By Robin Jacobson. My pharmacist dad reveled in books about epic breakthroughs in medicine and science. On my bookshelf, I found his copy of The Double Helix (1968), a memoir by James Watson of his discovery with Francis Crick of the structure of DNA, a feat for which they won a Nobel Prize in 1962. This discovery …
By Robin Jacobson. Israeli author Omer Friedlander, only 28 years old, made a stunning entrance onto the literary stage this past spring. Big-name publisher Random House published his debut short story collection, The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land, and announced that it would also publish Friedlander’s upcoming novel. To add to the …
By Robin Jacobson. Early Shabbat morning, October 16, 1943, Nazi soldiers stormed Jewish neighborhoods in Rome, rounding up terrified Jews. They imprisoned them for two days in a military college near the Vatican before dispatching over 1,000 Jews to Auschwitz. Famously, Pope Pius XII made no protest. Two fascinating new books look at this moment in …
By Robin Jacobson. On October 6, 1973, air raid sirens shattered the solemn quiet of Yom Kippur afternoon in Israel. Egypt and Syria had launched a two-front surprise attack. Within a few days, Israeli casualties were skyrocketing, and the state had lost alarming numbers of planes and tanks. Fearing for Israel’s survival, Minister of Defense …
I lived in Jerusalem for Cantorial school in 2003 and let’s just say I love it. The sounds of calls to prayer, the sights of people walking to shul with their tallesim already on and the smells. I missed the smell of the place. The sweet smell of the culinary offerings along Emek Rfaim mixed …
By Robin Jacobson. As I write this, Ukraine remains under siege. News programs feature a nightly parade of diplomats, retired generals, and political historians speculating about a new global world order, comparing and contrasting today’s state of affairs with the Cold War period. For young people (ages 10-14) curious about the Cold War, three outstanding …
If I would have written this title a mere six months ago, many of you may have questioned my pairing of two entities that hold such polarizing places within us as Jews. For much of the past several centuries, Ukraine was a hotbed of antisemitism with Khmelnytsky as a revered folk hero. There is still …
By Robin Jacobson. Here are two unusual – and terrific – crime thrillers to jumpstart your summer. For a comic, warmhearted romp, try The Prison Minyan by Jonathan Stone. Want a darker, more complex tale? Read How to Find Your Way in the Dark by Derek Miller. The Prison Minyan This delightfully original, witty novel …
By Robin Jacobson. Every day, children benefit or suffer from their parents’ choices. Such is life, and such is the stuff of literature, especially when a parent’s options are radically shaped by societal upheaval. Two recent, thought-provoking novels trace the far-reaching consequences of parents’ choices during tumultuous times: More Than I Love My Life by …
This was the first Beth El Religious School retreat in two years, so it’s kind of a shame there aren’t too many pictures. (Shabbat) And since we went two years with no getaway, we decided to pack in 3 grades at once! The 4th/5th graders were in one residence at the end of the campgrounds …
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