Jewish Community Library

Newly translated from French, these two Holocaust memoirs are a treasure

Newly translated from French, these two Holocaust memoirs are at reasure Books coverage is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos. My understanding of the Holocaust has been shaped enormously by the teachers, cousins, friends, and others from Europe who have been part of my life and have shared…...

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Sometimes you need to lose yourself to be found

Can you remember losing yourself in a book?  I remember reading Chaim Potok’s The Chosen as a teen.  The Orthodox world of Potok’s childhood was quite different from my own, but the protagonists met in a baseball game!  Seeking to understand what it meant to be a Jew in modern…...

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Leaving Orthodoxy: personal stories of gender and Hasidism

Leaving Orthodoxy: personal stories of gender and Hasidism – J. Books coverage is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos. For most of us, our gender is such a given that we may not be able to imagine the experiences of those for whom it is a source of…...

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In the 2010s, Jewish children’s books diversified but emphasized classic values

In the 2010s, Jewish children’s books diversified but emphasized classic values – J. Books coverage is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos. As a new decade arrives, one of my first impulses is to reflect on the one we have just left behind. In the field of Jewish…...

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Hanukkah gift guide to graphic novels, picture books and young adult novels

Hanukkah gift guide to graphic novels, picture books and young adult novels – J. The books section is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos As we approach Hanukkah, those of us with kids in our lives may be looking for gift ideas. I want to spotlight some notable…...

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Two Israeli novelists explore truth and integrity

Two Israeli novelists explore truth and integrity – J. The books section is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos With all the handwringing about the declining relationship of American Jews to Israel, I sometimes find it striking that literature is rarely part of the discussion. I feel strongly…...

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Rediscovering S.F.’s pioneering 19th-century ‘girl reporter’

Rediscovering S.F.’s pioneering 19th-century ‘girl reporter’ – J. The books section is supported by a generous donation from Anne Germanacos “The United States, founded upon the belief that a just government can exist only by the consent of the governed, is calmly making up for the bloody fifth act –…...

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New books: Detailed looks at WWII Jewish refugee crisis, and FDR

New books: Detailed looks at WWII Jewish refugee crisis, and FDR – J. For students of American Jewish history, few topics are as haunting and controversial as the Roosevelt administration’s response to the oppression and annihilation of European Jews. It is a topic that continues to be elucidated and argued,…...

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