kosher bookworm: alan jay gerber

After gap year in Israel, keeping the spark alive

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In the name of full disclosure let it be noted at the outset that the author of the book under review this week, Yankie Schwartz, was a former student of mine at the Chofetz Chaim High School in Brooklyn, all so many years ago, and we now find ourselves neighbors in Cedarhurst and belonging to the same shul whose spiritual leader is Rabbi Yaakov Feitman. It was at Rabbi Feitman’s suggestion that I checked out this work, “Keeping The Spark Alive: Making Your Year-In-Israel Experience Last” (Mosaica Press, 2016) for a timely review before the summer. 

Schwartz attended and graduated from Brooklyn College and Cardozo School of Law, was admitted to the New York State bar and currently works as a risk management consultant. On a spiritual level, he regards Rabbi Shaya Cohen to be his rebbe.

The author of two previous very well-received works, “Ponderables: Small Thoughts, Big Wisdom” and “Contemplations: Wisdom for Living,” Schwartz has shifted his focus toward advising students returning from their year-in-Israel in applying their experiences to enhance their spiritual lives in the years ahead.

Here is some of what he shared with me in conversation and written interview:

“The intent of my first two books were twofold: To strengthen my own (and consequently other people’s) belief in Judaism and, secondly, to help improve and polish their own character. Exposure to secular society can have severe and potentially irreparable damage on one’s belief system and one’s character traits, and I myself needed encouragement and inspiration to counter the potentially harmful influences I was being exposed to on a daily basis.”

Applying the above motivating factors to the book concerning one’s year in Israel, Schwartz shared several other motivations:

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