His new book, Seeing Angels in the Shadow of Death: A Rabbi’s Journey Through Illness and Health, will be the topic of a talk by Rabbi Ahud Sela at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 25 at Beth El – Keser Israel in New Haven.

Based on his experiences of serious illness, the book tells how at age twenty-two, he faced possible death because of cancer, and at age thirty-three because of heart disease. Sela calls the people who helped him through these times his angels in the shadow of death. “They helped show me the light when all I saw was darkness,” he explains.

“And now I try to be an angel myself, to help those who feel like they are living in death’s dark shadow,” he adds. “We should never have to suffer alone. This is the story of my journey from illness to health, from darkness to light, and I hope that it brings healing and light to all who read it.” The book will be available for purchase at the event.

The son of Nada and Rita Sela, he grew up in New Haven but now lives in California, where he is the rabbi of Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge.