Humorous Stories for the December Holidays
This is a collection of 20 short stories about the upcoming December holidays. Three of the stories have distinctly Jewish angles, whereas others either are Christmas oriented or so general they might be told...
Book review: ‘Memories, Miracles & Meaning’
At 96, Fanny Krasner Lebovits is still going strong. I saw her as recently as December 2nd in attendance at a regional meeting of her beloved Hadassah, an organization to which she has devoted...
Ellis Island and the name ‘Kaputnik’
Visiting my family in this Contra County town, I happened across a book from the PJ Library titled Mrs. Kaputnik’s Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium by Rona Arato. Now, I’m one of those fellows who...
Chesler’s memoir insightful into feminist movement
Possibly before, but especially after publication of Women and Madness, which exposed the practice of falsely committing women to insane asylums and the abuse of women within those institutions, author Phyllis Chesler has been among...
The Jewish Annotated New Testament, by Amy-Jill Levine
Although major New Testament figures–Jesus and Paul, Peter and James, Jesus’ mother Mary and Mary Magdalene–were Jews, living in a culture steeped in Jewish history, beliefs, and practices, there has never been an edition...
Book describes education in utropia
It is many years since I read material on the theory of education, and this book on the subject came into my hands through the kindness of our new neighbor, who also happens to...
With Heirs’ Permission, Rube Goldberg Reimagined as a Modern 6th Grader
When I read on the back cover that this chapter book for middle schoolers had been published with the permission of the Heirs of Rube Goldberg, LLC, I was reassured that the name of...
Rosenfarb’s Short Stories Depict the Inner Worlds of Holocaust Survivors
This year, 2023, was declared in Lodz, Poland, to be the year of Chava Rosenfarb, one of its most famous Yiddish writers. In Lethbridge, Canada, meanwhile Goldie Morgentaler, daughter and translator of Rosenfarb from...
An Entire Book in 12 Words
Can you imagine an entire book in 12 words, not including the title?
That last sentence took one more word than that.
Yet a 12-word book was the successful collaboration of author Tammar Stein and artist...
Delight your child, and self, with this baby book
Is there a word in Yiddish for smorgasbord? If there were, it might be perfect to describe the contents of this charming “first Jewish baby book” that will be so fun for parents and...