Erika Dreifus

Last night I was looking through the latest issue of Reform Judaism magazine when I noticed books by two authors I admire featured “For Discussion”: Saving Stanley: The Brickman Stories, by Scott Nadelson, and The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Father’s Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World, by Lucette Lagnado.

As I say, these authors are not new to me (I’ve mentioned them both on this blog), but what is new to me is the Union for Reform Judaism’s “Significant Jewish Books” initiative. As explained here, “In November 1997, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie unveiled an initiative to encourage every Reform Jew to read significant Jewish books. Since then, the Union has selected eight volumes each year and prepared study guides for them.”

The books by Nadelson and Lagnado, therefore, can now be read with an eye toward discussion fostered by guides provided here. Keep them in mind for your next book group meeting, and check out the full archive of previously recommended titles.

This just in from 614, the ezine of the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, and its editor, Michelle Cove:

“For our 2nd annual issue on Jewish books, we wanted to find young Jewish women who were writing about themes we haven’t seen dozens of times. This is why you’ll find mention in this issue of cowboys, Madame Bovary, a modern day Jewish heiress, a 12-year-old Iranian, Jewish spies, and a heroic German baker. Rather than post book reviews, we talked to the authors behind these stories and asked them about the inspirations for their books, and also what they think about today’s Jewish fiction in general. Meet Joanna Hershon, Tova Mirvis, Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Dara Horn, Jenna Blum, and Gina Nahai.”

Intrigued? Read on, here.