On this episode of “613 Books” Podcast, Producer-Host Heather Dean’s guest is Rabbi David Eliezrie, the senior Chabad Shliach in Yorba Linda, California. Rabbi Eliezrie the author of “Undaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Schneersohn saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, and Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance.”
“Undaunted” highlights the courage of the Rebbe during the harshest years of Soviet oppression. While most religious leaders fled as the Communists closed synagogues and schools, Schneersohn remained, risking his life to sustain Jewish life and earning a reputation as “the last man standing.”
Despite torture and a death sentence, his defiance led to his release through international pressure. Using historical documents and rare archives, Rabbi Eliezrie shows how the Rebbe introduced Chabad teachings in Western Europe, empowered women, and built yeshivas to revive Chassidic life. The book also recounts his dramatic escape from Nazi Europe and his arrival in the U.S., where he famously declared, “America is Not Different,” sparking a transformation in Jewish life. It documents the deep personal relationship between the Sixth Rebbe and his successor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
“Undaunted” emphasizes that Schneersohn’s mission was driven by self-sacrifice, not martyrdom. Even in exile, he led Jewish resistance and laid the groundwork for Jewish revival worldwide, inspiring generations of Chabad leaders to persevere under oppression.
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Show notes;
Featured guest: Rabbi David Eliezrie, Founder & Director of North County Chabad/Congregation Beth Meir HaCohen in Yorba Linda, CA
Featured Book: “Undaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Schneersohn saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, and Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance”
Link to Purchase on Amazon or Hamafitz: https://rabbidavideliezrie.com/books/undaunted/
Contact Rabbi Eliezrie through the North County Chabad Center website: https://www.ocjewish.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/112336/jewish/Rabbi-David-Eliezrie.htm
North County Chabad’s Telephone Number: 714-693-0770
Email Rabbi Eliezrie: rabbi@ocjewish.com
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To Purchase “Searching for Heather Dean: My Extraordinary Career as a Celebrity Interviewer and Why I Left It” on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Heather-Dean-Extraordinary-Interviewer/dp/965927050X
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Show Announcer for 613 Books Podcast: Michael Doniger
Michael’s contact info, voice-over samples, and demo: https://michaeldoniger.com/
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