Jewish Literary Links

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.

And especially if they’re new to you, please check out these two documents-in-progress: “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and More” and “Writers, Beware.”

Shabbat shalom.

Jewish Literary Links

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.

Settle in, everyone. There’s a lot to share here this week.

(more…)

Jewish Book Carnival: May 2024/5784

book-filled logo for the AJL Jewish Book Carnival

The My Machberet blog is proud to serve as this month’s host for the Jewish Book Carnival, a monthly event where those who cover Jewish books online “can meet, read, and comment on each others’ posts.” Organized by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), the Carnival travels around and is hosted on a different participant’s site on the 15th of each month.

(more…)

#LitJAHM24 Mid-Month Update

For this year's literary observance of Jewish American Heritage Month (Jewish Heritage Month in Canda), I'm spotlighting books that embody intersections between Jewish American (and Canadian) experience and Israel. Because for those of us imbued with a sense of K'lal Yisrael (Jewish peoplehood), those intersections matter. Especially this year.

As I explained in the most recent issue of my newsletter for writers, my literary observance of Jewish American Heritage Month (in Canada, Jewish Heritage Month) has a new focus for 2024/5784, one conditioned by what occurred on October 7 and all that’s unfolded since then. Considering, too, that several of this year’s “Modern Jewish Holidays”—including Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day), and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day)— also fall in May, this month seems to me to provide both an opportunity and a responsibility to highlight books that, in various ways, embody connections and intersections among Jewish people in the United States (and Canada) and in Israel, where just about half of the world’s current Jewish population now lives. Call it a project imbued by the sense of K’lal Yisrael, Jewish peoplehood, which was integral to my own Jewish upbringing, and which I’ve experienced more than ever before since October 7. Or call it a reflection of a key element in this Jewish American’s understanding of her heritage.

To this end, I’ve been highlighting one book each day throughout the month (as last year, on Twitter). And, again similar to last year’s practice, I plan to compile the featured titles at month’s end on Bookshop.

But at the month’s midpoint, I thought that it might make sense to share an update.

Below, then, are the #LitJAHM24 titles featured thus far, with some brief annotations. All of them are titles that I’ve read—some, as you’ll see, I’ve written about, too.

(more…)