Words of the Week: Mitchell J. Kaplan

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

“In the narrative war between Israel and Islamism (obviously not the same thing as Islam), the views of one side – the side that has the oil, the side that funds Middle East Studies programs at U.C. Berkeley, Harvard, and many other universities in the United States – are generally given more credence than the views of the other side. Antisemites claim that Jews control the media and even the government. This is of course a lie, and a very old one. The narrative truth of Jewish experience – and of my experience personally – is that Jewish identity is the identity of a tiny minority, struggling to survive in a world of cultural bullies.

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Jewish Literary Links

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

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.

  • At the Yiddish Book Center, they’re taking applications for the Great Jewish Books Summer Program for rising high school juniors and seniors. “Every admitted participant receives a scholarship for the full cost of tuition, room, board, books, and special events.” Deadline: March 4.
  • The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) has issued a call for “Flashpoint features.” The guidelines indicate compensation of a “modest honorarium”; via e-mail, I was informed that payment is $180 USD. No deadline indicated.
  • A message from “out-loud and proud” Jewish author Jean Meltzer.
  • In New York, the Forward is hiring an opinion editor. “This is a senior leadership role, reporting to the Editor-in-Chief, with a salary range of $80,000 and $110,000 depending on experience, and generous benefits.” No deadline indicated. (Cross-posted on Practicing Writing.)
  • Via Jewish Insider‘s Matthew Kassel: “Noa Tishby, Israel’s former special envoy for combating antisemitism and the author of a popular explainer on Israel, is releasing a new book in April, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew, co-written with Emmanuel Acho, a Fox Sports analyst and former NFL linebacker.”

Reminder: If you haven’t checked it lately, you may want to peruse the “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and More” document-in-progress.

Shabbat shalom.

Words of the Week: Book-Award Announcements

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

While I was away in Israel last week, lots of Jewish book-award news broke. And another announcement came yesterday. Let’s review:

  • The 73rd National Jewish Book Awards. Lots of categories, lots of honors!
  • The 2024 Sydney Taylor Book Awards for “outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience.” Again, do check the full list of honored titles for each category.
  • The 2024 Sophie Brody Medal, which “is given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature.” (This one is especially close to my heart because once upon a time, it gave my own Quiet Americans an honorable mention.) Per the announcement: “This year’s winner is James McBride, author of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, published by Riverhead, an imprint of Penguin Random House…. Honorable mentions include At The Hour Between Dog and Wolf by Tara Ison published by IG Books; Poland a Green Land: A Novel by Aharon Appelfeld [z”l; translated by Stuart Schoffman z”l] published by Schocken, an imprint of Penguin Random House; Unearthed: A Lost Actress, A Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust by Meryl Frank, published by Hachette; Palestine, 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict by Oren Kessler, published by Rowman & Littlefield; and We Are Not Strangers by Josh Tuininga, published by Abrams Comicarts.
  • The 2024 Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award. This is the one that was announced yesterday. This year’s winner is The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC); honor titles are Kantika by Elizabeth Graver (Metropolitan Books, an imprint of Henry Holt and Company) and Once We Were Home by Jennifer Rosner (Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers).

Both the Sydney Taylor Book Awards and the Sophie Brody Medal announcements came alongside similar news from many other award programs clustered within the American Library Association (ALA); I haven’t yet managed to identify all of the “Jewish” books that have been recognized under those other award umbrellas, but if you’ve noted them, please share that news in comments. (I can tell you about one example: my friend Rebecca Klempner’s How to Welcome an Alien [illustrated by Shirley Waisman and published by Kalaniot Books] has received a Golden Duck Notable Picture Book nod from the ALA’s Core Committee Recognizing Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction.)

Congratulations to all of the creators whose work has been recognized through these awards and honors. And an especially hearty Mazal Tov to Rebecca and to the many other friends/colleagues/acquaintances whose names appear on this year’s lists.

Especially right now, it’s important to pause and kvell.