With a trembling hand and a broken heart, the BRI family sadly mourns the passing of Yonina Hall, may her memory be a blessing. Although we are all still in shock at the news, we feel a strong need to tell our BRI family that Yonina was a part of every book we published.
For the past 15 years, though she was called our chief-editor, she was actually a co-author. She created the BRI style in English. How we refer to things and how we spell them was all Yonina. The success of our books and your learning was in large part to her credit. She insisted on consistency and professionalism at the highest level. Everything had to pass under her keen eye from the shortest dedication to the longest volume. She was determined that BRI be as close to perfect as possible. As important as it was to her that the text be correct, it was just as critical to her how it was graphically presented. She always asked us, who is the audience you are trying to reach? Based on the answer, she guided the direction of each book.
She had encyclopedic knowledge of everything Breslov. She had a phenomenal memory and a serious grasp of Breslov history. She was the go-to person for any query large or small. The answer to a lot of questions was ask Yonina.
May the merit of Yonina’s contribution to spreading Rebbe Nachman’s Torah continue throughout the generations, present and future.
May her memory be a blessing.