Beyond the Ashes: Cases of Reincarnation from the Holocaust (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beyond the Ashes... builds bridges among secular, political, and metaphysical realms. The seemingly effortless way in which Rabbi Gershom accomplishes so monumental a task pays tribute to the depth of knowledge and wisdom that was born of having transcended the very ashes of which he writes." -- Amy Shapiro, Journal of Regression Therapy, 1994

"He [Gershom] is certainly a dynamic force to be reckoned with, bringing, as he does, many new ideas and concepts to the subject of reincarnation." -- Roy Stemman, editor,

"He [Gershom} is a sensitive counselor and spiritual healer, endowed with the understanding of dreams and visions, and a channel for the healing wisdom of the archetypal Tree of Life." -- Rabbi Zalman Schachter, from the cover

"Rabbi Gershom addresses the Jewish traditional beliefs about the afterlife, all of which are important perspectives to be aware of for those willing to explore metaphysical issues... His presentation is compelling." -- Carole Clarke, Assn. for Past Life Research and Therapies (APRT) Newsletter, 1996

Product Description

Is it possible that people living today died in the Holocaust? Rabbi Yonassan Gershom presents compelling evidence that supports this seemingly impossible phenomenon. Based on the stories of people he counselled, the author sheds new light on the subject of reincarnation and the divinity of the human soul. In addition to the fascinating case histories, Rabbi Gershom includes information on Jewish teachings regarding the afterlife, karmic healing, and prophecies. Available November, 1992. (A.R.E. Press)

Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: A.R.E. Press (Association of Research & Enlig (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876042930
• ISBN-13: 978-0876042939
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #247,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Author's reply to those who found the subtitle misleading, January 6, 2005

By	Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

To those here who found the subtitle "misleading" because (they felt) I spent too much time on Jewish theology and not enough time on actual case histories:

First of all, I had to have permission to use people's stories, and very few were willing to give it, even if I changed their names. Back then, the subject of Holocaust reincarnations was taboo, and people were afraid that, if they were recognized in the book, they would be labeled as "crazy" or worse. So, although I had talked to about 250 people by the time the book was published, only a dozen or so were willing to have the details of their stories published -- and then only under pseudonyms. (My second book, "From Ashes to Healing," corrected this. After seeing the acceptance that the first book received, 15 people were now willing to tell their stories in public, all under their own names except for one mother whose child was still a minor.)

Now about the theology parts: At the time "Beyond the Ashes" was published back in 1992, there was virtually NOTHING in print about Jewish reincarnation teachings, at least, not available English. Nor was there anything about cases from the Holocaust period, except for a hint here and there in certain Jewish publications. Not only that, but the "new age" interpretation of the Holocaust back then was that Jews in the camps were all nasty bad guys who had come back en masse to burn off their bad karma, and that Judaism was some sort of purgatory where folks could do that quickly.

Needless to say, these theories were extremely offensive to Jews. Mostly they came from non-Jews, especially the writings of Alice Bailey, an esotericist who was also an antisemite. Other such theories came from certain sects of "new agers" who had carried over negative stereotypes about Jews from Christianity into their supposedly enlightened "new age consciousness." Even the former president of APRT (now IART), Hazel Denning, believed that the Holocaust victims were all former barbarians returned, and she publicly said so on radio and TV -- much to the horror of Jewish pastlife therapists. (The first time I spoke at an APRT conference, the Jewish therapists pulled me aside literally begged me to address this issue from the podium -- which I did.)

Such theories were (and still are) repulsively antisemitic. They show a total lack of understanding about the beautiful path that Judaism can be, or about the subtle complexities of how karma actually works. So I felt it was my responsibility to do more than just tell "horror stories" about Holocaust pastlife memories and flashbacks. I would have been shirking my duty as a rabbi and a teacher if I had not tried to put these stories into some sort of larger context. Going "beyond the ashes" meant grappling with the bigger issues of the Holocaust, of the role of Jews in planetary healing, of the issues of diversity, tolerance, multiculturalism, world peace, etc. Otherwise the book would be nothing more than tabloid sensationalism, heaven forbid.

Since the book was published over a decade ago, the "new age" has grown immensely in its understanding and appreciation of Jewish teachings -- in a large part because of this book, which has become a classic in the pastlife therapy field. A lot of general readers have also written and thanked me for opening up the world of Jewish spirituality. The theology parts may seem unnecessary now, but in its day, the book was a groundbreaking work. It has been responsible for a great deal of healing between Jews and non-Jews, and I am proud to have been the one to write it.

Thank you for reading this. May you always walk the spiritual Path in beauty, joy, and peace.

Rabbi Yonassan Gershom,
author, "Beyond the Ashes"

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic and a must-read!, February 2, 2000

By A Customer

I originally bought this book more for the Jewish theology than the reincarnation cases as such. When it first came out back in 1992, it was the only book around that explained anything about Jewish reincarnation teachings in a way that didn't require three Ph.Ds. The Rabbi's open, personal style made me feel like he was teaching me as an equal, not talking down to me from some ivory tower somewhere.

It was also the only book that offered a more sophisticated view of the Holocaust than the stupid "karmic payback" theories that were floating around back then (and now, too.) In my opinion, this book did more than any book I know of to make New Agers re-examine their negative Old Age attitudes about Jews and Judaism. It's a reincarnation classic and still a must-read. It sure changed my ideas about "Jewish karma" -- and my life, too.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good in spite of a somewhat misleading title, August 27, 2004

By	Anyechka (Rensselaer, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This was a really interesting book, but based on the title, I was expecting it to be more about the cases of people who had had previous incarnations during the Shoah. There were maybe a dozen or so such cases presented, even though the author has counseled a plethora of such people. The cases he does present merely seem to serve as a backdrop for a greater theme of reincarnation in Judaism, Jewish mysticism, and popular misconceptions about the place of spirituality, reincarnation, and New Age elements in Judaism, along with his own mystical beliefs and experiences. It's not that it was badly-written, just that, based on the title, the book would have been better-served focusing more on the many individuals he counseled and the specifics of each of their cases, instead of just using short synopses of about a dozen of their stories as a backdrop for the abovementioned topics. I read the book because I too believe I was there before and am interested in reincarnation stories anyway; I didn't purchase it in the expectation of reading mostly about Jewish mysticism (a great topic, but not one I was looking for here) and other topics that didn't really relate that much to the title.