Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

by Erika Dreifus on
2

Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • Early in the week, I was pleased to read a new article by my friend Judy Bolton-Fasman on “recent ex-Hasid memoirs.”
  • At the same time, later in the week, I appreciated Andrew Silow-Caroll’s nuanced thoughts about the collective interest in this sort of writing by ex-Orthodox Jews.
  • The Washington DCJCC is looking for a Temporary Jewish Literature Festival Manager.
  • Touching story about a Holocaust Survivors Memoir Writing Workshop, via jweekly.
  • Finally, something I wrote for the Fig Tree Books blog this week.

    • Shabbat Shalom.

    Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

    by Erika Dreifus on
    6

    My Nephew Inspires New Thoughts About My Own Youthful Reading

    UnknownEarlier this summer, my young nephew told me he had a movie (on his iPad) that he wanted me to see.

    “You’ll like it,” he said. “It has aunts.” (It took me a moment to understand that he was not touting the presence of “ants.”)

    As I settled next to him on the sofa, I discovered that the movie in question was “James and the Giant Peach.” I had never seen the movie, nor had I read the original book, by Roald Dahl, on which the film is based. (Just a few minutes into our viewing, I was compelled to check with my nephew: “You’re not suggesting that I’m like THOSE aunts, are you?” ;-))

    So when this precious child celebrated his birthday last week, I presented him with not just the video game he requested, but also a copy of Dahl’s book. (I refrained from sharing, just yet, my discomfort with Dahl’s anti-Semitism.) And as I thought about the books that my nephew most enjoys reading (or having me read to him), I had an epiphany of sorts: (more…)

    Words of the Week

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    “The strong response of the Israeli public and leaders to the arson attack is, truthfully, somewhat comforting. The wall-to-wall Israeli condemnation of this crime has left me and other Palestinians not only ashamed, but also embarrassed — because this is not how we Palestinians have been reacting to terror attacks against Jews — even the despicable murder of Jewish children.”

    Source: Bassam Tawil, “Palestinians: The Difference between Us and Them,” Gatestone Institute