Erika Dreifus

Toward the end of each week, the My Machberet blog presents a collection of links, drawn primarily from the world of Jewish books and writing.

• Just ahead of the Holy Days, there’s a new issue of JewishFiction.net online, featuring “18 fabulous works of fiction, originally written in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish.”
• High holiday poems by Maia Evrona (via Jewish Women Amplified).
• The Association of Jewish Libraries administers the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award, a prize of $1,000 “that will be given for the best fiction manuscript appropriate for readers ages 8-13, written by an unpublished author. Unpublished is defined as not having published any works of fiction for young readers. This includes self-published as well as commercially published work. The book must be a work of fiction in English with universal appeal of Jewish content for readers aged 8 to 13 years, both Jewish and non-Jewish. It should reveal positive aspects of Jewish life. Short stories are not acceptable.” NB: The deadline, previously September 30, has been extended to October 6.
• I was reminded this week that my friend Joe Kraus has a new book out:
  The Kosher Capones: A His­to­ry of Chicago’s Jew­ish Gangsters.
• And over on Hevria, there’s a beautiful essay about Shabbat observance by Adrienne Ross Scanlan. 

Shabbat shalom and shanah tovah!