Hanoch Teller
Hanoch Teller (born 28 April 1956) is an Orthodox Jewish lecturer and author who popularized the Jewish literary genre of true, contemporary stories to convey inspirational and ethical themes. Author of over 25 books, Teller is also a popular lecturer, and tour guide in Jerusalem, Israel.
Biography
Teller was born in Vienna, Austria to Shlomo Teller, an American soldier who helped the government capture and prosecute Nazis. After WWII, he began to design clothes for a living in Austria, and after a great deal of hard work, Shlomo became very successful in his business[1] and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He received his bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Yeshiva University of New York, and continues to study at the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He received rabbinic ordination from the previous Rav of the Kotel, Rabbi Meir Yehuda Getz.
He and his wife, Aidel, have 18 children. They reside in the Arzei HaBira neighborhood of Jerusalem[2].
Author
Teller began his writing career penning articles for The Jewish Observer, Moment Magazine, The Jerusalem Post, and Jewish Women's Outlook. He received the Jerusalem Award of 5742 (1982) in an international essay competition marking the fifteenth anniversary of the re-unification of Jerusalem.
His first series of books, Once Upon a Soul, Souled! and Soul Survivors, introduced the genre of true, contemporary stories promoting the themes of hashgacha pratis (Divine Providence) and human kindness. Teller later branched out into biographies of contemporary Orthodox Jewish personalities — such as Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Horowitz, Baltimore Torah day school principal Rabbi Binyamin Steinberg, and Toronto philanthropist Joseph Tanenbaum — using anecdotes as the vehicle for moral and ethical lessons.
A large section of his corpus presents stories on specific ethical concepts, such as: judging others favorably (Courtrooms of the Mind), integrity (Above the Bottom Line), avoiding argumentation and strife (Give Peace a Stance), and the impact of a small positive gesture (It's a Small Word After All). Several of his books have been translated into Hebrew, Russian and Spanish.
Public speaker
Teller is a popular speaker for schools, women's groups, synagogue functions, learning seminars, fundraising dinners, and organizational meetings in North America, South America, Europe and Israel.
He is an instructor at Yeshivat Hakotel for men and teaches at numerous Jerusalem women's colleges. He is a faculty member of Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim College of Jewish Studies for Women[3], Darchei Binah Women's School[4], Afikei Torah Women's School for Advanced Torah Studies[5], Midreshet Moriah[6], Michlala-Jerusalem College, Bnot Torah Institute, Neve Yerushalayim Institutes, Naaleh Online Torah School[7], and others.
Teller is an independent guide licensed by Yad Vashem to lead tours in its new Holocaust Memorial Museum. He leads tours combining his knowledge of the sites and events of the Holocaust with stories describing the experiences of individual victims, and produced an eleven-part CD lecture series on the subject (Comprehending the Incomprehensible: The History, Heroism and Lessons of the Holocaust.
In the late 1990s, Teller produced a docudrama exploring miracles in everyday life (Do You Believe in Miracles?).
Teller is very involved with the promotion of American Republicanism which led him to support Al Gore and and Teller's friend Joe Lieberman in the 2000 presidential elections. Also, Rabbi Teller is close friends with Michael Medved, a conservative radio personality.
Publishing history
- Once Upon A Soul: Stories of Striving and Yearning, NYC Publishing, 1984
- Soul Survivors, NYC Publishing, 1985
- Souled!, NYC Publishing, 1986
- The Story of the Steipler Gaon : The Life and Times of Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, Artscroll, 1986
- Sunset: Stories of Our Contemporary Torah Luminaries and Their Spiritual Heroism, NYC Publishing, 1987
- Courtrooms of the Mind: Stories and Advice on Judging Others Favorably, NYC Publishing, 1988
- Pichifkes: Stories Heard on the Road and By the Way, NYC Publishing, 1989
- The Bostoner: Stories and Recollections from the Colorful Chassidic court of the Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Levi I. Horowitz, Feldheim, 1990
- Bridges of Steel, Ladders of Gold: Joseph Tanenbaum, Builder of Bridges to Torah, NYC Publishing, 1990
- Hey, Taxi!: Tales Told in Taxis and Recounted by Cabbies, NYC Publishing, 1990
- It’s a Small Word After All: The Amazing Impact of a Kind Gesture or a Thoughtful Remark on Human Lives and Events, NYC Publishing, 1990
- Welcome to the Real World, NYC Publishing, 1990
- Best of Storylines, NYC Publishing, 1991
- Give Peace a Stance: Stories and Advice on Promoting and Maintaining Peace, 1992
- A Matter of Principal: A Tribute to Rabbi Binyamin Steinberg, NYC Publishing, 1994
- And From Jerusalem, His Word: Stories and Insights of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, NYC Publishing, 1995
- A Midrash and a Maaseh: An Anthology of Insights and Commentaries on the Weekly Torah Reading, Including Hundreds of Old Favorites and New Stories (2 vol.), NYC Publishing, 1996
- The Mini A Midrash and a Maaseh: NYC Publishing, 1998
- Above the Bottom Line: Stories and Advice on Integrity, NYC Publishing, 1998
- In an Unrelated Story: A Compelling Collection of Newsworthy Tales, NYC Publishing, 1999
- Builders: Stories and Insights into the Lives of Three Paramount Figures of the Torah Renaissance, NYC Publishing, 2000
- Too Beautiful: Stories So Uplifting They Have To Be Shared, NYC Publishing, 2009
Audio tapes and CDs
- The Righteous Live On: Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (2-tape set)
- The Righteous Live On: Frau Sarah Schenirer and How the Mirrer Yeshiva Escaped to Shanghai (2 tapes)
- The Righteous Live On: Rabbi Aharon Kotler (2 tapes)
- The Righteous Live On: Appease Process (2 tapes)
- The Righteous Live On: Breaking Open the Potential Vault
- The Righteous Live On: We're Too Small a People, To Be a Small People
- The Righteous Live On: Remembering the Chofetz Chaim
- Comprehending the Incomprehensible: The History, Heroism and Lessons of the Holocaust, 11-CD album, 2007
DVDs
- Do You Believe in Miracles?: True Stories Celebrating Divine Providence