Welcome to the site for Rabbi Rafael Grossman's My Shoshana: A Father's Journey Through Loss. If you would like to post a message to the rabbi or a message about his book, please click on "Comments."
Rabbi and Author of My Shoshana: A Father's Journey Through Loss
My Shoshana: A Father's Journey Through Loss
We all suffer the pain of loss when a loved one dies. We search for meaning in their lives and try to comprehend the unknowable. For each of us, understanding is a journey of inestimable length.
Rafael Grossman was a successful pulpit rabbi, president of his state's rabbinical council, and the dean of a Hebrew Day School when his teenage daughter Shoshana became ill. Shoshana, vibrant and energetic, a delight to her parents and everyone around her, died at the age of seventeen.
After her death, Rabbi Grossman was sure that he would never quite have the same faith in God or regain his joy in living. But as the years went by, he appreciated how Jews throughout history had managed to sustain hope in the wake of personal and communal calamities.
He, too, regained his hope.
He penned this heartfelt letter to Shoshana as an expression of his love, and his never-ending sorrow, but also of his sense of renewal. And the recognition that, with our memories, no one is truly lost to us.
Today, Rabbi Grossman counsels grief-stricken families and survivors of loss. He offers My Shoshana as a "little book of comfort" to grieving readers everywhere.
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8 Comments:
I first a read a draft of "My Shoshana" very early one morning. My own daughter Rebecca, then 17, was sleeping in the room next door. I peeked in to take a look at her and could not imagine how I would cope with losing her.
When we experience loss, we all need help with the healing process, and in a few short pages, Rabbi Grossman has given us this gift. The book has a unique capacity to bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your lips.
I want to thank Rabbi Grossman for giving me the opportunity to work on this and look forward to our relationship.
Jeremy Kay
Publisher
Eshel Books
The Jewish Standard newspaper (Bergen County, New Jersey) included an article about the book launch of My Shoshana. Please see:
http://www.jstandard.com/content/item/surviving_a_loss_rediscovering_joy/19515
I was so moved by your book. I wish I could have known Shoshana, z"l. I feel fortunate to know the rest of your family. May you only know happiness and have much nachat from your wonderful children and grandchildren, and may Shoshana's memory be blessed.
Fondly,
Sylvia Kilstein Boussi
Rabbi Grossman,
My dearly beloved son, Jeffrey,z"l,died this past August at the age of 31. He had written a so callled memoir and had it edited and published in June. He was gearing up for a national book tour via Greyhound across the country and had scheduled a book signing at Starbucks. Instead of a book signing, he was being buried. I have not read his book because people have told me I would not like what he said about me. I wanted to read your book so I can understand what has happened to my son. As I read your book, I was asking the same questions you were asking your daughter of Jeffrey. Why? Why now? He had been searching his entire life,found out what he wanted,wrote this book to bring out his "past",make amends with everyone, and come clean and start his life over. And he is found dead in bed by our housemate. His death has made no sense to me and probably never will. After a little over 3 months his cause of death is still under investigation. Obviously, his toxicology reports were negative or they would have said he died from that. I believe he died from heart failure as heart disease runs rampant among men on his fathers side of the family. I have read your book several times as it gives me insight and hope. Thank you for sharing.
Fondly,
Minda Klitzner
Rabbi, we have a copy of the book and Nancy has already read it. (I'll look at it soon.) We think about you often and will be talking soon.
Rabbi, I wonder if you have read a book called "If G-d is Good, Why is the World So Bad?" by Rabbi Benjamin Blech. A lot of what I am reading in your book is talked about in this book, and I have found some comfort in the fact that we can at least attempt some explanation that makes sense to us.
The Rabbi & Mrs. G are not only terrific People, they are always so free with their Time when one needs that extra-superlative assistance for going through Life & its Trials.
Our thanks to them always.
Paul Sam Markowitz
Rabbi and Mrs Grossman my sincerest prayers reach out to you in struggling to make sense of life's temporary nature and why such occurrences strike closest to home. My dearly departed wife Shoshana Grossman (1956-2002) appeared day before yesterday, the second time since being called home from occlusive coronary artery disease, only this time she was accompanied by her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. They visited me, delivering assurance accompanied by the most profound message that they continue to live awaiting our glorious return home to be with them also. Life always has and always will continue and families can be joined together eternally. For this I know bearing solemn witness.
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