Jewish Book Club discussion

Passover is in April, and we want to come up with a book related to care and love of the Jewish people.

Let's try a hybrid model to arrive at our list of nominations. Stacey and I have come up with the first five books on the list. Let's see if the group can come up with up to three more by Wednesday the 21st. Then we'll have the poll.

Please give us just one nomination. But if you overlook that plea and do give us a list of suggestions, we'll take the first one as your nomination. Then we'll vet for availability and for whether the book is already on our bookshelf.

[Nominations by the author or other interested party not accepted]

Here are those first five nominations:
1. Sharon Brous' The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World
2. Jeffrey Salkin's Tikkun Ha'am / Repairing Our People: Israel and the Crisis of Liberal Judaism
3. Elie Wiesel's Open Heart
4. Brad Hirschfield's You Don't Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism
5. Lawrence Kushner's God Was in This Place and I, I Did Not Know

Some old, some new...
Now, awaiting your additions to the list!
Jan

I'm new to the group, I've looked through the bookshelf and didn't find this, so my suggestion is Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky. It might seem like just a book about books, but it's really a book about love. Loving the Yiddish language, its readers, writers, and speakers, and its culture, a culture that Lansky wanted to ensure was not lost.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

Thanks, Dvora. I'll look it up in a while, but sounds great.

6. Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books by Aaron Lansky is our 6th nomination. It hails from 2004 and used to be in my public library. I think that's what it means that the title is listed but none are available! However it is available used for under $5 from Abebooks and under $6 from Amazon, including postage. Amazon seems to price the books or the postage slightly more than Abebooks--but Amazon owns Abebooks!
At $11.99 the Kindle version is slightly more than the new paperback; go figure.
I remember this one but never (yet) read it -- so many books!
Thanks for this nomination, Dvora.

Dvora wrote: "I'm new to the group, I've looked through the bookshelf and didn't find this, so my suggestion is Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky. It might seem like just a book about books, but it's really a b..."

I loved it. His devotion to the culture and its preservation

Deena wrote: "... I loved it. His devotion to the culture and its preservation."

Thanks, Deena, for seconding the nomination! 😘

Jan wrote: "Passover is in April, and we want to come up with a book related to care and love of the Jewish people.

Let's try a hybrid model to arrive at our list of nominations. Stacey and I have come up wi..."
I'd love to read this.
Kurzweil shares the rabbi's most personal, humorous, and inspiring tales.
How can we develop a personal relationship with God?
What are some of the sublime ideas contained in Kabbalah?
Why has God created a world with so much suffering in it?
Can we be religious and live fully in the world?
How can we tell what is important and what is unimportant in this life?
Can we be religious and keep our sense of humor?

It seems like before Oct. 7 we were fractured into warring camps. Now we're more united, but still feel like we don't know each other.
Steinsaltz was a person who bridged that gap. He came from a secular family, found religion on his own, and had a mature and loving approach to everyone else who was on his or her own journey.

On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz: 25 Years of Pre-Dawn Car Trips, Mind-Blowing Encounters, and Inspiring Conversations with a Man of Wisdom

Perlie, thanks for this nomination!
While I don't see a Kindle version, it's available used from Amazon or AbeBooks in the $7 range (including postage but not tax).
I almost didn't bother to check my public library, so sure was I that it wouldn't have a copy, but, lo and behold, my library does have one copy!

7. On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz: 25 Years of Pre-Dawn Car Trips, Mind-Blowing Encounters, and Inspiring Conversations with a Man of Wisdom by Arthur Kurzweil

I would like to propose, The Rebbe's Daughter: Memoir of a Hasidic Childhood, by Malkah Shapiro. She was a daughter of Yerahmi’el Mosheh Hapstein, a descendant of the Magid of Kozhenits, one of the key figures in Polish Hasidism. The book is filled with biblical, talmudic, kabbalistic, and hasidic allusions and direct quotations. What is remarkable is that the book on such a traditional community was written by a very well learned and educated woman. In 1926, she immigrated to the Land of Israel, living first in Haifa, then in Kfar Hasidim (a settlement near Haifa cofounded by one of her brothers), and finally in Jerusalem. There, in 1934, she began to publish stories, essays, and poems in Hebrew-language journals. This book was published in 1969 with a title, Mi-din le-rahamim: Sipurim me-hatserot ha-admorim.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Pera wrote: "I would like to propose, The Rebbe's Daughter: Memoir of a Hasidic Childhood, by Malkah Shapiro. She was a daughter of Yerahmi’el Mosheh Hapstein, a descendant of the Magid of Kozhenits, one of the..."

