Building A Jewish Framework To Live By
These essays are written by strong women who are strong thinkers, well-versed in articulating Jewish teachings and values. Judaism provides the foundation and the framework of their lives. For this writing endeavor, each woman looked at her life experience through her “Jewish lens,” and chose a single snapshot to share.
How the Bible Became Holy
The title of your new book, How the Bible Became Holy, implies that the Bible wasn't perceived as holy—in other words, authoritative—from the outset. Is that right?
Suddenly, Love
Suddenly, Love , Israeli author Aharon Appelfeld's latest novel, feels quiet and introspective. With little action, Appelfeld quickly draws readers into the inner lives of Ernst and Irena.
After One-Hundred-and-Twenty: Reflecting on Death, Mourning, and the Afterlife in the Jewish Tradition
I know I’m not alone in wrestling with my own mortality. I was asked these questions many times during my rabbinic career as people aged and as loved ones died – but never did I think they related to me personally. Now I find myself looking for answers to these questions, and I’ve found answers in Hillel Halkin’s After One-Hundred-and-Twenty: Reflecting on Death, Mourning, and the Afterlife in the Jewish Tradition.
Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet
Constitutional scholar Jeffrey Rosen’s new biography Louis D. Brandeis: American Prophet coincides with the 100th anniversary of the confirmation of America’s first Jewish Supreme Court justice.
A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen
In his well-crafted biography, A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen, Tablet magazine senior writer Liel Leibovitz explores Cohen's enduring impact as a poet, lyricist, songwriter, and Jewish icon.
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen
By the time she was 3 years old, Jazz Jennings (not her original first name or her real last name) knew she was meant to be a girl. In her new book Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teenager, Jazz tells her story, including how she and her family became reality TV stars and outspoken advocates for transgender rights.
Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story
Matti Friedman was conscripted into the Israeli Defense Forces at 20, along with 19 other young recruits, and sent to a border outpost in Lebanon called Pumpkin Hill, which he describes as “a forgotten little corner of a forgotten little war.” Israeli casualties of Hezbollah guerilla attacks were code-named “flowers,” hence the title of his new book, Pumpkinflowers A Soldier’s Story (Algonquin Books, 2016).
The Debt of Tamar
The Debt of Tamar, a self-published online sensation picked up by St. Martin’s Press in 2015, is a Nicholas Sparks-esque pastiche of fated love, hereditary burdens, and international flair. Spanning centuries from an auto-da-fé in Portugal to Nazi-occupied Paris to modern-day Istanbul and New York, Nicole Dweck’s vivid descriptions of iconic cities and idealized characters make for an enjoyable read.
The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections
The tent of Judaism is expanding. As a result, the ways in which Jews engage in worship and ritual, understand observances and practices, and relate to God and the Jewish community are in constant flux.