The Rebbe: The Life and Afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Heilman discussed his new book, The Rebbe, coauthored with Menachem Friedman, which tracks Schneerson’s remarkable life and transformation from an aspiring French-trained electrical engineer into a charismatic leader who built the Lubavitcher Hasidim into a worldwide movement. The authors also trace what happened after Schneerson’s death, by which time many of his followers had come to think of him as the Messiah.
Samuel Heilman is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Queens College and holds the Harold Proshansky Chair in Jewish Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Among the many books he authored: Sliding to the Right: The Contest for the Future of American Jewish Orthodoxy.
This lecture is supported in part by the Sagner Family Foundation.