A Bit of Light: The Man Who Knows Why Jews Succeed

Even today, three years after the publication of his book 'Why Jews Succeed' – translated into Hebrew, English, and Chinese (!) and wildly successful - the stream of letters continues to flow to Rabbi Nechemia Rothenberg (38), head of a kollell and leader of the 'Zehut' organization in Vienna, married and father of seven children.

Some want answers, others struggle to understand why - but all, without exception, are astonished and appreciative. And what does the Rabbi have to say about this? It's simple. "I'm not bringing anything new, everything is in our holy Torah. It's known that Jews have a special genome that separates them from the rest of the nations, and what I try to do in the book is to reflect the truth to those who still want to hear it".

Rabbi Nechemia Rothenberg with his book, Glatt Coach

The trigger that led him to write the book – which includes 300 pages of in-depth research conducted over six years - was the immense pain he felt about many Jews in the diaspora who don't understand the significance of being Jewish. "I meet many quality people with their heads on their shoulders, some of them Jewish and Israeli students studying in Europe, and in deep conversations with them – it always pains me to see how deep their ignorance reaches concerning Judaism".

According to the Rabbi, aside from the fact that the overwhelming majority doesn't understand what it means to be Jewish, even those who manage to grasp something – still struggle to admit the fact that 'The people of Israel, Hashem, and the Torah are one,' not to mention the soaring intermarriage rates among these young people. "This book is proof of the precious gem that every Jew has within them, so it was crucial for me to publish it. And thank G-d, many have already found the right path after reading it".

It wasn't just Jews who were intrigued by his book – evidently, in China alone, the book sold in hundreds, perhaps thousands of copies - with demand only increasing. When asked how this could be, the Rabbi responds, "You'd be surprised, but the Chinese are quite interested in the topic. I receive numerous inquiries from Chinese businessmen - many of them aspire to solve this human enigma called 'The Jewish Brain.' They too understand there's something 'different' about us compared to what they know".

The Goal of This Generation: " To Bear the Torch and Pass It to the Next one"

And if for a moment we thought his efforts to bring lost hearts back to their Father in Heaven ended there - we're mistaken: aside from the fact that Rabbi Rothenberg has authored three books thus far: 'Why Jews Succeed', 'Glatt Coach – The Art of Pleasure and Success', and 'Shabbat Laws – Today is Shabbat' - he is currently engaged in no less challenging work.

"In my work spreading knowledge to the multitudes, I've found that there's a great thirst among the secular public for people to talk to them and explain," he continues, "but I realized it must be done their way, in a way they can digest. This brought about my next challenge: a Hollywood film that will transform the book 'Why Jews Succeed', into a real storyline.

"The film is based on data I've collected over the years, and it interweaves strong messages to Jews," says the Rabbi, adding that despite the difficulties in bringing the idea to life, "With G-d's help, there are already actors and even a script ready with a huge budget – obtained, with much Heavenly assistance, from various funds".

Rabbi Nechemia Rothenberg with his book, Why Jews Succeed

It seems that such a book/movie - with all its advantages, could provoke more against us. What do you think?

The Rabbi smiles. "Having researched anti-Semitism thoroughly, and I explain this in my book - in a subtopic called 'How Non-Jews View Jews' - I assure you, anti-Semitism isn't dependent on our actions. After a long-term survey and consultation with Jewish leaders, my answer to anti-Semitism is that while a Jew should not provoke a non-Jew, blaming anti-Semitism on various reasons is a fundamental mistake. The fact is, wherever Jews lived among non-Jews – they were hated. And that's the truth."

So far, the Rabbi has saved many young Jews from forming questionable relationships with non-Jews. Yet the topic of intermarriage still troubles and pains him. "I'm amazed so many secular Israeli parents call me, laying out their problem: 'Listen, do me a favor. My son is dating a non-Jew, get him out of it'."

And how do you respond?

"Honestly? I'm always curious whether it really bothers them or if it's just superficial. Then, I try pulling the rope in their direction. 'What's the problem with her being a non-Jew', I ask them, 'so you'll have grandchildren who speak German or French. And so what?'"

"But suddenly, you see the Jew far from Torah and mitzvot – talking to you like a rabbi. 'No way, it won't happen. Only Jews come into our family'. What does that mean? That every Jew has a pure inner point of faith, which nothing can damage."