After the book launch

First, a big "thank you" to everyone who attended and helped make "Ain't Misbehavin'" such a special occasion. It was great to see some old friends and to have the chance to make some new ones too.

Secondly, my attempt to generate a video recording of the presentation was a partial failure. Almost all the video recording is blank. The sound track is still audible but, when the file is trimmed to remove some 20 minutes of redundant material, the sound vanishes completely. I'm working on this problem with the aid of a grandchild and hope to have an audio version for you soon.

I'm making available a fairly full version of the text for anyone who wants to read it, as well as the PowerPoint slideshow. You can access them both here.

On a more serious note, a number of copies of Pirkei Avot: A Users' Manual were sold at the event, but the amount of money taken exceeded the number of copies sold. If you bought a copy on the night, please check your receipt. We are looking for either (i) someone who bought two copies but only picked up one, or (ii) someone who bought one copy but paid for it twice.

Finally, I'd like to reiterate for the benefit of a couple of people who left before the final slide that the bottle from which I was drinking copiously throughout my presentation did NOT contain Aberlour single malt whisky: I was drinking a cold rooibos (redbush) infusion. This was for the purpose of al tistakel bekankan ela bemah sheyesh bo (Rabbi Meir's teaching at Avot 4:27: "don't look at the bottle but at what's inside it") and for Yehoshua ben Perachya's teaching at Avot 1:6 that one should judge others favourably.

Book launch: Tonight's the night!

This evening I mark the launch of my book, Pirkei Avot: A Users' Manual, by giving a presentation at Beit Knesset Hanassi, Ussishkin 24, Jerusalem (details below) at 8.30 pm prompt. If you can join me for the event, you will be very welcome.

The presentation will take place downstairs, at ground level. If you get there earlier, the main synagogue is open for minchah and ma’ariv prayers. There you will see a beautiful stained-glass window (shown here) with a Pirkei Avot theme which I wrote about almost exactly one year ago (link to article on Avot Today weblog here).

My presentation is not being shown via Zoom, but I am in the process of arranging to have it recorded so that anyone who wants to watch it can download it at their leisure. I shall also be making the full text available, together with the accompanying PowerPoint slideshow.

Book launch: please do come!

If you are in Jerusalem on Tuesday 21 June, you are cordially invited to my book launch presentation (details in the notice that appears below).

This event should be fun. The object of the exercise is not to sell copies of the book but to sell the idea that Pirkei Avot deserves to be seriously studied and internalised. 

I can promise a bright and cheerful PowerPoint display and a chance to discuss plenty of exciting topics with fellow enthusiasts.

I'd be both delighted and honoured if members of this Group are able to attend.

If you do so, please make yourself known to me at the end so that I can say "hello".

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