Rabbi Yisrael Ibn Nadjara
Hidden Heroes

Best known for his poem "Koh Ribon Olam," this prolific 16th century poet lived the sort of bohemian life that we of the 21st century have come to associate with poets. Rabbi Wein captures both sides of this controversial figure: the habits that earned him the scorn of his contemporaries and his breadth as a Talmudic scholar. Overall, the life of Yisrael ibn Nadjara proves that a person can be vilified in his lifetime, but be vindicated by history.