The author, Bruce Fogelson, grew up in a religiously Reformed suburb North of Chicago in the 1970s. At that time, the left-leaning synagogue did not believe in the ritual of Bar Mitzvah due to the rejection of contemporary commercialization. Instead, they had confirmation at 15 or 16 (which simply forced another few years of Sunday school). 

In a “Semester At Sea” study program in 1982, Fogelson jumped-ship in Egypt in order to go to Israel when the ship refused its itinerary to dock there due to the Lebanon war with Israel (also called “The First Lebanon War”). With the war came a boycott of Israel. After harrowing adventures in Egypt, he escaped across the Sinai desert to Israel with his now life-long friend. Fogelson credits a profound religious experience upon entering the Kotel for the true beginning of a spiritual journey, and all be it pedestrian.

The Kotel, commonly known in English as the “Western Wall” and sometimes referred to as the “Wailing Wall,” is a significant religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem. In Hebrew, it’s called “הכותל המערבי” (HaKotel HaMa’aravi). For Jews, it’s a remnant of the Second Temple and has become a place of prayer and pilgrimage, symbolizing the Jewish people’s connection to Jerusalem and its deep-rooted history. Experiencing the Kotel became the touchstone of Fogelson’s life.

A few days later, with the help of a group of young orthodox students, Fogelson had a small but actual Bar Mitzvah just steps from the Wailing Wall—the holiest place in the Jewish world—at age 20. He was showered with candy.

In 1983, Fogelson returned to Chicago after college to stumble upon that same friend, who introduced him to a modern Orthodox synagogue. A visiting Orthodox rabbi was leading a study group every Tuesday night. With a bit of help, this Tuesday Night Tarah Study Group (Which evolved into The Chicago Torah Network) became the first stepping-stones to an evolving Jewish life, respecting all levels of observance. Over the years, there were two other Orthodox rabbis who helped Fogelson form a more spiritual and literal connection with Hebrew study. He now lives a life of observance that is slight by Orthodox standards but more than simply Reform.

After completing his degree in Real Estate in 1983 and later starting his own real estate development company in 1992, Fogelson became an award-winning and successful real estate developer, focusing on gentrifying neighborhoods in Chicago. The next chapter in Fogelson’s life was as an entrepreneur and real estate broker. Fogelson has 6 U.S. patents in two fields and more pending.