Review of "The Woman on the Ledge: A Tragic Accident? Or Murder?" by Ruth Mancini

When a woman falls to her death from the top floor of a twenty-five-story office building in the heart of the City of London, the police come knocking on Tate Kinsella's door.

Tate, a temp for a French bank in the office building, was on the premises when the tragedy occurred, and detectives want to speak to her.



Before Tate is interviewed, she accepts the duty solicitor (public defender), who's called Sarah. Afterwards, Sarah summarizes Tate's statement: "You told the police, and you told witnesses at the scene, that you'd been with the deceased inside the building - that you were there with her before she died. You told them that it was all your fault."



Tate says she was confused and didn't mean it, and insists, "Yes, I was there. In the building....But I wasn't WITH her. I didn't do anything wrong. I told the police that. But they didn't believe me."

Tate admits she met the deceased woman the day before the tragedy, and tells this story: Tate's bank was having its annual Christmas Party, and Tate went up to the roof for a cigarette. A woman was sitting on the ledge of the roof, in danger of falling (or jumping). Tate gave the woman a cigarette and started up a conversation.



The woman said her name was Helen Jones and her life was a mess. Tate talked Helen down, and suggested they go out for a drink. Tate and Helen went to a bar, talked about their troubles, and struck up an acquaintanceship.



The next day, Helen called Tate and said she'd lost a diamond earring the night before. So Tate and Helen went back to the office building, and Helen searched the staircases while Helen searched other places. Then, somehow or other, Helen went off the roof and was killed.

Tate is in danger of being arrested for murder, and Sarah expresses skepticism about Tate's story.



So little by little Tate tells Sarah what REALLY happened.



From here, the novel goes back and forth in time as Tate talks about her teenage years; the friends she hung out with; her classmates at school; and her failed career as an actress (she made one commercial).





Then Tate goes on to talk about her temp job at the French bank, which she needs to make ends meet. HOWEVER, Tate doesn't have just one story - her tale keeps changing and morphing and transforming.



Interspersed with Tate's story, there are chapters about Tate's manager at the bank, whose name is Dan. Dan and his wife Maddy have a 14-year-old daughter called Emily, who's in the midst of a teen rebellion.





In a way, Emily's adolescent behavior is reminiscent of Tate's adolescent behavior, and this is an important element of the novel. To say more would be a spoiler.

I was completely engaged with the story for the first third of the book. However, when Tate kept making additions and corrections to her long complicated tale, I got bored, thinking 'can we just cut to the chase here.'

To be fair, this novel is very popular and has lots of positive reviews. The book DOES address interesting issues like 'punishment' and 'vengeance', but that didn't save it for me. Still, given all the 4 and 5 star reviews, you might want to give it a try.

Rating; 3 stars

Review of "The Kingdom of Dog: A Golden Retriever Mystery" by Neil S. Plakcy

In this 2nd book in the 'Golden Retriever Mystery' series, amateur sleuth Steve Levitan - with help from his golden retriever Rochester - tracks down the person who murdered a college admissions officer.

Forty-three-year-old Steve Levitan, who's an experienced technical writer, is on parole after a short prison stint for computer hacking. To put food on the table - and kibble in Rochester's bowl - Steve takes a job in the Alumni Office of his alma mater, Eastern College, in Leighville, Pennsylvania. Steve is on the fund-raising committee, which hopes to collect 500 million dollars to upgrade the college facilities.



Eastern is kicking off the fund-raising campaign with a HUGE gala for bigwigs and alumni, and director of admissions Joe Dagorian is grousing about it. Joe would rather use the 'party money' for scholarships.



Joe has been head of the admissions office for 30 years, with the goal of recruiting the best and the brightest. Conversely, Joe rejects 'mediocre' applicants, some of whom nurse resentments for years.

During the gala, Joe Dagorian steps out for a breath of air and doesn't return.



Steve's golden retriever Rochester, who has a nose for trouble, finds Joe, who's lying dead with his throat cut.





Police detectives Tony Rinaldi and Rick Stemper investigate the murder.....





......and Steve, who's helped the police before, unofficially assists.



Possible suspects include:

✿ Joe Dagorian's ex-wife - who was seen arguing with him;

✿ the assistant admissions director - who got Joe's job;

✿ the college president - who wanted Joe to retire;

✿ a wealthy alumnus - whose son was rejected by Eastern;

✿ a mentally ill man - who's been writing Joe nasty letters for years;

✿ a student worker - who Joe threatened to expel; and more.

In the midst of all this, an adjunct professor named Perpetua Kaufman (who sounds like a Jewish nun) dies from carbon monoxide poisoning. Steve is asked to teach Perpetua's business writing class, where Steve suspects plagiarism that could lead to expulsion.



We follow along as Steve investigates the murder of Joe Dagorian; shares clues with police detectives; does his fund-raising job; helps students in trouble; takes care of Rochester; and ignites sparks with Professor Weinstock, the beautiful new chair of the Art Department.



