NOTED AUTHOR RUCHOMA SHAIN
SHARES ADVICE ON LIFE AND RELATIONSHIPS
IN NEW VIDEO

Production Captures the Personal Dimension of Beloved Author

New York, NY: In her witty, down-to-earth style, noted author Ruchoma Shain shares a lifetime of stories and advice on topics ranging from child rearing to sustaining faith in a newly released video entitled A Video Conversation with Ruchoma Shain.

"Mrs. Shain is mesmerizing.  She is a master storyteller with an upbeat, engaging personality and an

infectious enthusiasm for life," said Ricky Magder, producer of the video and the Director of Media and Broadcasting at the Orthodox Union (OU). "This video is an unprecedented production. Mrs. Shain has thousands of admirers around the world and this video offers them the opportunity to experience her face-to-face."

Well into her eighties, Mrs. Shain -- who authored All for the Boss, the best-selling biography on her father, Rav Yaakov Yosef Herman -- also shares stirring, heartwarming recollections in the hour-long video about her formative years growing up on New York's Lower East Side during the 1920s and her parents' legendary devotion to opening up their home to strangers. 

"It was not unusual for us to have 30 guests at our Shabbat table," recalls Mrs. Shain whose family hosted some of the spiritual luminaries of the time including the renowned Torah scholar, the late Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.

Drawing on her varied experiences as an educator, author, lecturer, wife, mother and daughter, the spry narrator sprinkles her reminiscences with practical suggestions on dating, how to have a successful marriage, effective parenting and nurturing self-esteem.

Some of Mrs. Shain's pithy advice include:

On women and dating: "Be a woman, act like a woman on a date. A man is looking for a woman, not a chavruta  (study partner) !

On marriage: "Be accepting! Make allowances for your partner's weaknesses and gain from his (or her) strengths. "

On child rearing: "Never compare children. Comparisons are odious."

Produced by the OU, the hour-long video is based on a series of personal interviews conducted in Mrs. Shain's Jerusalem home.  A Conversation with Ruchoma Shain marks the first in a series of videos, to be produced by the OU, that will take viewers into the private and inner lives of great Jewish personalities. Bound to be a prized collection in any Jewish home, the series will capture the personal dimension of celebrated Jewish thinkers, authors and leaders.

The video is available online for $18 or, for more information, please call (212) 613-8226.

The Orthodox Union, celebrating 100 years of service to the Jewish community of the United States and other countries, is a foremost leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world's most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 200,000 products in 59 countries around the globe.  

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RICKY MAGDER -- Biography

Ricky Magder is the director and producer of Great Jewish Personalities/A Conversation with Ruchoma Shain, a video presentation featuring a witty, charismatic octogenarian sharing her insightful, often humorous, views on life, relationships, faith and family. The Director of Media and Broadcasting at the Orthodox Union, Magder is a film and television producer who has worked on numerous television programs and feature films.

Born in Toronto, Magder, the son of a successful producer and cinematographer, practically "grew up on a movie set." After studying film production in Hollywood, Magder joined the Toronto-based family business, Magder Entertainment, a studio that was home to many celebrities including Robert DeNiro, Cher, Jane Fonda, John Huston and Orson Welles.

Magder began discovering his Jewish roots just as his film career was taking off with hits such as Terminal Choice, starring Ellen Barkin, and Home Safe, starring Martin Short. Magder eventually became Orthodox and refocused his career away from the glamour of Hollywood.

"I wanted to use my talents to create a new genre of entertainment:  fun, enjoyable shows that are at the same time inspirational. I want to offer people an alternative to the soulless entertainment prevalent in Hollywood," says the energetic director who generally sports a black yarmulke and faded jeans. 

Now in his mid-thirties, Magder heads a state-of-the-art production facility at the Orthodox Union (OU) where he, along with his crew, works on dozens of projects. In addition to the Great Jewish Personalities series, Magder plans on creating several in-depth documentaries and educational videos. Currently, he is working on an animated kid's show promoting family values and starring Philip Namanworth, a well-known children's writer and composer.

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