By Robin Jacobson. Early in 2020, Julian Künstler receives an unexpected phone call from his 93-year-old grandmother, Salomea (“Mamie”) Künstler. Mamie invites Julian to stay with her in California for a few weeks while she recovers from a broken wrist. She and her elderly housekeeper-companion, Agatha, need a short-term family chauffeur. For Julian, this is a perfectly timed, golden …
By Robin Jacobson. “The righteous bloom like a date-palm . . .” Psalm 92:13 Among the glories of ancient Israel were its flourishing Judean date palm trees, celebrated for their beauty, shade, and sweet fruit. Long extinct, the Judean date palm is experiencing a miraculous rebirth, thanks to two Israeli scientists who saw potential in …
By Robin Jacobson. The Times of Israel calls it “the great whodunnit of Zionist lore.” In 1933, Chaim Arlosoroff was murdered in Tel Aviv. Only 34 years old, Arlosoroff was a prominent leader in David Ben Gurion’s Mapai Party and head of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency in Palestine. Who killed him? And …
Yesterday on the 28th of Nissan, we commemorated Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date for Yom HaShoah is traditionally the 27th of Nissan, which marks the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. We chose to wait a day so that our upper school BERS students could participate and bear witness together with others in the Beth El …
By Robin Jacobson. Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott is a rollicking adventure story of magical realism, a spellbinding blend of old and new folklore. Comical yet profound, the novel explores serious subjects – inherited trauma, the roots of mob violence, and the power of folklore to preserve cultural history. Widely acclaimed, Thistlefoot was a finalist for …
By Robin Jacobson. During an unwelcome visit from Covid-19, I dosed myself with soup, lemon drops (good for masking that metallic Paxlovid taste), and three novels: The Cost of Living by Beth El’s own Saul Golubcow (detective fiction), Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum (science fiction), and Eternal by Lisa Scottoline (historical fiction). They were attention-grabbing …
By Robin Jacobson. Which three persons, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party? The New York Times Book Review regularly asks this question in interviews. After reading Georgetown Law professor Brad Snyder’s fascinating biography, Democratic Justice: Felix Frankfurter, the Supreme Court, and the Making of the Liberal Establishment, I propose Justice Felix …
The Covid Task Force continues to meet as needed and reviews local rates of infection, hospitalization, and community spread, as well as changes to both CDC recommended protocols and local guidelines. As we look toward celebrating the High Holidays and the return of children to both BEPS and BERS classrooms, the following policies apply: Masks …
“I love when people sing along,” Noah Rosner reflected, in a heartfelt close to November’s Yedid Nefesh Friday Night Service. More than sixty voices sang the familiar melodies of Kabbalat Shabbat. The chapel brimmed with warmth and connection. Love was the theme of the evening, inspired by the first words of the opening prayer, which …
By Robin Jacobson. With 20/20 historical hindsight, it can be unbearable to read stories of European Jews in the 1930s who turned down opportunities to flee Europe. If only we could reach back in time and insist that they start packing. Tragically, they didn’t know then what we know now about the danger, destruction, and …
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