New From OU Press – Summer 2026
Mesorat Menachem: Jubilee Volume in Honor of Rabbi Menachem Genack (2 volumes)
Mesorat Menachem stands as a publishing event—two substantial volumes that capture the scope, depth and enduring impact of Rabbi Menachem Genack’s life and work, offering readers an encounter with a figure whose influence has shaped both scholarship and communal life on a global scale.
The Hebrew volume presents a sweeping collection of contributions from leading rabbinic scholars across the Orthodox world. The range of material, reflecting the range of Rabbi Genack’s areas of expertise, is immediately striking. Essays explore complex areas of Jewish law, probe conceptual questions with precision, and address contemporary challenges with clarity and seriousness.
The volume contains a section of never-before-published letters and chiddushei Torah by Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik and his descendants, including Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik, and Rabbi Moshe Twersky. A section composed of contributions from members of Rabbi Genack’s own family includes previously unpublished chiddushei Torah by the late Tchebiner rosh yeshivah Rabbi Avraham Genachovsky. Additional sections include clarifications in the laws of kashrut as well as explorations of sugyot by leading roshei yeshivah and kashrut professionals. As befitting a figure as widely beloved as Rabbi Genack, who is retiring after over forty years of service to OU Kosher, the contributors to the volume form a veritable Who’s Who of the Torah greats of our time.
The Hebrew volume unfolds with remarkable breadth. It assembles leading rabbinic figures from across the Torah world, each contributing substantial work in halachah, lomdut and Jewish thought. The range itself tells a story. One encounters intricate discussions of kashrut, nuanced explorations of classic sugyot, and essays that address relevant halachic questions.
The English volume offers a complementary perspective, presenting a carefully organized selection of Rabbi Genack’s own writings. Here, the reader encounters a voice that is clear, confident and remarkably versatile. The essays span multiple areas: reflections on major rabbinic figures, discussions of kosher law, explorations of Jewish thought, and engagements with American politics.
Unsurprisingly, among Rabbi Genack’s own writings, a section is devoted to his illustrious teacher, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. In this series of articles written over the past forty years, Rabbi Genack explores Rabbi Soloveitchik’s derech halimmud, his attitude toward Zionism and his relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and he offers his deep appreciation as a devoted talmid. His writing reflects deep familiarity and an ability to present complex ideas in a form that is both accessible and intellectually satisfying.
But Rabbi Genack has also developed deep relationships with a wide range of figures besides the Rav, and the volume includes moving tributes to other mentors and revered colleagues such as Rabbi Nisson Alpert, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, Rabbi Nota Greenblatt, Dr. Bernard Lander, Senator Joe Lieberman and others.
Another significant aspect of the volume is a selection of Rabbi Genack’s book recommendations, reviews and prefaces to OU Press volumes. Two lengthier essays explore the significance of the title of the Rambam’s magnum opus, Mishneh Torah, and reflect on the halachic writings of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm published as Halachot VeHalichot.
Included as well are Rabbi Genack’s essays on Abraham Lincoln, expanding the scope of the collection to include broader reflections on leadership and moral vision. The English volume concludes with tributes written by friends and admirers as well as a number of essays contributed in honor of Rabbi Genack, touching on some of the major themes mentioned above—i.e., Rabbi Soloveitchik, kashrut and Abraham Lincoln.
Across both volumes, Rabbi Genack emerges as a figure of remarkable range. His achievements encompass rigorous scholarship, institutional leadership, political advocacy and the ability to guide complex systems with clarity and purpose. The books highlight his role in disseminating the teachings of his mentor, in shaping the standards of modern kosher supervision, and in cultivating a generation of scholars and leaders.
Mesorat Menachem represents a significant contribution to contemporary Jewish literature. It offers readers an opportunity to engage with serious scholarship, to explore the practical application of legal principles in a modern context, and to appreciate the enduring impact of a life dedicated to learning, teaching and communal service.