The Blessing of a Broken Heart
by Sherri Mandell
On This Page
Description
Koby Mandell was just thirteen-years-old on May 8, 2001, when he and his friend Yosef cut school to go hiking. Their bodies were found the next day. The boys had been brutally stoned to death in a cave in the heart of the Judean desert. The extreme cruelty of this act of terror shocked the world. How does a family cope with the loss of a child through such horror? Koby's mother Sherri has penned this absorbing, deeply painful and yet strangely beautiful account of her loss, sharing her show more thoughts and emotions as she moves through the first stages of mourning. Struggling to find a way to carry on, she embarks on a journey of discovery and growing faith as she endeavors to understand her pain in the context of 3,000 years of Jewish history and tradition. The Blessing ofa Broken Heart is at once heartbreaking and lifeaffirming, shot through with immense pain and yet also with immense beauty and courage. Sherri's determination to choose hope and faith over despair and hate are humbling and moving, and her journey towards light and healing is an inspiration. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This is the story of Koby Mandell, a boy from Silver Spring, Maryland, whose family immigrated to Israel. There, at the age of thirteen years, he and his friend Yosef were stoned to death in a cave in the Judean Desert. Their murderers were never found.
Sherri Mandell’s intense pain following the traumatic death of her son makes for a haunting, sad, but ultimately uplifting story. This is not the kind of book I would pass on to others without some thought, but I think Sherri’s story is important in learning what this experience is like. For those who have suffered a similar tragedy, it might be important to know that someone else can truly understand. This kind of book could be of great support just such a person. I really cannot show more understand how Sherri had the strength to put her feelings into words which she now so readily shares with others, but I am grateful she did so.
Mentioned in her book is information about a foundation Sherri has created to help others whose family members have also been victims of terrorism. Her reaching out to others in this way is a beautiful tribute to Koby.
Sherri speaks about Elijah, a crystal, a falling star, birds, and an especially noisy cricket. She feels, as I do, a spiritual pull in such things and believes with all her heart that there is a reason for them. I love how Sherri expresses the idea that the human soul is a mere part of a greater entity and that we are all connected in some way with our environment. I was throughly moved by this exquisite book and highly recommend it to others. show less
Sherri Mandell’s intense pain following the traumatic death of her son makes for a haunting, sad, but ultimately uplifting story. This is not the kind of book I would pass on to others without some thought, but I think Sherri’s story is important in learning what this experience is like. For those who have suffered a similar tragedy, it might be important to know that someone else can truly understand. This kind of book could be of great support just such a person. I really cannot show more understand how Sherri had the strength to put her feelings into words which she now so readily shares with others, but I am grateful she did so.
Mentioned in her book is information about a foundation Sherri has created to help others whose family members have also been victims of terrorism. Her reaching out to others in this way is a beautiful tribute to Koby.
Sherri speaks about Elijah, a crystal, a falling star, birds, and an especially noisy cricket. She feels, as I do, a spiritual pull in such things and believes with all her heart that there is a reason for them. I love how Sherri expresses the idea that the human soul is a mere part of a greater entity and that we are all connected in some way with our environment. I was throughly moved by this exquisite book and highly recommend it to others. show less
Mandell, Yaakov Natan, 1987-2001.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
7 Works 103 Members
Sherri Mandell was born in New York and graduated from Cornell University, where she received her M.A. in creative writing. She taught writing at the University of Maryland and at Dean State. She is the author of Writers of the Holocaust, (Facts on File, 2000) and has written for numerous magazines and journals, including The Washington Post, The show more Denver Post and The Jerusalem Post. She moved to Israel in 1996, where she lives in Tekoa with her family, and is now director of The Koby Mandell Foundation Women's Healing Retreats for Bereaved Mothers and Widows show less
Awards and Honors
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2003
- People/Characters
- Koby (Yaakov Natan Mandell); Yosef Ish-Ran
- Epigraph
- I needed to learn everything I could about the soul. He was in a different land now. If he'd gone to China, I'd want to know about China. I wanted to know where he was.
-- Sharon Weinstock, mother of Yitzchak, killed in 1... (show all)993 in a terrorist attack in Israel.
Who prepares nourishment for the raven, when its children cry out to God, confused without food?
-- Job, Chapter 38, verse 41 - First words
- The cave is in a canyon half a mile from my home in Tekoa.
- Quotations
- To me - that 's the best definition of heaven - the place where you see with your heart.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)If she reads this article, maybe she'll do a bit better.
- Blurbers
- Kellerman, Faye; Ragen, Naomi; Appelfeld, Aharon; Podhoretz, John
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 45
- Popularity
- 660,905
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.13)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 3
