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.

• First up: If you’re not familiar with the Israel-based Deborah Harris Agency (“the leading Israeli agency for literary fiction and nonfiction of the highest quality”), you really should know about it. I’ve recently subscribed to their highly informative newsletter (the most recent edition of which posted September 3), and I recommend it.
• Similarly, I’ve been meaning to share this news from the Jewish Book Council: “What’s the scoop on pub­lish­ing? What Jew­ish books are agents, edi­tors, and pub­lish­ers look­ing to acquire — and which books are they espe­cial­ly excit­ed for us to read? At JBC, we’ve launched a new series, BookWatch, to answer these fre­quent­ly asked ques­tions. Each month, a pub­lish­ing insid­er will write an email to intro­duce them­selves, give us a behind-the-scenes look at their work, and tell us about forth­com­ing Jew­ish books they can’t wait to ush­er into the world.” My own favorite takeaway from the first installment: the revelation of the title/content of Dara Horn’s next book of nonfiction!
• Now open for applications: the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture (MFJC) Fellowship program, the purpose of which is “to assist well-qualified individuals in carrying out an independent post-doctoral scholarly, literary or art project, in a field of Jewish specialization, which makes a significant contribution to the understanding, preservation or transmission of Jewish culture. Please note that we do not fund conferences, art exhibits or installations, gap years or study tours.” A couple of important points here. First, the funding amount is not disclosed. Also, the deadline is not posted on the webpage. (I’ve become reluctant to share opportunities that aren’t as transparent as I think they should be with basic information, but since I know that at least one fellowship recipient has received the award after learning about it from me, I’m posting it here.) But, wait—that’s not all. As you’ll see, you must submit an “intake form” in order to receive the full application. When I queried via email, I was told that the deadline for all applications materials this year is November 18, so if you’re interested in pursuing this, I’d advise that you get started sooner rather than later.
• Looking a little further ahead: Ruth Franklin has announced that her next book, The Many Lives of Anne Frank, will be published January 27, 2025. In her latest Substack post, Franklin traces the project and some of its key areas of focus. Plus, she offers bonuses for those who preorder this book. Also within the post: a mention of her latest published piece, a review of the newly released memoir by Rokhl Auerbach (translated by Samuel Kassow), which is already sitting in my own tbr pile.
• And because the times are what they are, I’ll sign off with yet another dispatch from Israel by Julie Zuckerman.

(Update: Shortly after this post was published I realized that I had neglected to include what’s become, because the times are what they are, a routine reminder: This week, again, updates continue for both “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and More” and “Writers, Beware.”)

Wishing everyone a Shabbat shalom.