Out of the Depths

The Story of a Child of Buchenwald Who Returned Home at Last

By: Rabbi Israel Meir Lau

Narrated by: Steve Blane

Israel Meir Lau, one of the youngest survivors of Buchenwald, was just eight years old when the camp was liberated in 1945. Descended from a 1,000-year unbroken chain of rabbis, he grew up to become Chief Rabbi of Israel - and like many of the great rabbis, Lau is a master storyteller. Out of the Depths is his harrowing, miraculous, and inspiring account of life in one of the Nazis' deadliest concentration camps, and how he managed to survive against all possible odds.

Lau, who lost most of his family in the Holocaust, also chronicles his life after the war, including his emigration to Mandate Palestine during a period that coincides with the development of the State of Israel. The story continues up through today, with that once-lost boy of eight now a brilliant, charismatic, and world-revered figure who has visited with Popes John Paul and Benedict, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, and countless global leaders, including Ronald Reagan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Tony Blair.

©2011 Rabbi Israel Meir Lau (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"This is a book on Judaism, its glory and ordeals, depicting a period that could possibly be judged to represent the hardest, bitterest, and darkest in the annals of the Jewish people. This is a book that portrays the persona of the writer alongside the traits of his Jewish people. This is a book whose every word has been inscribed in blood." (Shimon Peres)

Lana

This was a wonderful book... Heartbreaking and hard to believe that such inhuman acts could have happened under the eyes of so many people... My hope is that no one will ever forgot what happened to all the families that were destroyed by such evil acts...

Great read!

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the continuation of the Jewish traditions. We were disappointed in the narrator however. We were surprised they couldn't fine someone who had a better grasp of Hebrew pronunciation...I am looking forward to reading it in the original Hebrew.

The well presented history of the Jewish faith! I could not put this book down!

Nothing! I leaned something new every day. I am Catholic, but I really have a passion for religious freedom. I read Anne Frank as a young girl and I had several friends who were Jewish. They were so kind and liked telling me some traditions. I always respect other people’s beliefs. Thank you so much for this wonderful book. I could listen to you for hours! God bless!

the story

the story of rabbi lau is very powerful and made me want to publicize my family's story.
the reader of the story isn't acquainted enough with the hebrew words used, it's not read well

Moving and inspiring again on my second listen

Moving and inspiring again on my second listen - Rabbi Lau brings to life an example of being a light onto the nations!!!