Guide to Jewish Literature - November/December 2024

This critically acclaimed bestseller presents the captivating story of Clara Prinz, a remarkable woman forced to leave her native Berlin in 1939. As Clara traveled alone on a voyage into the unknown, she turned to memories of her adolescence during La Belle Époque – the Beautiful Era filled with optimism and cultural transformation at the dawn of the twentieth century. Through Clara’s chance encounters with notable personalities of the period, Clara’s Secret weaves an unforgettable tapestry of personal and historic events. Clara’s Secret is ultimately a compelling story of the advancement of humankind and the survival of its decline. 

This magnum opus is a narrative of the relationship between God and humanity as expressed in the Jewish journey through modernity, the Holocaust, the creation of Israel, and the birth of Judaism’s next era. To achieve tikkun olam, Judaism’s utopian vision of the world, Judaism offers the method of covenant, a partnership between God and humanity across generations in which human beings grow ever more responsible for world repair. This empowers the Jewish people and all humanity to bring the world toward the triumph of life.

During Mississippi’s 1964 Freedom Summer, Annabel’s first love disappears, sparking a lifelong fight for justice. Later, she joins a political collective where five couples raise their children together. As upheaval grows, the children are moved to a Vermont commune for safety while parents rotate care. But not all danger comes from the outside. “Full of warmth, wit, and wisdom. —Liane Moriarty, NYT bestselling author. “With hard-hitting prose and a well-researched setting; a deeply felt, beautiful novel.”—Booklist. “Moves with urgency and grace between Freedom Summer and 9/11 and beyond.” —MER Review, Ellen Meeropol.

When Ruthie receives “pajamakkahs” for Hanukkah, she loves them so much she refuses to take them off. Can she keep her promise to her parents and leave them spotless for eight whole nights?  With globs of humor, a splatter of love, and out of the gift-box creativity, Hanukkah Pajamakkahs is a fun, fresh read-aloud that celebrates togetherness and family traditions―in or out of pajamas.

If you’ve ever dreamed of a Hallmark Hanukkah movie, Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot is the rom-com for you! Abby Cohen’s got enough on her plate planning a Hanukkah festival in her Vermont town—until annoyingly cheerful Seth volunteers to help. As sparks fly over fake dating schemes, family Hanukkah dinners, and snowy New York adventures, Abby starts to wonder if Seth’s sunny smiles might be melting more than just her winter blues. Grab a sufganiyah and get ready to fall in love, because this delightful and heartwarming story will light up your holiday! 

“The ‘50s are a decade that is still rarely understood. Post-Holocaust and pre-Vietnam, America was finding its way in a difficult and often hostile world. All Shook Up explores this experience through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl whose parents have been deeply scared by the experiences of the previous decades. The novel is engaging, troubling and thought-provoking but it is a must read.” — Rabbi Adam Mintz, Director of 929 English and Adjunct Associate Professor of Jewish History at City College, New York.

Forced to flee Jezreel, Ahinoam and her warrior father find kinship amongst David’s camp of outcasts. When she and the charismatic David fall in love, she senses Yahweh’s blessing to marry him. After his affection turns to the elegant Abigail, Ahinoam must decide if she can trust the future she was certain God had given her.

After gaining a position in Queen Esther’s kitchens, Roxannah discovers her dream job is fraught with palace intrigue. She must partner with Adin, the Jewish royal physician never far from her thoughts, in a race to save the life of a princess . . . despite the secrets their mission might uncover.

Zevi, a captain in King Saul’s army, is sent to his childhood hometown to recruit soldiers to fight the Philistines and skilled artisans to serve in court. Confronted by his dark past and an intriguing and beautiful perfumer, he’s forced to wrestle with his ambitions and his desire for vengeance while entangled in a dangerous plot.

Stumbling Stones is based on the true story of the author’s husband’s great Aunt Alice, a woman born into a prosperous German Jewish family around the turn of the twentieth century. Alice was a woman ahead of her time, pursuing a fashion career and ignoring the growing Nazi threat to Jews. She could not imagine a Germany where simply being Jewish was an existential threat. But when she could no longer look away, she faced the horrifying realization that she might have waited too long to escape.

Based on true events – turbulent home front America, 1943 – Poignant love story in shadow of antisemitism, racism and uncertainty of war – Proud, small-town Jewish girl and complex Jewish soldier from Brooklyn with horrific memories of  WWI Poland – Two strangers, caught up in the desperation of the times, struggle through a hastily arranged marriage, childhood trauma, and personal challenges in a country fighting for democracy abroad but facing deep-seated hate and intolerance at home. “Captivating novel based on a true story.” —Booklife Prize “Historically accurate and intimate portrait of people scarred by war and intolerance”. —Booktrib. Now, a screenplay. 

