Recommended Reading List
Summer we often have more time to do some great reading- and we like to choose some lighter fare. Here are some of our favourite picks for Jewish summertime books:
In addition to the basics of a Jewish home library, here are some additional recommendations for reading.
Shamash.org recommends a worthwhile book every month in this 'Book of the Month' page.
Summer Reading: Fiction
Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Three Daughters
A rabbi's daughters deal with life. Very good first novel from an excellent non-fiction writer.
Tova Mirvis, The Outside World
A peak into the Orthodox world and their own parental tzuris.
David Bezmozgis, Natasha and Other Stories
The essential immigrant experience.
Eedit Ravel, Ten Thousand Lovers
Life in Israel through a very personal account.
The Schocken Book of Contemporary Jewish Fiction edited by Ted Solotaroff and Nessa Rapoport (Random House). Just fun to read all these different Jewish short stories.
If you’re into murder mysteries, try Mystery Midrash: An Anthology of Jewish Mystery & Detective Fiction by Lawrence W. Raphael (Jewish Lights).
If you’re into sci-fi, try Wandering Stars: An Anthology of Jewish Fantasy & Science Fiction, edited by Jack Dann with an introduction by Isaac Asimov (Jewish Lights.)
If you read a great Jewish book this summer and want us to add it to our list or review it on our website, please let us know at technology@kolel.org.
Summer Reading: Non-Fiction
Who is a Jew? Conversations, Not Conclusions by Meryl Hyman (Jewish Lights). Sure to be controversial at times, this anthology will challenge your notions of denominationalism, and all the trials and tribulations over the thorny issue of what exactly makes one Jewish. Deep and disturbing at times, it is a great book and a must-read for thinking Jews.
Sam Apple, Schlepping Through the Alps: My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd
An exploration of anti-Semitism in the most unusual guise.
Lee Meyerhoff Hendler, The Year Mom Got Religion
You'll feel comfortable reading this familiar tale of someone who became involved in religious life and was branded a "fanatic" by her confused family!
Judea Pearl, I Am Jewish
Fascinating essays from every angle on what Jewish identity is or can be.
Shared Dreams by Rabbi Mark Schneier. For history buffs, this is the untold story of the relationship between Martin Luther King Jr. and the Jewish communtiy.
Popular Picks: For Adults
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
One of my favorite new Jewish novels is the incredible modern midrash of Anita Diamant in The Red Tent (St. Martin's Press). She tells the tale of the rape of Dinah, from Dinah's own perspective, in her own words, as it were- a perspective lacking in the actual Torah text but woven skillfully by Diamant. By the end you know the matriarchs like they were your neighbors, and you wish the story would go on and on. You'll never read the Biblical story of Dinah with the same eyes again. Now in paperback, making it the kind of novel you can buy in bulk and give to everyone!
JEWS by Aron Hirt-Manheimer & Arthur Hertzberg
If you are looking for some more serious reading, a great sweep of Jewish history and an interesting analysis of how being the "other" has made for Jewish survival is found in Jews: The Essence & Character of a People by Aron Hirt-Manheimer and Arthur Hertzberg (Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers).
A Heart of Many Rooms by David Hartman
On a scholarly note, David Hartman's new book A Heart of Many Rooms (Jewish Lights) calls for religious pluralism from an Orthodox perspective, and looks at its implications for both the Diaspora and modern Israel.
The Jewish Holidays by Michael Strassfeld
My single favorite book on the Jewish holidays, both the familar celebrations and the less well known observances. Michael Strassfeld collects not only historical background, but practical information about home rituals, food, family projects, comparisons of customs between different communities, and spiritual guidance for those looking to make the holidays part of their religious rhythm throughout the year. Topping it all off, his text is surrounded on the margins by the comments of some of the most creative and influential rabbis of our day. Paperback.
Spirituality
Parenting as a Spiritual Journey by Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer (Jewish Lights). Read this and remember why you did it in the first place. A sensitive and delightful reminder that in between diapers and colic, there is beauty. A fabulous gift for new parents or grandparents, it is worth reading all on its own for those concerned with making their families a special place. If you have kids, it will remind you why you did it. If you have parents, you’ll find a new place of gentleness and compassion for what they went through to raise you!
