W. Gunther Plaut was born in Germany, but in 1935 fled the Nazis for the United States, where he became a rabbi. He was President of the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and from 1978 to 1985 served as Vice-Chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Rabbi Plaut received nineteen honorary degrees and was a Companion of the Order of Canada. He published twenty-five books, including his magnum opus: The Torah: A Modern Commentary. Rabbi Plaut passed away in February 2011.  Jonathan V. Plaut, who wrote the introduction. is the spiritual leade rof Temple Beth Israel in Jackson, Michigan. Prior to this, Rabbi Plaut led Congregation Beth El in Traverse City, Michigan, where he is now Rabbi Ermeritus. He is the author of The Jews of Windsor 1790-1990: A Historical Chronicle and is the editor of One Voice: The Selecte Sermons of W. Gunther Plaut and The Plaut Family: Tracing the Legacy.