Time-traveling through Jewish history
River by Shira Nayman; Guernica Editions, 2020; ISBN 9781771-834575; 255 pages; $25.
“River,” in the context of this novel, is a metaphor for the continuity of life.
As Emily, 14, would hear from a wise African man...
Hanukkah lockdown? Grab a hold of good reads for all ages
As Jews are often referred to as people of the book, it’s no wonder readers top the Hanukkah gift list. Luckily, a whole host of new and recent books have been released from authors...
One-of-a-Kind Biography about Author of ‘All-of-a-Kind Family’ Books
When the Association of Jewish Libraries evaluates a book with Jewish content that it finds particularly good, it awards the author its Sydney Taylor Book Award after the author of the All-of-a-Kind series of books that...
Following Grandma’s WWII Path Leads Author to Self-Discovery
When Sergiusz Scheller left his home in Poland to move to America to be with his bride, Rachael Cerrotti, his mother Danuta told him, “We share the same sky. We look at the same...
A Survivor’s Trek Through Europe and the U.S.
In this memoir, nonagenarian Michael G. Kesler tells how as a teenager, he escaped both forced service in the Soviet Army and the Nazi invasion of his Polish home town by hopping trains with...
Viewing Israel’s many facets through a jeweler’s lens
“I wanted to write about all generations, one century, several families and cities,” says Israeli author Moshe Sakal, describing the ambitious initial outline for his novel, “The Diamond Setter,” a work that took him six...
Good vs evil in a chessboard, parallel universe
Travels with Sushi in the Land of the Mind by Eduard Shyfin, illustrations by Tomislav Tomic; White Rose Pubilshing, 2019, ISBN 9781912-802150, 188 pages; $19.99.
Siblings Aaron and Stella eat some magic sushi and they...
Author Adopts Maimonides’ Principles as True Judaism
13 Principles of Emuna, The Timeless Foundations of Jewish Faith by Rabbi Lazer Brody, Emuna Beams Publication, ©2021, ISBN 979-8715611093, p. 175, $12.95.
Born in Cordoba in 1135, but living his adult life in Fostat (Old...
Superman: The Mighty Analog
The answer to the question, “Is Superman circumcised?” in literature probably would depend on what the custom might have been on Krypton concerning the ceremony we Jews know as brit milah. Such an operation would have...
‘A Will to Survive’ recalls Arab ethnic cleansing of Jerusalem’s Jews
I recently stumbled upon a photography book shot by the acclaimed Life magazine wartime photographer John Phillips. The large, innocuous-looking book was simply titled, A Will to Survive. After flipping through the pages, I realized I entered a...