tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66965474639761911292024-03-05T07:59:31.499+02:00Life Is Like a LibraryLife is like a library owned by an author. In it are a few books, which he wrote himself, but most of them were written for him.
--Harry Emerson FosdickKSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-26857792016415959992024-02-11T16:07:00.000+02:002024-02-11T16:07:32.117+02:00Life IS Like a Library<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Our blog gets its title from the quote by Harry Emerson Fosdick, and especially in these turbulent times, it is obvious that most books were written and are being written for us, and we have no control over anything that is happening. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">For those of us who have had the privilege or working in or using a great library, we know it is a magical place, full of books and other materials just waiting to be discovered. As collectors of quotes, these came to mind:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A truly great library has something to offend everyone. - Jo Godwin (librarian)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A public library is the most democratic thing in the world. What can be found there has undone dictators and tyrants. - Doris Lessing</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The libraries of America are and must ever remain the home of free and inquiring minds. To them, our citizens - of all ages and races, of all creeds and persuasions - must be able to turn with clear confidence that there they can freely seek the whole truth, unvarnished by fashion and uncompromised by expediency. - Dwight D. Eisenhower</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">We often participate in projects where book lists are compiled and created. Sometimes it's really fun to think of books on a particular subject or by certain authors. Other times, it's a little more challenging. There may be a book on the subject or by the author, but it may not be suitable for the intended age group or be the strongest book on the subject or by the author. Talking about books is something librarians LOVE to do, so while there can be a lot of back and forth about what books to include, the resulting list is usually created with care and purpose.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the current "matsav" (situation) - after October 7th, we need books that educate and enlighten. As Rudine Sims Bishop so eloquently observed in her famous piece on "<a href="https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors:"</span></b></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-small;"><i>Those of us who are children's literature enthusiasts tend to be somewhat idealistic, believing that some book, some story, some poem can speak to each individual child, and that if we have the time and the resources, we can find that book and help to change the child's life. If only for a brief time, and only for a tiny bit. On the other hand, we are realistic enough to know that literature, no matter how powerful, has its limits. It won't take the homeless of our streets; it won't feed the starving of the world; it won't stop people from attacking each other because of our racial differences; it won't stamp out the scrouge of drugs. It could, however, help us to understand each other better by helping change our attitudes toward difference. When there are enough books available that can act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our differences and similarities, because together they are what make us all human. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">With this in mind, we sought out books that could be "windows" into a culture with which we are unfamiliar. We hoped to find books with no agenda, no politics, no framing - just good stories and/or factual information. To say we went out of our comfort zone is an understatement. We walked into a neighborhood where we stuck out like huge, flashing sore thumbs, and we had to wade through books that were popular, but did have agendas, politics, etc.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! A Palestinian Folktale</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywi9l1__IG6T2VfdoU5Vin51rhnRJYax4c95l3hO818SDlcLsKJTibk893O0i6FDHnH8PasalFGE4elFZpmhYnb-vSJmlFxqCVMoI3LEQe8kNyFsqhMmtC58efzInQ0j7uY9haVTxuUgyUSYk21YmFtg9R0E1d9EnT0QwFb0KN2SaGWRby2xsK0KPomtM/s522/Tunjur.