Named one of the Best Books of the year by Kirkus Reviews.  “A compelling work…poignant and eloquent.” Bittersweet coming-of-age story of Mira Adler and what she learns about life and love from her Yiddish and violin teacher, Chaver B, a mysterious immigrant from Prague who harbors a painful secret. Winner of Next Generation Indie and Independent Press Awards.  Ages 13-110. Great for book clubs.

This is the story of a young man, Joshua Bernstein, who believes in God but also has doubts as to His existence. Throughout his junior year in high school, Josh searches for God through his conversations with his parents, his teacher, his girlfriend, and his rabbi. In his journey to find God, he learns a lot from his interactions with his peers and his reading.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman weaves a multigenerational tale of hope, compassion, and forgiveness that is as timely as it is timeless. When a boy is court-ordered to spend his summer volunteering at a senior living facility, he and the inhabitants learn unexpected lessons about the deepest horrors humans are capable of as well as strength and depth of our compassion.

Rabbi Edward Gershfield did not fit the cookie cutter mold of a typical rabbi or Jewish scholar. Known to some as the Freedom Writer for writing many Jewish divorces, he taught Talmud and Rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City for over forty years. This intimate biography, written by his son James, includes stories from his early Winnipeg days and many years living in Manhattan, excerpts from sermons and adult education courses, thoughts on Jews and Judaism, words of wisdom, jokes and sayings in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish, and some interesting information about Jewish divorce.

Journalist Jessica Sacks’s career is on the line if she doesn’t interview celebrated hero firefighter Thomas Carville—her forever crush. When Jessica returns home for Hanukkah, he takes her breath away and shuts her down. Thomas would rather kiss her under the mistletoe than answer her questions. They’re as far apart as Christmas and Hanukkah…or are they?

It is May 2014, and Professor Klara Lieberman receives a letter from her estranged mother. Her long-ago-disappeared father, she learns, is buried in Warsaw. As the Polish government is giving financial reparations for land it stole from its Jewish citizens during WWII, Klara’s mother wants her to go to Poland to collect it, while Klara is determined to go find answers about her father.

Felice and Ira Zaslow’s love story spanned almost four decades, from the beaches of Far Rockaway to a comfortable suburban existence on the south shore of Long Island. Then came the morning of September 11, 2001. Through the days, weeks, and months that followed, Felice had to find her way through unfathomable trauma, on a path she had to forge herself, seeking guidance and role models along the way. This remarkable and inspiring memoir puts a very personal face on a national tragedy, facing down the darkness by looking for the light that is always present.

A musical story celebrating the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. This book features fresh lyrics and a toe-tapping melody. The colorful illustrations mirror the joy of this special bond. Use the QR code printed inside the book to download the song. Prepare to make memories to last a lifetime—listening, reading and singing together!

From the opening vignette in which a photograph is a silent witness to history to the powerful coda “Miracles,” a novella set against the vibrant panorama of the Yiddish theater in America, the fifteen memorable narratives in The Girls of Jerusalem and Other Stories span continents and eras as they chronicle love and loss, piety and heresy, mysticism and rationality to reinterpret ancient tropes of exile, dislocation, and profound change, revealing a new understanding of Jewish history and memory. “Luminous tales of exile and loss that bequeath new life” Kirkus Reviews (starred review). A best book of the year selection.

A well-researched page-turner perfect for holiday gifts! Set between the World Wars, this suspenseful love story, family saga, and gangster tale brings to life the Feinsteins, a family forged in tragedy and hope, dreaming of success while living amidst the Jewish and Italian gangs who ruled Brooklyn’s teeming streets. The unforgettable characters captivate readers as the family struggles with loss, dangerous choices, financial disaster and passionate love. Like How to Make a Life, Kraut’s acclaimed first novel, Street Corner Dreams is thoroughly engrossing and filled with points perfect for debate in book clubs. Author will Zoom or meet in person.

In this searing, heartfelt memoir, a Jewish woman embarks on an international journey to retrace her late father’s escape from Nazi Germany, beautifully weaving past and present as she grapples with loss, intergenerational trauma, and hope for a more just future. Bring this unexpectedly uplifting story of healing and humanity into your life! Winner of Readers’ Favorite silver medal and The BookFest gold award.

“The Midnight Mitzvah is an absolutely charming story!” – Lesléa Newman. In this retelling of a 2,000-year-old story from the Talmud, Hanina Chipmunk knows it’s a mitzvah to help others . . . but how can she give food to a hungry friend without making her friend feel embarrassed? She will need her wits and bravery to complete her mitzvah.

This is a must read for all those concerned with the fate of Judaism in America in the 21st century. This anthology, reflecting the work of rabbi-scholar Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D., over the last forty years, explores the history, theology, and practices of Reform Judaism over the two centuries of its existence and sheds light on Reform’s complex intertwining of tradition and innovation. This is the second book of a trilogy. The first, Portrait of an American Rabbi: In His Own Words, is an anthology of Sussman’s sermons and is an exploration of the important events of our times.