Excitement fills the room as Rabbi Sholom Schwadron ascends the podium. He was not only the Maggid of Jerusalem — he was the Maggid of the world!
Whether in an ancient synagogue in Jerusalem’s Zichron Moshe or
Shaarei Chesed, or a contemporary structure in suburban America, people
lean forward in anticipation. That unique and inimitable voice. The
brilliant Torah interpretations. The sparkling witticisms. The story
that made you cry — and think! The observation that made you roar with
laughter — and think!

Rabbi Schwadron was more than a great
speaker. He was an artisan of the spirit who helped mold the
personalities of countless yeshivah students and adults. He was an
architect of the emerging personality of the Jewish state, a man who was
intimately involved in the struggles to establish a network of Torah
schools and prevent Jewish youngsters from being ensnared by alien
cultures. He was an exceptional Torah scholar, who edited the works of
his illustrious grandfather, the Maharsham, and his teachers, and wrote his own Torah essays. He was a tzaddik
whose private piety was known to very few. Indeed, much of it became
known only in his later years when he was a widower, and yeshivah
students stayed in his apartment overnight. They saw his hitherto
unknown observance and the reams of his writings.

In this
anecdotal biography, this multi-faceted man is revealed in all his
charismatic brilliance: his poverty-stricken youth as an orphan, his
unyielding determination to excel, his incredible kindness, his total
dedication to great causes.

As we read this book, we get to know and understand the total Reb Sholom — what a wonderful experience it is!