By Robin Jacobson. Intimate Strangers: A History of Jews and Catholics in the City of Rome by Frederic Brandfon tells the epic story of Jews in Rome across more than two millennia. It’s perfect for anyone planning to travel to Italy, armchair tourists, or history lovers. The book is a treasure trove of intriguing historical …
By Robin Jacobson. The Postcard by French author Anne Berest is a remarkable true story of a Jewish family told in the form of a novel. It opens with the arrival of a mysterious postcard at Berest’s childhood home in the Paris suburbs in 2003. The front of the postcard shows the Opéra Garnier, a …
By Robin Jacobson. Fans of multi-generational tales of Jewish families have three new non-fiction options, each fascinating: The Sassoons: The Great Global Merchants and the Making of an Empire by Joseph Sassoon; The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty by Natalie Livingstone; and Morgenthau: Power, Privilege, and the Rise …
Background The use of Zoom began during the height of the Covid-19 emergency. It has been used in multiple ways throughout the Beth El community. Zoom has enhanced access for adult education, worship, committee work, aspects of youth education, and other areas. Regarding Zoom in religious services, there are two issues: the use of Zoom …
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 …
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