This graphic novel intended for Middle Schoolers tells the story of a boy who can’t do anything right, even though his intentions are good. At fault may have been the evil eye that a woman, bitter about the abduction of her own son, put on Mendel’s mother while she was pregnant. [Donald H. Harrison]
“I might add that it is quite a puzzling day for me too. You see, I have a little touch of rheumatism and, like everyone else, I want the warmth of spring to come early, too. So every year at about this time I get my sunglasses and consider putting them on. so I won’t see my shadow or be bothered by the snow. But then I start worrying, especially since I can never remember whether I’m supposed to stay outside or go back into my hole – er, house.” [Bruce F. Lowitt]
An “Interview” with a Groundhog Read More »
Bruce F. Lowitt, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
This novel is a collection of sequential short stories about the Toplansky family, whose patriarch Shlomo immigrated in 1920 from Bialystok, Poland, to Louisville, Kentucky. He changed his first name to Sol and eked a living from his tailoring shop supplemented by singing and gambling. He served as the chazzan at the Orthodox synagogue. [Donald H. Harrison]
Novel Explores an Immigrant Jewish Family’s Life in Louisville Before World War II Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Three previously published novels with punny titles all are set around Jewish holidays. Their protagonist is Rabbi Aviva Cohen, who in some respects resembles the author: the fictional Cohen is “a woman rabbi from south New Jersey, and she is short, chubby with unruly curly red hair,” Schneider said. [Donald H. Harrison]
Rabbi Ilene Schneider Writes Murder Mystery Novels Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food
Courtesy of Wikipedia Baruch Spinoza (November 24, 1632 – February 21, 1677), was a philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin. A forerunner of the Age of Enlightenment, Spinoza significantly influenced modern biblical criticism, 17th-century rationalism, and Dutch intellectual culture, establishing himself as one of the most important and radical philosophers of the early modern period. Influenced by Stoicism, Thomas Hobbes, René Descartes, Ibn Tufayl, and heterodox Christians,
Today’s Jewish Birthday: Baruch Spinoza Read More »
Jewish Fiction, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia
In this novel, which was adopted from author Shorr’s unrealized screenplay, Abe Katz, a civil engineer, was imprisoned after he told New Dominion interrogators that yes, he was a Jew, even though he had stopped practicing Judaism following his bar mitzvah and had adopted the regime’s rigid secularism. [Donald H. Harrison]
Rescuing Judaism in a Post-Apocalyptic World Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors
This collection of short stories by Roberta Silman is similar to a travelogue, but instead of journeys through locales, these trips are through human emotions in given situations, especially, but not exclusively, through loss and dying. [Donald H. Harrison]
Short-Story Collection Provides Tour of Human Situations and Emotions Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Was he, as some commentators suggested at the time, Hitler’s 6,000,001st victim, overcome by Holocaust-caused PTSD? Or, was it something related to his contemporary life in Israel? For that matter, was it really a suicide? [Donald H. Harrison]
Suicide or Murder? Novel Probes Death of Fictional Holocaust Survivor and Scholar Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Fiction, Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Back in the beginning of the summer I had the opportunity to attend a Jewish Italian culture night through San Diego JFest. Part of that event was a reading of an excerpt of Ali Viterbi’s play In Every Generation. In that reading, Marco Barricelli and his real-life wife Beatrice Basso read the parts of Davide and Paola in the scene that depicts them as post-World War II, newly-married immigrants to America, exploring their new freedom to publicly practice Judaism without fear of pogroms or Nazis. [Sandi Masori]
Although It Was Just a Reading, It Had LaRge Emotional Impact Read More »
Jewish Fiction, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Boris Mikhailovich Borisov loved the Soviet power. It lifted him up from the bottom of society and equalized him with its many multinational subjects in rights and lack thereof. Boris Mikhailovich could not pray, but he often and almost prayerfully thanked the dear power for the good life. To succeed, he joined the Communist party, received a law degree, and began seeing a speech therapist to correct his embarrassing Yiddish pronunciation. [Alex Gordon]
Jewish Fiction: The Education of Boris Mikhailovich Borisov Read More »
Alex Gordon, International, Israel, Jewish Fiction, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Exclusive of depictions of the Holocaust, there are two major types of Jewish stories in the comic book universe, according to panelists at Comic-Con on Friday, July 26. [Donald H. Harrison]
Finding Jews and Jewish Stories in Comic Books Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish Fiction, Jewish History, Miriam Gershenson, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USAThe customs officers were taking apart my radio – apparently looking for diamonds. Four hours had passed. The inspection was nearing its end. My freedom was drawing nearer. [Alex Gordon]
Jewish Fiction: A Piece of Art Read More »
Alex Gordon, International, Jewish Fiction
They established world peace through deterrence rather than using this advantage to conquer. Explicit warnings were sent to the world’s dictators and leaders of terrorist groups: if they persisted in their warlike and oppressive actions, this new weapon could destroy them. [Jose Galicot]
Jewish Fiction: A Matter of War and Peace Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Fiction, Jose Galicot, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Published by DPA International To mark the 100th anniversary of Franz Kafka’s death, the German-Czech Future Fund is supporting cross-border projects that deal with the life and work of the German-Jewish writer. Interested parties from Germany and the Czech Republic can apply for funding until the end of this month, a spokeswoman said in Prague
German-Czech Future Fund supports Kafka anniversary projects Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish Fiction, Jewish History, Nordot