Rabbi Lazer Brody was born in Washington, D.C. in 1949. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Maryland in 1970, he moved to Israel and joined the Israel Defense Forces regular army, and served in one of the elite special-forces units. He is a decorated combat veteran of two wars and numerous of counter-insurgence and anti-terrorist missions on both sides of Israel’s borders.
Following the Israel-Lebanon conflict of 1982, Brody could no longer ignore the hand of G-d in his life. He became observant and left his mountaintop farm to study Torah in Jerusalem.
Nine years of intensive Talmudic, ethics, and legal studies, led to his rabbinical ordination in 1992. He devoted another two years of postgraduate study to personal and family counseling, and subsequently created a highly successful program of rehabilitation for prisoners based on faith reinforcement.
In 1998, Rav Shalom Arush opened a branch of his renowned of the “Chut Shel Chessed – Breslev” Yeshiva in the port city of Ashdod, and chose Brody as the “Rosh Kollel”, or Dean of the rabbinical program. In 2006, the kollel merged with the main yeshiva in Jerusalem, and Brody became responsible for spreading Rabbi Arush’s teachings all over the English-speaking world. As such, Brody has translated all of Rav Arush’s major works including the international bestseller, “The Garden of Emuna“. His English CDs – translations and adaptations of Rav Arush’s emuna lessons – now circulate worldwide in over 100 titles and more than a million copies. Rabbi Brody is also the English-language editor of Breslev Israel’s highly popular English-language website at www.breslev.co.il, and the founder and director of Emuna Outreach. He spends considerable time and effort spreading the light of emuna around the globe.
Brody’s first book, “Pi Habe’er”, is a Hebrew-language contemporary commentary of Torah based largely on the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev. The book has been widely acclaimed, and has received the approbations of Rishon Le’Tzion Rabbi Ovadiah Yossef, the Bes Din of the Eda Haredis in Jerusalem, Rabbi Eliezer Berland, and others. His second book, “Nafshi Tidom”, also in Hebrew, is a unique guide to coping with verbal abuse, embarrassment and insult.
Brody’s third book – his first in English – is “The Trail to Tranquility,” a highly acclaimed self-help guide to overcoming anger and attaining inner peace.
Other Brody books include the English-language “Chassidic Pearls” collection of original parables on the weekly Torah portion, a delightful children’s book, “The Worry Worm,” beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Shapiro, and Lazer Beams, an exquisite collection of his best quotations edited, illustrated and compiled by Rivka Levy.
Rabbi Lazer Brody is also a musician and composer. His first music CD, “Calming Waters”, is an exquisite collection of relaxation and meditative music played on his native flutes.
“Lazer Beams,” Rabbi Brody’s award-winning daily web journal, has been instrumental in helping tens of thousands of people around the globe find joy and fulfillment in their lives.
Speaking engagements or personal appearances: Contact Yosef Nechama General Director of Breslev Israel.
Contact: You can reach Rabbi Lazer Brody by email here.