Elliott Kanbar Releases THE TRAGEDY OF MOSES

Written in verse and inspired by great lyricists like Stephen Sondheim, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Sheldon Harnick and most notably Lin-Manuel Miranda's recent groundbreaking Broadway hit "Hamilton," in his new book "The Tragedy Of Moses" author Elliott Kanbar has created a fun and entertaining read that tackles a subject that's certain to generate questions challenging long held beliefs about Moses and the Bible itself.

Leader. Prophet. Liberator. Moses was the only human permitted to know God face to face - and yet what do we know of him?

With humor and deep empathy, "The Tragedy Of Moses" examines some of the questions about Moses that have perplexed Biblical scholars for generations:

• Why did God wait 400 years before deciding to rescue the Israelites?
• Why were the Israelites subjected to forty years of wandering in the Sinai Desert when it was possible to cross in just a few weeks?
• Why wasn't Aaron punished for being the ringleader in the construction of the Golden Calf? Or for his attempt to overthrow Moses?
• Why did God kill the innocent together with the guilty?
• And, finally, the tragedy of Moses: Why did God so ruthlessly punish Moses for a minor infraction by not allowing him to enter The Promised Land?

With insights that make this ancient story relevant to our contemporary lives, "The Tragedy Of Moses" illuminates a complex, humble man who grapples to understand and obey a volatile, mercurial God.

"The story of Moses first intrigued me when I was a student at the Yeshiva Etz Chaim in Brooklyn. It was during those years that I started to question the many inconsistencies I felt appeared in the Biblical narrative. The Orthodox rabbis at the Yeshiva were troubled by my questions. Their response was always the same: God has his reasons. As an adult, I gravitated to the Reform side of Judaism. The rabbis were more tolerant and often amused by my questions, never angry. But their answers were also always the same: 'The Torah was not written by God. It was written by people. Don't take it literally'. In the entire recording of Biblical history, the story that most riveted me was the tragedy of Moses. He gave it his all, talked face to face with an irascible God, was loyal to the nth degree, survived forty years in the harsh Sinai desert, struggled with a bunch of unruly Israelites, and always, always did God's bidding. He finally reached the door to The Promised Land. But there was coldly and brutally refused entry by a God who held a grudge for a trivial act of disobedience. This is a tragedy if ever there was one. Finally, exhausted from the many disputes with devout friends about these Biblical issues, I sat down to write this book. I tried to view these Biblical events through a contemporary lens. I also wanted to avoid writing a discourse that was ponderous and pedantic. I thus opted to tell the story of Moses in verse. It also seemed like the right way to go because the Torah is often recited in a sing-song manner." Elliott Kanbar

Consumers can purchase "The Tragedy Of Moses" online on Amazon in paperback & Kindle editions.

"A revisionary look at the story of Moses. A fast-paced and engaging biblical dramatization"
-Kirkus Reviews

About Author Elliott Kanbar:
Elliott Kanbar studied the complexities of the Torah when he was a student for eight years at the Yeshiva Etz Chaim in Brooklyn. He learned about the writing of great lyrics and verses when he hosted and produced the syndicated radio show, Wild About Broadway for four years. The show featured brilliant lyricists like Oscar Hammerstein II, E.Y. Harburg, Sheldon Harnick, Johnny Mercer, Stephen Sondheim, and Cole Porter. Kanbar was also the President of the popular and historic NYC art house movie theater QUAD CINEMA for 42 years. He is currently the President of CINEMAflix Distribution, and regularly advises and mentors filmmakers, film distributors and producers.

For press inquiries please contact:
Isil Bagdadi, CAVU Pictures / CAVU PR
Office: 212-246-6300 Email: ib(at)cavupictures(dot)com

For more info about "The Tragedy Of Moses" go to:
http://www.thetragedyofmoses.com

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