Novel Set in Warsaw Ghetto Has Verisimilitude
Normally, I am a bit wary of Holocaust fiction because I fear it will prompt Holocaust deniers to say, “See, it’s all made up.” But whether someone writes a novel or a rigorously footnoted...
‘A Boy in Winter’ Brings Privation, Fear, Horror of Holocaust Graphically to Life
A Boy in Winter appears initially to be an firsthand account, told from the viewpoints of the various individuals involved – both directly and indirectly – in the roundup and murder of the Jews of...
Is it India or is it Gehenna?
If you walk through ankle-deep sewage overflow while batting away flies and choking on ashes of incinerated human remains, you’ll experience the India of author Tova Reich’s description. You probably would prefer to visit...
Linguist learns of her biological father’s secret past (Book Review)
What Language do I Dream in? by Elena Lappin; HarperCollins, 2017, ISBN 9781554-684632.
As a bilingual speaker of Hebrew and English as well as having some knowledge of French and German, I was intrigued by...
“Harry Potter” series receives official Yiddish translation
Harry Potter Un Der Filosofisher Shteyn
This translation would not have been possible if not for the efforts of four committed colleagues: Yankl-Peretz Blum, whose linguistic guidance significantly leveled up the quality of the text;...
Book Review: ‘Inflitration’ by Joshua Kenaz
The death a few months ago of Israeli author, Joshua Kenaz, led to renewed interest in his work, and impelled me to read this book (published by Am Oved in 1986). For me, reading...
The Pogroms in Ukraine, 1918-19
Between 1918 and 1921 an estimated 100,000 Jewish people were killed, maimed or tortured in pogroms in Ukraine. Hundreds of Jewish communities were burned to the ground and hundreds of thousands of people were...
Novel probes stress between Jews and Blacks
Whoever said money can’t buy you happiness would have received resounding agreement from Jay Gladstone, the fictional philanthropist, real estate developer, and professional basketball team owner who is the protagonist of this novel. This...
‘Paper Bullets’ tells of lesbian resisters in Nazi-occupied Jersey
Avant-garde artists Lucy Schwob and Suzanne Malherbe advertised the fact that they were stepsisters, and hid the fact that they were lovers; their practice in deception useful in hiding their World War II roles...
Book Puts the ‘Land’ in the Land of Israel
Anyone perusing the table of contents of Essentials of the Land of Israel by Brandon Marlon, a prolific, award-winning Canadian-Israeli author, would correctly conclude the book’s value lies in its treatment of the country’s geography. Yet, Essentials...