Jewish Literary Links

an open book (with Hebrew pages visible); subtitle reads "Jewish Literary Links"
Image by Yedidia Klein from Pixabay

Shabbat shalom.

an open book (with Hebrew pages visible); subtitle reads "Jewish Literary Links"

4 thoughts on “Jewish Literary Links

  1. Julie says:

    Dear Erika,
    I strongly urge and beg you to remove the link to the New Yorker flash fiction piece.
    Not everything that mentions Jews is worthy of note in a Jewish-oriented blog, and this story is exceedingly problematic for anyone who cares about Jews and Jewish life — anywhere, anytime.
    A sympathetic literary portrayal of radical violence by a Jew against another Jew, in a Jewish communal setting, should not be acceptable to Jewish readers of any stripe. The fact that the author is sending up the hypocrisy and ponderous self-importance that are sometimes found in such settings does not excuse the free pass he gives to murder! I might have my own criticism of what goes on in “temples” — but murder! What have we come to? This is okay because it’s in the New Yorker? Because the author is “acclaimed”?
    Coming against a background of rising antisemitism in the “enlightened” West, the inclusion of this item in your Jewish-interest roundup is particularly troubling. The only possible excuse for publicizing it would be as a warning to your Jewish and non-Jewish readers about the disintegration of Western cultural norms.

    1. Erika Dreifus says:

      I appreciate your taking the time to comment, Julie, although I disagree with your interpretation of the story, and I have no plans to remove the link.

  2. Judy Kessler says:

    Thanks for sharing the link to Peter Orner’s piece. That day is seared in the collective and private memories of all Jewish Detroiters of that era.

    1. Erika Dreifus says:

      I would imagine so, Judy. It was hard for me to realize that I’d never known about it before reading Orner’s story.

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