The Artscroll Studios’ Podcast

One of the kedoshim of Meron was habochur Dovi Steinmetz z”l of Montreal. Since last Lag Ba’omer, Dovi’s father, Reb Shloimi Steinmetz, has become an ambassador of faith, asking people to recite the 13 Ani Maamins printed in every siddur after davening each morning l’ilui nishmas the pure neshomah of Yissochor Dov Berish ben Reb Shloime.

People have responded…and how! With enthusiasm and passion, eager not just to create zechusim for this extraordinary neshomah, but to bring a little more emunah into their own lives, men and women, adults and children, have joined this initiative. Regardless of community, demographic, level of observance or family minhag, emunah lives in the neshomah, and for anyone with a Divine spark, the message resonated. Over 120,000 Ani Maamin cards have been distributed to people all over the world.

With his conviction and sincerity, Reb Shloimi has been opening hearts across the Jewish world. Based on shiurim inspired by Reb Shloimi’s initiative, a new book, Ani Maamin – A Mission for Life, has been published by ArtScroll. In this Inside ArtScroll interview, Reb Shloimi gives us a glimpse of the global revolution he’s spearheaded, turning tragedy into inspiration. [Purchase the new book HERE.]

He was a gadol who lived and breathed Torah learning. A member of Eretz Yisrael’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. A master educator who influenced literally thousands of talmidim, from pre-schoolers to respected mechanchim. He was part of a family that included some of the greatest names in pre-war Europe.

And it all started in a public school in Pittsburgh.

Rav Yitzchok Scheiner’s journey from a Pittsburgh high school to his simple Yerushalmi home and the hallowed halls of Kamenitz Yeshivah is a story of breathtaking Hashgachah Pratis, diligence, and determination. It is a story, also, of the dedicated people who enabled the budding math and Latin scholar to become a gadol b’Torah. In this Inside ArtScroll interview, Rabbi Nachman Seltzer discusses his new book, which paints a vivid and absorbing portrait of Rav Scheiner as an incomparable mechanech, a loving father to his own children and his talmidim, a man of incredible sensitivity and integrity. Through his teachings and personal example, Rav Scheiner influenced many thousands. Now, with the publication of this biography, he continues to teach -- and inspire -- all of us with his shining example of gadlus. [Purchase the book HERE.]

Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan’s Sefer Chofetz Chaim is the foundation of the “shemiras halashon revolution” that changed the way we speak — and the way we live our lives. ArtScroll’s brand new elucidated version of this work, a product of thousands of hours of research and writing by a dedicated team, makes the words of the Chofetz Chaim accessible to all, while notes and annotations bring valuable new insights.

This Inside ArtScroll interview features a conversation with Rabbi Avrohom Neuberger, chief editor of this project, as well as a veteran writer of the Schottenstein Talmud and other Mesorah Heritage Foundation projects. The conversation touches on some fascinating practical applications of the laws of speech and what makes this edition of Sefer Chofetz Chaim so unique. [Purchase the book HERE.]

Gedolim and world leaders. Politicians, spies and soldiers.
Inspiration and mystery, bullets and bitachon.
The Insider has it all.

How did a young journalist create a revolution in the Israeli government - by defending the honor of Shabbos?

What is the inside story of the Iranian nuclear program -- and how is Israel managing to defend itself?

Could a Polish non-Jew possibly be Reb Yisroel’s brother, who’d disappeared during the terrible Holocaust years?

For more than 50 years, Reb Yisroel Katzover has been one of Israel’s premier military journalists. As an observant Jew, he has often served as an unofficial liaison between the country’s military and political leadership and the nation’s gedolei Torah. As a pioneer in the world of Jewish music, he’s encouraged the careers of some of today’s most preeminent musicians.

In this unforgettable memoir, we learn the inside story about the personalities that he’s met, the travels he’s taken, and the lessons he’s learned from a half century of journalistic adventures. As the “ultimate insider,” we hear stories that we’ve never heard before, that we never dreamed could be true.

No one tells a story quite like Rabbi Nachman Seltzer, author of almost 40 books. Combine his unique storytelling talents with a man who has countless fascinating stories - and you get a book that’s part thriller, part secret history, part inspiration - and 100% excitement! In this Inside ArtScroll interview, Rabbi Seltzer gives us an inside look at The Insider. [Purchase the book HERE.]

Rabbi Yonah Weinrib’s name has become synonymous with elaborate manuscript illumination, combining a wide array of art techniques and media to enhance his exacting calligraphy. An accomplished author and artist, he has published numerous volumes, including his internationally acclaimed edition of Pirkei Avos. Rabbi Weinrib’s illuminations, designs and writings contain a fascinating interplay of artistic imagery and profound research.

