The first author masterfully portrays the inner story on sensitive topics
(March 10, 2022, JNS thread) Media Contact
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Lemons in the fog is the eye-opening story of a Yeshiva student dealing with the onset of mental illness and the resulting confusion and stigma surrounding the diagnosis. Meir Rosen experienced his first manic episode while attending a post-high school Yeshiva in Israel. Meir, a good student who is careful to follow the rules of the Yeshiva, finds himself awake in the middle of the night dancing ecstatically in the study hall. Did a dibbuk take over his body? Several nights later, Meir suddenly finds herself in a comatose state. He struggles to act normally, but his behavior becomes frightening to the other Yeshiva students as well as the faculty. The psychiatric hospital staff arrive and are forced to tie Meir up to transport him to the hospital. Sent home, Meir is torn between accepting his diagnosis and protecting his family’s reputation. His struggle to regain stability is compounded by secrecy and the brick wall of stigma in the Orthodox Jewish community at a time when he needs support the most.
Through Zimmerman’s sensitive and detailed descriptions, she brings to light the inner world of someone suffering from a mental diagnosis. We follow Rosen from his first ordeal in an emergency psychiatric ward, to a rehabilitation center, followed by his uneven journey back to health after discharge. Zimmerman provides insight into how a person with mental illness gradually redefines their world, allowing them to reenter society as a productive and positive member. Lemons in the fog is a groundbreaking novel and will contribute significantly to raising awareness of mental illness, particularly in the Orthodox community, although it also has wider applications for other island cultural groups.
The next pair of shoes
Ruthless pogroms and unbearable poverty force the idealistic shoemaker Froyim Grinburg to make the monumental decision to temporarily leave behind his wife, Fraidel Leah, and their infant son to establish a more promising life abroad. But constant setbacks – tragedy, theft and the inevitable Great War – delay their reunion. With emuna and determination, the young couple makes one difficult decision after another, forcing despite their pain and loyalty to their homeland. In The next pair of shoes, a heartwarming historical novel based on a true story, talented author Chaya Rochel Zimmerman takes readers on a fascinating journey through the early 1900s – from a close-knit Polish shtetl to the lush, grassy farmlands of Argentina. ; from the crowded buildings of downtown Chicago to the hustle and bustle of New York’s Lower East Side. Experience the clash of cultures on both sides of the ocean by putting yourself in the shoes of Froyim and Fraidel Leah as they struggle to build a better future, one step at a time.
About the Author
Chaya Rochel Zimmerman, born and raised in Staten Island, NY, and a graduate of Bais Rivkah Seminary in Crown Heights, earned degrees from Brooklyn College and the University of Maryland in Education and Mathematics. Through her experiences raising a large family combined with her community involvement, she was motivated to deliver an important message to the frum community: you are not alone in your struggles. Her passion for writing grew out of a combination of her love of reading and her desire to help others. She seeks to create a body of work that is true to the heritage of her people and that captivates and educates the minds of her readers while encouraging thought on difficult subjects.
Title: Lemons in the fog Editor: Menucha Editors Publication date : December 2019 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1614657972, $22.99 Pages: 248
Title: The next pair of shoes Editor: Menucha Editors Publication date : January 2022 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1614655800, $25.99 Pages: 280
