Ruchoma Shain facts for kids

Ruchoma Shain (born December 6, 1914 – died March 16, 2013) was an American teacher and author. She was also known as a rebbetzin, which is the wife of a rabbi. She is most famous for her first book, All for the Boss, which she wrote when she was in her late sixties. This book was a biography about her father, Yaakov Yosef Herman. In the book, she also shared what Orthodox Jewish life was like in America in the early 1900s. All for the Boss became one of the most popular books ever for Feldheim Publishers. Many other authors have quoted her stories and ideas.

She wrote other books too. Her second book, Reaching the Stars (1990), was about her experiences as a teacher. She also wrote Dearest Children, All for the Best, and Shining Lights.

Early Life and Family

Ruchoma Herman was born in New York City on the Lower East Side. Her parents were Rabbi Yaakov Yosef and Aidel Herman. She was the youngest of their five children. She had three sisters and one brother.

When she was seventeen, she married Moshe Shain. He was the oldest son of Rabbi Shimon and Geneshe Shain.

Life in Mir, Belarus

Soon after their wedding, Ruchoma and Moshe traveled to Mir, Belarus. Her father asked them to go there. They stayed for almost six years. During this time, her husband studied at the Mir yeshiva. Her sister Basya and her brother Rabbi Nochum Dovid also joined them in Mir.

Teaching and Writing Journey

After their time in Belarus, Ruchoma and Moshe returned to the East Side of New York. In the United States, Ruchoma taught English to students of different ages.

Later, when their children were grown, the Shains moved to Jerusalem. They bought an apartment in a new area called Kiryat Mattersdorf. In Jerusalem, Ruchoma became a popular speaker for women and girls. After her books were published, many people visited her to ask for advice on different topics.

How "All for the Boss" Began

Ruchoma Shain wrote her first book, All for the Boss, when she was in her late sixties. Yaakov Feldheim, one of the people who started Feldheim Publishers, asked her to write it. The book came out in 1984. It was about her childhood in New York City and how much her father influenced her.

All for the Boss became one of the most popular books ever for Feldheim Publishers. Before this, the company mostly published books about Jewish law and rabbis. The book was updated and made longer in 2001. Feldheim also released a "Young Readers Edition" in 2006. The book was translated into Hebrew in 2002 and also into Yiddish. In 2010, a reporter called it "one of the most read, talked about, and widely studied" books in the Haredi community.

Ruchoma Shain went on to write four more books. She used her own experiences and her time as a teacher to write them.

Later Years

About ten years before she passed away, Ruchoma Shain moved back to the United States. She wanted to be closer to her children in Adelphia, New Jersey. She continued to welcome visitors there. She died in 2013 in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.

Her children are Rabbi Yisrael Meir Shain, Mrs. Mashi Wilner, and Rabbi Refoel Yitzchak Shain.

Her Impact

Many authors have used Ruchoma Shain's stories about her childhood. They have also quoted her ideas about teaching in their own books.