Dog lovers will appreciate Steve's affection for Rochester. Steve takes Rochester to work with him; buys Rochester sandwiches and hamburgers (no buns); plays with Rochester; walks Rochester; and is solicitous in every way.

In return, Rochester digs up the knife used to kill Joe; tries to alert Steve to dangerous situations; and unearths a photograph that helps Steve expose the killer.



Author Neil Plakcy likes humorous names, and sometimes gives minor characters monikers like Rose Hipz; Nancy Fancy; Ike Arumba; José Canusee; Candy Cane; Lou Seegusey; Anna Rexick, Lay Zee; Dee Gamay; Barbara Seville; and more. Some reviewers complain about this, but I think it's hilarious.



This series has 20 books and is going strong. So if you like dog mysteries, you might give it a try.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "A Great Miracle Happened Here: A Rabbi's Musings From Akiva to Zionism" by Leon Weissberg

Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg is a renowned Jewish educator specializing in Holocaust studies, and the former director of the March of the Living for the Southern Region and Miami-Dade County.


Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg

Weissberg's journey from being the son of Holocaust survivors to being a leader of the March of the Living (MOL) - an educational program that brings individuals to Poland and Israel to study the history of the Holocaust and the roots of intolerance and hatred - is inspiring. Weissberg attributes his journey to Divine Providence and writes, "This book is about how I've come to understand that throughout my life, I was driven by the Divine to be where I am today."


Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg on the March of the Living Southern Region in Tarnow, Poland (2018)

Weissberg's parents, Sam Wajsberg (Weissberg) and Eva Krufka, were Polish Holocaust survivors who resided in a displaced person's (DP) camp in Landsberg, Germany after the war. Leon was born in the DP camp in 1946, and his mother died a few months later. Sam then joined his brother in Paris, where he met and married an Auschwitz survivor named Vickie Baruch. Sam and Vickie soon had a son Albert, and the family of four lived in France until 1951, when they emigrated to America. There the Weissbergs settled in Bronx, New York, in a neighborhood containing other Jewish immigrants.


Three-year-old Leon (right) with parents Sam and Vickie and baby brother Albert (left) in Paris

Leon was ambitious from a young age, thinking of a career as U.S. Ambassador to France. This wasn't to be, however, and after attending Yeshiva Salanter, a strict Orthodox Jewish school, Leon dreamed of becoming a rabbi. It took almost seven decades, but Leon achieved his goal.


Leon's Bar Mitzvah picture with his parents Sam and Vickie

Harking back to his youth, Leon writes about attending yeshiva, then public school; achieving star status in the Boy Scouts; playing the saxophone in his Christopher Columbus high school band, and proudly marching in the Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Ave; forming a musical group called the Five Basics, which played at Bar Mitzvahs and parties; and working as a summer camp counselor, where he enjoyed interacting with the children.


Christopher Columbus High School in Bronx, New York

Weissberg graduated from Baruch College during the Vietnam War, and set out to find work that would exempt him from the draft. Following several disappointing job searches, Leon’s wife Toni - who taught at PS 46 in Harlem - said she could help him get a position there. Though Leon wasn't trained to be an educator, he was hired to teach 4th grade, and being an inner city schoolteacher garnered an automatic military deferment.


Leon and Toni Weissberg in their wedding photo


PS 46 in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan

The principal of PS 46 brought in a master teacher named Nettie Messinger to instruct the new hires, and Weissberg acknowledges, "Over the course of the next few months, with tremendous assistance in planning from Toni and teaching skills from Mrs. Messinger, I won over the class and truly became their teacher." Leon, who already spoke English, French, Hebrew, and Yiddish, even took a Spanish class to communicate with his pupils' parents.

Weissberg realized he loved teaching, and writes, "This was literally a godsend....I have come to the conclusion that Toni and God had masterminded a brilliant scenario for me." Weissberg determined that God's plan was for him to stay in education, and over the years he earned graduate degrees in Public Administration; School Administration and Supervision; Jewish studies; and a doctorate in Education.

Later, Weissberg proceeded to teach at a Reform congregation in New Jersey, and then to become the school administrator for a Jewish Day School in Hollywood, Florida. From there, Weissberg moved on to other administrative and teaching jobs, including head of school for the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida.


Students at the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton, Florida

In time, Weissberg developed a particular interest in researching and teaching Holocaust studies, and with his wife Toni, developed curricula in that area. Weissberg observes, "At this writing, my teaching career has spanned fifty-two years. During that time, God saw to it that I was exposed to many different teaching venues in order to hone my skills and develop my character as an educator specializing in Judaica. What started out as a method of avoiding the Vietnam War became my raison d'etre."