The Busy Soul by Terry Bookman
If you're looking to incorporate some daily spiritual exercise into your life, try The Busy Soul: Ten Minute Spiritual Workouts Drawn from Jewish Tradition by Rabbi Terry Bookman (Perigee Books). Its an unthreatening little paperback with great quotes and thoughtful ways to introduce meditation, prayer, and moments of gratefulness in a Jewish context into a busy secular day.
Six Jewish Spiritual Paths: A Rationalist Looks at Spirituality by Rifat Sonsino. This is a thoughtful reflection on the “buzzword” of the 21st century, and one that will get you thinking about your own spirituality.
The Jewish Lights Spirituality Handbook, edited by Stuart Matlins. An excellent anthology from over 50 spiritual leaders including Lawrence Kushner, David Hartman, Arthur Waskow and more on the pressing questions of leading a Jewish spiritual life.
Finding Joy by Dannel I. Schwartz. Through Kabbalah, a clear and creative approach to happiness.
The Year Mom Got Religion by Lee Meyerhoff Hendler. A wonderful first-persosn account of how Judaism can change your life and also your family! Hendler got involved in her Conservative synagogue and discovered she was branded a “fanatic” all over the place because she wanted to care about how Judaism fit into her liberal life-style.
A Heart of Wisdom: Making the Jewish Journey from Midlife through the Elder Years edited by Susan Berrin. It will make your parents - or you, depending on your age- feel better about the path ahead.
Bible & Rabbinic Texts
Self, Struggle & Change: Family Conflict Stories in Genesis & Their Healing Insights for Our Lives by Norman J. Cohen (Jewish Lights.) Rabbi Cohen is a great teacher of midrash. In this book, he has an intriguing search for meaning in the Genesis stories with an eye toward extracting insight into contemporary family relationships.Since Genesis ends with the unification of all the tribes of Israel, Cohen shows how we will also be able to unify the conflicts within us and overcome our differences with others with the Torah as a guide.
Swimming in the Sea of Talmud by Michael Katz and Gershon Schwartz
This book consists of short excerpts from all over the Talmud, along with short comments about historical contexts, the personalities named, and background to the issues discussed. Most importantly, "Swimming in the Sea of Talmud" shows us that the ancient rabbis discussed and illuminated situations that are still facing us today. An attractive and well designed paperback, this book is great for someone ready to, or just starting, study of this central text in Jewish life.
As A Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberrg
First published in 1939, As A Driven Leaf is both a historical novel and a philosophical meditation. Set in the time of the Talmud, in the period when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, the central character of this unique book is a unique figure in ancient Jewish history: Elisha Ben Abuyah, the only Jewish scholar named in the Talmud who rejected Judaism and adopted other philosophies. From the fragments of his life mentioned in the ancient texts, Rabbi Steinberg imagined a man driven by fateful questions and powerful temptations, and along the way he introduces us to the ancient Jewish world from which our religion and way of life evolved. This book is great for those already thinking about Jewish life and religious issues, or for those who may be ready for a novel, and not yet ready for more traditional Jewish study.
Gender Issues
Jewish Women, Jewish Men: The Legacy of Patriarchy in Jewish Life by Aviva Cantor (Harper Collins). Cantor is a great writer whose analysis of the beginnings of Jewish patriarchy are insightful and wise. She brings many new issues to light, and covers halachic, cultural, sociological, and modern Israeli gender tensions.
For Kids
Ages 9-13: The Do-It-Yourself Jewish Adventure Series by Kenneth Roseman, URJ Press. This series are in the mold of those choose-your-own ending books that bring kids right into history. But these will bring your kids into Jewish history, and are written so well that your kids will enjoy reading them- and changing their endings- over and over again. Readers experience and have to make critical decisions at the Temple's destruction in 70 C.E. (The Tenth of Av), as a marrano Jew during the Spanish Inquisition (The Cardinal's Snuffbox), a turn-of-the-century immigrant in New York (The Melting Pot) or a child escaping from Nazi Germany (Escape from the Holocaust).
Ages 4-9: For those parents always on the look-out for books that explain and depict God in non-stereotypical ways, I suggest any of these three books by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso: God's Paintbrush, In God's Name, or God In Between. They are all published by Jewish Lights, and with their beautiful artwork and pluralistic, non-judgmental text, they make talking to younger kids about the difficult concept of God engaging, spiritual, and fun.
