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.

• In which Mary Garden, a non-Jewish Australian writer, chronicles how “writers’ tribalism on Israel has alienated me from my literary tribe.”
• “Ex-hostage Maxim Herkin publishes book featuring a diary he secretly wrote in captivity.” Jessica Steinberg reports for The Times of Israel.
• “‘Trigger Warning:’ Jews Write Books” an impassioned piece by Howard Lovy.
• Sometimes my tbr pile(s) seems so overwhelming as to be paralyzing: How can I possible choose which book to read next? This week, the latest episode of The Five Books podcast helped me pluck Nicholas Lemann’s Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries from the stacks and begin reading.
• The foregoing item notwithstanding, it’s often hard to resist a book-focused listicle, so I’ll leave you with Jewish Book Council’s Summer 2026 “Bookshelf” list of 12 soon-to-be-published titles.

Shabbat shalom.