Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • Nice to see this Q&A with my former poetry teacher Matthew Lippman over on The Whole Megillah.
  • A powerful essay by Pearl Abraham, centered around her mother’s final Passover, over on Literary Hub.
  • With echoes of the stories of Lucette Lagnado and André Aciman, Ashley Jacobs recalls her grandparents’ “20-Century Exodus” from Egypt on JewishBoston.com.
  • A pretty great week for Abigail Pogrebin’s My Jewish Year: a review in The New York Times, an appearance on The Today Show—and, coming up on Sunday morning: an appearance on Face the Nation.
  • And, ICYMI, what I consider to be yesterday’s necessary deed of the day: calling out anti-Israel bias on a major radio show’s website.

    • Shabbat shalom.

    Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • It was quite a moment when Judy Bolton-Fasman told Gold Star father and American patriot Khzir Khan about the lamed vavniks—and her belief that he stands among them. (I dare you not to tear up at the last paragraph of this piece.)
  • And another poignant, powerful piece: a review-essay by Nina Badzin on the resonance, this Passover holiday, of Abigail Pogrebin’s My Jewish Year.
  • Pogrebin’s aforementioned new book is one of “Eight New Books for Passover 5777” recommended by the Jewish Book Council’s Nat Bernstein.
  • An especially good episode of “Israel in Translation” includes a link to Almog Behar’s website, where you can freely download, a new draft version of collected translations of Behar’s poems and stories and some other texts, in a bilingual (Hebrew/English) edition.
  • And over on my other blog, I’ve shared some exciting news about a poetry contest sponsored by the Manhattan Jewish Experience.

    • Shabbat shalom, and happiest Passover wishes!

    Words of the Week

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    “One thing is certain: Rabin could not have made peace by himself. It takes two sides to conclude a genuine peace agreement, and I am dubious that the Palestinians are up to the task. But I am also confident that Rabin would not have let Israel become a binational state. Whether Israel will have the political leadership to prevent that outcome is something that only time will tell.”

    Source: Dennis Ross, “A Life with Consequences” (review of Itamar Rabinovich’s Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman), Jewish Review of Books

    ICYMI: Video Recordings of Recent #JewLit Events

    by Erika Dreifus on
    1

    One of the wonders of our modern world: recordings of literary events that make it possible for us to “attend” readings, conversations, and seminars—no matter where we live or what time of day we might be able to watch them.

    Here are just three events from the past week or so that I have viewed and recommend highly:

    CONFESSIONS OF A HASIDIC POET
    Yehoshua November interviewed by journalist Danielle Ziri of the Jerusalem Post (Manhattan Jewish Experience).

    (more…)