Not By The Sword Book

In 1991, Cantor Michael Weisser and his family moved to Lincoln, NE to revitalize the city's declining Jewish community. Weisser was known for his open-minded approaches and had friends and relatives of different races and religions. his 2nd wife Julie (who appears in this book), converted to Judaism because she shared Michael's values. but they soon became targets of KKK Grand Dragon Larry Trapp and received menacing phone calls and letters. the Weissers' kids were afraid to go out at night and feared their parents would be killed. but their parents were more clever than they realized, and fought back not with hatred but with the very values they stood for. Trapp, a dying amputee, was so blindsided by the Weissers' actions that it caused him to rethink the life he wasted, make amends with the people he terrorized (many of whom were Asian, African-American, Jewish, or handicapped like himself) and ultimately convert to Judaism shortly before his death a year later. while the media perceived the Weissers to be delving into dangerous territory by harboring a terminally ill KKK member in their home, they knew they were doing the right thing.

today, the real Michael Weisser lives in New York where he is the cantor for a Reform synagogue and still very active in his spiritual pursuits. although he and Julie separated in 2002, they are still close. the kids are grown and married, and Weisser even co-officiated at his oldest son's marriage to a Methodist woman (whose father was the other officiant). the memory of Larry Trapp still lingers with him, and he thinks of his friend fondly.

this true account is a riveting demonstration that it is never too late to change, and that saving one life means saving the entire world.