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.

• Via Judith magazine: a glimpse into What Louis Brandeis Knows: A Crusader for Social Justice Becomes a Supreme Court Justice, Richard Michelson’s new picture-book biography of Louis Brandeis, with illustrations by Stacy Innerst. As the magazine’s children’s-literature editor Erica Lyons notes in her introductory comments, “Though marketed for readers ages 7-10, this book with its thorough back matter has much to offer to educators and adult readers as well. What Louis Brandeis Knows is an important story well told and beautifully illustrated.”
• On Lynne Golodner’s Substack: a moving post-Yom Kippur piece on “How We Use Our Words.”
• “Can Etgar Keret Turn a Rabbinical Seminary Into a Laboratory for Jewish Storytelling?” For Haaretz, Etan Nechin reports on the new MFA program, housed at the Jewish Theological Seminary, which “hopes to offer a sanctuary for Jewish writers who feel excluded elsewhere.”
• Cover reveal: The Jewish Book Council has this week unveiled the cover for this year’s Paper Brigade journal. I cannot wait for my copy to land.
• And one last reminder about an event taking place next week: Publishing and promoting Jewish voices has never been more challenging — but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Join me at this free, one-day virtual event from 70 Faces Media (I’ll be among the keynote panel speakers) to gain practical tools, connect with fellow Jewish writers, and learn from some of the best in the industry. Apply today for the Jewish Authors’ Summit. 70facesmedia.org/authors-summit 

Obviously, we’ve been through an incredible set of days, filled with emotions it seems impossible to describe. As the returnees begin to heal, and as families of the repatriated fallen bury their loved ones, I share the Hostage and Missing Families Forum’s commitment to continuing to call for the release of every hostage’s remains. And until that happens, I plan to continue to update both “After October 7” (https://bit.ly/46QdMM1)and “Writers, Beware” (https://bit.ly/47vTyHl).

Shabbat shalom.