His newest volume, The Halpern Edition - The Childhood Treasury, helps us understand the meaning behind the celebration of each simcha, with magnificent illuminations, insights and commentary on birthdays, bris, kiddush, shalom zachor, pidyon haben, upsherin, chinuch halachos, and more. In honor of the new release, Rabbi Weinrib spoke to Inside ArtScroll about his storied career, having been blessed with a gift from Hashem to fuse the two passions in my life – his love of Torah and his love of the arts. He also addresses his musical talents as a noted composer and much more. The interview features images and audio of the various projects Rabbi Weinrib discusses. [Purchase the book HERE.]

Sometimes, it just takes a moment...

• To inspire and enlighten and uplift us
  • To open our hearts and bring us to tears or laughter
  • To strengthen our faith in Hashem, in His kindness and HisHashgachah
  • To guide us into finding the immense power that lies ... within ourselves!

Rabbi Yitzchok Hisiger knows how to find a great story - and how to tell it beautifully. In his new book, Powerful Moments he shares with us hundreds of short stories, each with its own powerful message. In this Inside ArtScroll interview, we learn about Rabbi Hisiger’s youth, his writing career, some background and encounters, and, of course, how and why he wrote his new bestselling book. [PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE.]

R’ Eli Stefansky’s journey to becoming one of the world’s most well-known Daf Yomi maggidei shiur has been anything but typical. He is the president of Prime Quest Management, but, as he tells us, he spends little time on his business and almost all his time on his Daf Yomi shiur and learning Torah. He describes himself as a “regular guy” like anyone else, but his “8 Minute Daf” chazarah videos and his daily Daf Yomi shiur have gained a massive following and are now watched and heard by thousands of people all over the globe each day.

In this compelling Inside ArtScroll episode, learn about Eli’s fascinating upbringing, why he abruptly left American life to live in Eretz Yisroel, how he’s benefitted from ArtScroll and the Schottenstein Talmud, and why one of his passions is to get people to learn as much Torah as possible.

Thanks to Rabbi Moshe Don Kestenbaum, thousands have found a way to improve themselves and their lives. In his new book, Olam Ha’avodah, Rabbi Kestenbaum shows us how to strengthen our connection to Hashem. Did you ever wonder what you are doing here? Why did Hashem put you in the exact place where you are? What really is your mission in life? Olam Ha’avodah will help you clarify this – and more. Like his previous book, Olam Hamiddos, Olam Ha’avodah is easy-to-read, down to earth, and deeply inspiring.

In this Inside ArtScroll interview, Rabbi Kestenbaum, a master mechanech, speaks about his new book and also delves into compelling issues related to chinuch, self-improvement, clarity of purpose, and so much more. You will emerge from this interview with a renewed sense of purpose and a fresh understanding of how to deal with other people of all ages. [Purchase the new book HERE.]

Esther Jungreis was a young Holocaust survivor who became a friend, advisor, confidante, Torah teacher and often even a surrogate mother to thousands: singles and families, prime ministers, presidents and prisoners, and soldiers and spiritual seekers throughout the world. A pioneer in Jewish outreach, she ignited the “pintele Yid” that lies within every Jew. In this uplifting Inside ArtScroll interview, her daughter, Mrs. Slovie Jungreis-Wolff, speaks about the Rebbetzin’s passion for Torah and Jewish continuity that enriched the lives of millions throughout the world, a story captured in The Rebbetzin, the bestselling biography authored by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer. Watch and be inspired as you learn more about the life of one of the twentieth century's most fascinating, charismatic and spiritually inspiring Jewish personalities. [Purchase the book HERE.] Watch all Inside ArtScroll episodes at: Inside.Artscroll.com

Day after day. Week after week. Year after year. Neshamah after neshamah, Rabbi Meir Schuster was at the Kosel, the Central Bus Station, the Hebrew University campus, searching for people who were searching for meaning - and bringing them to places where they would find it.
He was the most unlikely of outreach professionals. He was shy, tongue-tied, inarticulate and decidedly “uncool.” And yet, more than almost anyone, he brought Jews - thousands, perhaps tens of thousands - back to their Torah heritage.
This episode of Inside ArtScroll features a conversation with Yonoson Rosenblum, renowned bestselling author whose latest offering, A Tap on the Shoulder, brings us the stories of the young men and women who, thanks to Rabbi Meir Schuster, traded their backpacks for Torah. Rabbi Rosenblum’s fascinating book, highlighted in this interview, brings to life a magical moment, the decades when searching youth found meaning and a “baal teshuvah movement” was born. [Purchase A Tap on the Shoulder HERE.]