Holocaust learning center at Posnack JCC in Davie, Florida. Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg is third from the left

In the course of time, Weissberg - who grew up in a 'casually observant' Jewish home - also deepened his Jewish faith. After starting their family, Leon and Toni decided to follow the precepts of Conservative Judaism, which included keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath, and regularly attending synagogue services.

Weissberg also studied Torah, and shared his learning with colleagues, students, and parents. Weissberg notes, "In recent years, spirituality has become a more and more important part of my existence....spirituality to me is about seeking a meaningful connection with something greater than myself, which results in positive emotions including acceptance, peace, contentment, gratitude, and awe."


Jewish Painting: Torah Reading by Alex Levin


Torah Minute - Parashat Vayeshev with Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg

The March of the Living was started in 1987, by individuals who wanted to teach the Holocaust to high school students by taking them to Poland to visit the relevant historical sites, and then on to Israel to celebrate Israel's Memorial Day and Independence Day. Weissberg got involved with the MOL early, and recalling a trip in 1994, Leon observes, "It was an amazing sight to see, as Jewish teens from more than 30 countries joined together for an amazing Holocaust memorial ceremony. At the culmination of the ceremony, everyone is asked to stand and join in the singing of Israel's national anthem 'Hatikvah.' Hearing the thousands of voices singing that song was an emotional moment for everyone, but no more than me. I couldn't control my tears. It was spectacular."

 March of the Living at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland (2015)


Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg wearing tefillin at the Auschwitz concentration camp

For Weissberg, the MOL heightened his interest in Holocaust education. Leon taught Holocaust classes to both children and adults, and - with many others - developed a Holocaust curriculum for newly independent Poland, which wanted to teach the truth about the Holocaust rather than Soviet propaganda. After taking thousands of teenagers on the MOL over the years, Weissberg began leading groups of adults on the MOL, with participants from all over the world.

Weissberg credits many people who had a positive effect on his professional and personal life, and especially lauds his wife Toni - an educator and principal who advised, encouraged, assisted, and collaborated with him on all important undertakings.


Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg and his wife Toni

Leon also expresses deep appreciation for Rabbi Pinny Andrusier, the founder of Chabad of Southwest Broward. Weissberg writes,"Connecting me to Rabbi Pinny was God's way of engaging me into a greater depth of Judaism, and over the course of thirty years with Rabbi Pinny, I became much more engaged in traditional Judaism, following more and more of the Torah's commandments."


Rabbi Pinny Andrusier

Weissberg's ambition to become a rabbi was realized when he was in his seventies, and applied to be a candidate for rabbinical ordination with Chabad. This required a three-year course of study with Rabbi Nachman Wilhelm, and tutoring from Rabbi Aryeh Schwartz, the assistant at Rabbi Pinny's synagogue. Afterwards, at the age of 74, Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg was ordained at a ceremony in Brooklyn, New York, with his family looking on. Weissberg continues to study with Rabbi Pinny every day, reading and discussing Kabbala and Talmud scripts.


After 3 years of studying, Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg (center) was granted “Smicha” (ordination) from Chabad

Weissberg's wife and daughters are blessings in his life, and all family members maintain they're one another's keepers. In a touching anecdote, Leon writes, "When my wife came down with Covid [and was hospitalized], our daughters rallied around....Elana made sure that the nurses and staff were taken care of by sending them bagels and cream cheese or pizza pies, as an offering on Toni's behalf. Shari made sure that the doctors and nurses gave Toni 100 percent of their attention and excellent medical care. And the daily blessings I offered God on my wife's behalf are beyond measure....God accepted our blessings such that after four months in the hospital, Toni returned to us."


Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg with his wife Toni and their daughter Elana


Rabbi Dr. Leon Weissberg with his wife Toni and their daughter Shari

Toni's recovery meant - among other things - that Leon and Toni could continue their world travels. Weissberg notes, "During much of our life together, Toni and I made a point of traveling the world, particularly to where Jews lived throughout history....Some cities, particularly in Europe, had many Jewish sites, while others had few if any.....We came to learn just how much Jews in those remote cities maintained their connections to the Divine by building synagogues, observing rituals and raising Jewish children despite discrimination, animosity, antisemitism, and many other anti-Jewish behaviors."


Synagogue in Porto, Portugal

Sadly, anti-Jewish behavior continues to be a scourge, and Weissberg is outraged at the murder of 1,400 men, women, and children when Hamas invaded Israel in October, 2023. Weissberg believes the Torah advocates extreme measures in these circumstances, and concludes by saying, "What will happen? Who knows? God knows, And God has given us a direction. We need only see it, hear it, understand it, and act upon it. This is my prayer for the future of Israel and the Jewish people. That we simply and humbly abide by God's word."


Tel Aviv, Israel

Weissberg's heartfelt story is especially meaningful for observant Jews, but could encourage anyone searching for purpose and direction in life. Leon suggests, "Just listen. Listen to what God asks of you. It has made all the difference in the world to me."

Rating: 4 stars