Thumbs Up: Heartwarming True Stories of kindness, faith, innovation & joy

Thumbs Up! takes you back 50 years to the roots of the ba’al teshuva movement, a magical era in the Old City of Jerusalem. Kalman Packouz from Oregon became one of Aish HaTorah’s original six students – and Rav Noah Weinberg’s loyal lifetime partner in the “Torah Revolution.”

Thumbs Up! is two books in one. (1) Insights and inspiration from Rav Noah’s most compelling teachings. (2) Fascinating stories of Kalman’s iconic projects including the world’s first Jewish computer dating service; Shabbat Shalom, the first viral newsletter in Jewish history; the first Aish HaTorah branch; the first Western Wall webcam. Thumbs Up! takes you to the front row of Kalman’s eclectic adventures – from the alleyways of Jerusalem’s Old City, to the boardwalk in Miami Beach; from a Hong Kong subway, to IDF patrols in Hebron, to aboard a nuclear submarine. During his lifetime, thousands of people – of all ages and affiliations – loved Kalman. With this book, you’ll fall in love with him, too.