Constant dread and stubborn resistance... fury and innocence... darkness and final
shreds of hope...
In medieval Western Europe, life is a complex, fearsome maze, and the Jewish
communities there are struggling to survive.
In the small, quiet town of Colmar, the Jews are enduring the rule of a heartless
governor.
Far away in the city of Frankfurt, the Jewish community is shunning Johannes,
the Jew who betrayed his faith.
And somewhere, in deep, dark cellars, evil plots are being woven.
And then, it all explodes. Sefarim are confiscated from batei medrash, the Jews
of Colmar are ordered to leave their homes and wander into the unknown, and it
seems there is no way to overcome the despicable Johannes.
But then he arrives.
He's determined. Stubborn. Of noble bearing.
A talmid chacham who fears no one but Hashem, a shrewd talker who knows how
to win the hearts of kings and dignitaries, and above all, a courageous shtadlan
ready to risk his life for his fellow Jews.
Greater than them all, unparalleled in his generation, the man and the legend -
Rav Yosselman, the Shtadlan of Rosheim.
Dark alleys and splendid palaces, races on horseback and raging thunderstorms, the
sand in the hourglass running out, boundless hatred and superhuman dedication...
these are only part of the components of this work of art, The Shtadlan of Rosheim.
Set in a period of Jewish history unfamiliar to most readers, The Shtadlan of
Rosheim interweaves incomparable drawings with sophisticated drama, marked
with turning points of heroism and choosing good over ease and comfort.