’ Motza’ei Shabbos meal.

All these elements come together to make this book one of the most uplifting and entertaining volumes of the season.

Avraham Barash and his family have a weekly Melaveh Malkah, the small meal after the Sabbath is over. Following chassidic custom, they tell a story at every Melaveh Malkah — a story with a lesson, sometimes miraculous sometimes humorous, sometimes about a chassidic rebbe sometimes about a rosh yeshiva. Every Sunday, Barash would write the story to his mother, several thousand miles away.

At the urging of his family, he is now sharing these stories with us — and how fortunate we are! Avraham Barash heard many of the stories directly from rebbes and roshei yeshivah and he comes from a family that has a penchant for accuracy, so these tales are as verified as the genre ever gets. And they have a breadth and flavor that are hard to match.

This book will be a delight to anyone who enjoys inspirational reading about noble Jews. Some of the greatest and most beloved names of the last few centuries are here: the Baal Shem Tov, the Vilna Gaon, the Rizhiner, the Chofetz Chaim, and many scores more.

Gut Voch will provide many an enjoyable interlude, at the Shabbos table, at a Melaveh Malkah, or whenever you want to spend time with a book that will leave many fond and memorable ideas.