A mother's story of strength and healing wins National Jewish Book Award
Jerusalem, Israel
The Blessing of a Broken Heart by Sherri Mandell, a moving account of loss, faith, grief, and healing, won the 2004 National Jewish Book Award in the Contemporary Jewish Life and Practices category. Written after her 13-year-old son Koby was brutally murdered by terrorists, the book is an inspirational description of the author's loss, her struggle with the first stages of mourning, her journey to find peace, and her growing faith as she endeavors to understand her pain in the context of 3,000 years of Jewish history and tradition.
First published in September 2003 and now in its third printing, The Blessing of a Broken Heart has received international acclaim and recognition. Sherri Mandell will be honored at The National Jewish Book Award Ceremony, to be held at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, December 1 st at the Center for Jewish History at 15 West 16 th Street in New York City. The ceremony, which will be open to the public, is preceded by an author dinner at 5:30 pm that is open to members of the press.
This award honors Sherri's story, and the universal message of the power of a positive response to pain and trauma. Sherri has a mission to bring love, support, and healing to others who have experienced loss. She has already impacted thousands of lives through her book The Blessing of a Broken Heart and the programs of The Koby Mandell Foundation.
Less than a year after their son Koby was murdered by terrorists, Sherri and her husband, Rabbi Seth Mandell, established The Koby Mandell Foundation to run healing programs for family members of victims of terrorism. The Foundation's programs teach participants the lessons Sherri and Seth learned - to cope with their pain, heal from their grief, and use the power hidden within tragedy to grow beyond previous limitations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sherri Mandell was born in New York and graduated from Colorado State University, where she received her M.A. in creative writing. She taught writing at the University of Maryland and at Penn State. She is the author of Writers of the Holocaust, (Facts on File, 2000) and has written for numerous magazines and journals, including The Washington Post, Denver Post and The Jerusalem Post. She moved to Israel in 1996, where she lives in Tekoa with her family, and is now director of The Koby Mandell Foundation Women's Healing Retreats for Bereaved Mothers and Widows.
THE KOBY MANDELL FOUNDATION: The Koby Mandell Foundation runs therapeutic healing programs for family members of victims of terrorism. Established by Sherri Mandell and Rabbi Seth Mandell after their 13 year old son Koby was murdered by terrorists, the Foundation's programs teach participants the lessons Sherri and Seth learned - to cope with their pain, heal from their grief, and use the power hidden within tragedy to grow beyond previous limitations. Programs combine formal, informal, and recreational therapeutic techniques to foster an environment of emotional support. Participants draw strength from each other and their shared experiences, creating long-lasting bonds of friendship and a community of survivors.