In a quiet street just beyond the medieval Spalentor gate, Chassidus in German is coming to life. Books’n Bagels, the small but determined Jewish publishing house based in Basel, Switzerland, has taken on the task of translating and explaining the Rebbe’s maamorim into accessible German.

In a quiet street just beyond the medieval Spalentor gate, Chassidus in German is coming to life.

Books’n Bagels, the small but determined Jewish publishing house based in Basel, Switzerland, has taken on the task of translating and explaining the Maamorim of the Rebbe—into accessible German.

The editions are based on the acclaimed Simply Chassidus series, written by Rabbi Simcha Kanter (Chicago).

Publisher Chaim Rittri explains that the goal is to make the Rebbe’s Chassidic teachings accessible to German-speaking Jews throughout Europe.
“When I first encountered a Maimar in the late 1980s, I barely understood it — but what I did understand changed my life,” Rittri recalls.

Each volume includes contextual introductions, concise summaries, and a simple modern German that focus on clarity and comprehension of the Ma’amar rather than a literal word-for-word translation.

Titles like VeAtah Tetzaveh and Mayim Rabim are already available. The latest release, Ani LeDodi (5726), has just been published, and the translator, Rabbi Elyahu Borodin (Nürnberg, Germany), is already at work on the next volume.

“Every Jew deserves to hear the truth — in their own language,” Rittri emphasizes.

The project has already sparked strong interest among Chabad Houses and individual readers throughout the German-speaking countries.

As Rabbi Shlomo Bistritzky of the Jewish Community of Hamburg puts it: “These Ma’amarim in German create a deep connection to the Rebbe’s teachings. I use them in shiurim in Hamburg and even at the Ohel. They open the world of Chassidus to people in a way that feels personal and accessible.” 

More about the Ma’amar Ani LeDodi at booksnbagels.com/leDodi.