SIMCHA RAZ is a well-known Israeli author and educator. He holds rabbinic ordination from Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva in Jerusalem. A third-generation Jerusalemite, he is the author of several popular books on aggadic and hasidic themes, several of which have appeared in English translation, including A Tzaddik in Our Time: The Life of Rabbi Aryeh Levin, Hasidic Wisdom: Sayings from the Jewish Sages, Heart and Scroll: Heartfelt Stories from the Masters, and Tales of the Righteous.  He received the prestigious Prime Minister's award for his writing.