Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

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.

  • Thrilled to have had the chance to attend the Association of Jewish Libraries annual conference this week. Hope to have at least one or two more detailed posts for you sometime soon, possibly over on the Fig Tree Books blog.
  • Speaking of Fig Tree Books: Notice who has published three of the nine books on JTA’s summer reading list!
  • My weekend plans include catching up on Jerome Charyn’s posts for the Jewish Book Council “Visting Scribe” series.
  • The Forward seeks your help in finding “the best new voices in Jewish music.”
  • “An alarming number of poor souls among our brethren seem to feel that all they require for a genuine Jewishness is Woody Allen and Philip Roth and Jerry Seinfeld.” Just one of many eye-catching lines from Leon Wieseltier, via Tablet.
  • Shabbat shalom.

    On Attending a Performance of “Defiant Requiem”

    Rafael Schächter, the conductor at the heart  of the Defiant Requiem.
    Rafael Schächter, the conductor at the heart of the Defiant Requiem.

    For a long time, I was known to describe Verdi’s as “my favorite Requiem.” The first time I attended a live choral performance, I was overwhelmed by it.

    That was many years ago. Since that first performance, I have listened over and over to a CD. But Monday evening I attended another live performance. And I can’t quite find the words to articulate how extraordinary it was.

    So I’ll borrow from others.

    From the Defiant Requiem Foundation website: (more…)