In an era which pitted secular Jews against the religious while the Czar loomed threateningly over both, the Ruzhiner Rebbe reigned, beloved not only by his Chassidim, but by secularists and even non-Jewish peasants. The Czar, however, considered him a threat and went so far as to kidnap him. This harrowing tale, the Providential rescue, and the treacherous politics of 19th century Europe make for a spellbinding chapter in Eastern European history.