The Spirit of Kehillat Shalom

About the Book

What’s a spirit to do!   The prophet Elijah sends Serach out of the Garden of Eden to assist Hillel Kramer, the troubled rabbi of Kehillat Shalom. When she disguises herself as Sara, the new office volunteer, the rabbi eludes her, but congregants besiege her.  Perhaps she should help Ruchamah, a widow afraid to fall in love again. Or Simon, a violinist who’s wife left him with a young son.  Possibly she could turn her attention to Ida caring for her husband, afflicted with Alzheimers. And then, there’s that administrator, Marcia, who treats her like a servant. All she has to do is provide Ruchamah with someone to love, find a mother for Simon’s young son, remove Ida’s husband from the house, ignore Marcia and come up with a master plan for the rabbi, but her interventions backfire. Hillel’s troubles increase.  Not only does she fail to help the rabbi, she inadvertently becomes attached to the congregants. An infuriated Elijah orders her back to the Garden. Torn between her desire to remain at Kehillat Shalom and her duty to return to the Garden, Serach makes a choice that will transform the rabbi, the community and herself.

About the Author

Sandie Bernstein is a poet turned novelist co-authoring her second novel with Rhoda Kaplan Pierce. Literature aficionado forever, creating her own has enhanced her joy and understanding of the media as have all the endeavors of others that illuminate her life who create art, music, theatre and cinema. Sandie enjoys life as a voyager, swimmer, Jewish woman and humanist in the cradle of her family -- beloved husband Neil, daughters Phyllis and Vicki, their husbands, Dave and Herschel, and grandchildren, Justin, Ilana, Lev and Hadi. Rhoda Kaplan Pierce is a writer, poet and mixed media artist. She is the author of: a play, Fade to Black with Carolyn Pogue, The Apple That Wanted To Be Famous, New Rivers Press, co-author of Leah’s Blessing with Sandie Bernstein, Kehillat Press and previously, a poet in the New York CIty Schools Poets in the Schools Program.