Thanks, Pera. Will look it up soon!

Outwitting History is a definitely feel good book about someone doing what starts out simple and snow balls into fantastic. I did laugh, I had tears in my eyes from the little memories. I could picture some of the events happening.
If it isn't nominated then I am doing it now. It is about the care and love of the Jewish people.

Irene wrote: "Outwitting History is a definitely feel good book about someone doing what starts out simple and snow balls into fantastic. I did laugh, I had tears in my eyes from the little memories. I could pic..."

Thanks, Irene. It's definitely a good addition to the slate of candidates! It has been nominated and approved, with you and others seconding the nomination! And I think I checked our shelf and didn't find it!

Pera wrote: "I would like to propose, The Rebbe's Daughter: Memoir of a Hasidic Childhood, by Malkah Shapiro. She was a daughter of Yerahmi’el Mosheh Hapstein, a descendant of the Magid of Kozhenits, one of the..."

Pera, I'm afraid this one, The Rebbe's Daughter: Memoir of a Hasidic Childhood, is too rare and expensive. Originally published in 2002, there is no e-book, and used copies are going for nearly $30, although I found a couple in the $20 range. Nor is it in my library. Although, as Stacey says, if people really want to read it they will get it, I think this one is beyond the pale.
Sorry to disappoint you, but can you come up with another nomination instead? Thanks, Pera!
Jan

Thank you for your comments, Jan. If I can still place my proposal I would like to mention, Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation by Michael Lerner. He's an acclaimed editor of Tikkun magazine I used to love reading in the past, and in this book he focuses on the transformational dimensions of Jewish traditions and religion. Can be quite a good option for the Pesach season.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Paperback can be bought for $10. I've seen that at ThriftBooks it is available for less than 5 bucks.

Pera wrote: "Thank you for your comments, Jan. If I can still place my proposal I would like to mention, Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation by Michael Lerner. He's an acclaimed editor of Tikku..."

Thanks, Pera. Yes; okay since your nomination was pending.
With this one we have our full slate of eight. :)

8. Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation Originally from 1994, and you are right, Pera, it is available used from Amazon Marketplace and AbeBooks for $4 or $5, including shipping but not tax. Not in my library.

Thank you very much. :)

8. Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation Originally from 1994, and you are right, Pera, it is available used from Amazon Marketplace and AbeBooks for $4 or $5, including shipping but not tax....

5 times that much here, equivalent of 25 $ (plus shipping)

The Rebbe's Daughter is a lot less expensive
equivalent of 12.5 $ (around a tenner)

If I can still find one when I get paid i might buy one. Thanks for the recommendation Pera.

The slate of 8 nominations:
1. Sharon Brous' The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World
2. Jeffrey Salkin's Tikkun Ha'am / Repairing Our People: Israel and the Crisis of Liberal Judaism
3. Elie Wiesel's Open Heart
4. Brad Hirschfield's You Don't Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism
5. Lawrence Kusnher's God Was in This Place and I, I Did Not Know
6. Aaron Lansky's Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books
7. Arthur Kurzweil's On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz: 25 Years of Pre-Dawn Car Trips, Mind-Blowing Encounters, and Inspiring Conversations with a Man of Wisdom
8. Michael Lerner's Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation

There's time to set up the poll for tonight! (midnight Eastern)

Jazzy wrote: "8. Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation Originally from 1994, and you are right, Pera, it is available used from Amazon Marketplace and AbeBooks for $4 or $5, including shipping but not tax....

5 times that much here, equivalent of 25 $ (plus shipping)

The Rebbe's Daughter is a lot less expensive
equivalent of 12.5 $ (around a ten...."

All the nominations can serve as suggestions, but the poll is still to come, Jazzy.
How odd that the expensive book costs less there and vice versa!
Hopefully, if the prize winner is exorbitant for you, the eventual moderator's choice will be less costly!