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="477" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywi9l1__IG6T2VfdoU5Vin51rhnRJYax4c95l3hO818SDlcLsKJTibk893O0i6FDHnH8PasalFGE4elFZpmhYnb-vSJmlFxqCVMoI3LEQe8kNyFsqhMmtC58efzInQ0j7uY9haVTxuUgyUSYk21YmFtg9R0E1d9EnT0QwFb0KN2SaGWRby2xsK0KPomtM/w209-h228/Tunjur.jpg" width="209" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Retold by Margaret Read MacDonald</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Collected by Ibrahim Muhawi and Sharif Kanaana</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Illustrated by Alik Arzoumanian</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">©2012 Two Lions</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">A charming story about a little pot who steals things and then gets her "just reward." Love, love, love the vibrant illustrations: the characters with big eyes, the geometric borders around the pictures, and the feisty little red pot.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: georgia;">The Magical Hands of Zalatimo</b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CZbK9i7eoVHQgdb33_bfB2-_ZptIRa8xJtkmPG0jnDlZXo4yoklUxAYah5uh2x6vxLyo6yds6nk8dH0XczI7ZGuqEtSAIXtAvgymDMKxsY8G0LOTTN71lZy8HTOLydV8KUjFpfQab-gVClnKhf3eqHvUmvCVQxFUIHNNOnGJjJQAjDLNq2UDHVbi9YwD/s466/Magical%20Hands%20of%20Zalatimo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CZbK9i7eoVHQgdb33_bfB2-_ZptIRa8xJtkmPG0jnDlZXo4yoklUxAYah5uh2x6vxLyo6yds6nk8dH0XczI7ZGuqEtSAIXtAvgymDMKxsY8G0LOTTN71lZy8HTOLydV8KUjFpfQab-gVClnKhf3eqHvUmvCVQxFUIHNNOnGJjJQAjDLNq2UDHVbi9YwD/s320/Magical%20Hands%20of%20Zalatimo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">By Salam Akram Zalatimo</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Illustrated by Margarita Fomenko</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">©2018 Create Space</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">An adorable rhyming book about a baker who makes the best mutabak (a treat made with sheets of dough, cheese curds, and sugar syrup). Based on a true family history (read more <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/the-making-of-mutabak-an-old-family-recipe-survives-174051" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>here</b></span></a>), the delicious pastries (see how they are made <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8SilvAuFPk" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>here</b></span></a>) put a smile on everyone's face.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">While the original shop, opened in 1860, is still in Jerusalem's Old City, Momo's descendants have opened shops (and factories) all over the world.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Arab Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literary Cookbook</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZcqlnNAIGiIHQBtpsOKObw_NuG_BHv0ko-ZKnJl2Txk10XM8qPSJ2SYz37QsxTQaDsUIXxHgy0T-7_-VfvehOaYzp39NVA1tXHTkySHVp8tUWwVxMJvg-NsjQFfsHe5OOyB9qE3JKioKJyt_cDFyEXR9pEw4YkWySkvVEDcsvV4ePU73PnjmWxLzPzbh/s466/Arab%20Fairy%20tale%20Feasts.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="364" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZcqlnNAIGiIHQBtpsOKObw_NuG_BHv0ko-ZKnJl2Txk10XM8qPSJ2SYz37QsxTQaDsUIXxHgy0T-7_-VfvehOaYzp39NVA1tXHTkySHVp8tUWwVxMJvg-NsjQFfsHe5OOyB9qE3JKioKJyt_cDFyEXR9pEw4YkWySkvVEDcsvV4ePU73PnjmWxLzPzbh/w211-h270/Arab%20Fairy%20tale%20Feasts.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />Tales by Karim Alrawi</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Illustrations by Nahid Kazemi</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Recipes by Sobhi al-Zobaidi & Tamam Qanembou-Zobaidi and Karim Alrawi</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">©2021 Crocodile Books</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Part of a series that includes <i>Chinese Fairy Tale Feasts</i> (2014) and <i>Fairy Tale Feasts</i> (2006), these "literary cookbooks" combine short tales with classic characters and classic recipes. This volume includes "Fish Soup in Gaza," accompanied by a recipe for fish soup. The notes include explanations of these characters like Goha (Joha), the wise fool, descriptions of the items in the recipes, and etymology of many of the Arabic words used in the stories and recipes. Colorful illustrations show the foods and compliment the text, like a picture of a winking girl who has outsmarted the teller of the "big fish tale." All the recipes are relative simple, although some of the ingredients are exotic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">We were saddened by the "coulda, shoulda, woulda" of so many books, and that out of nine books, only three fit the criteria. Some had incredible artwork, some showed beautiful examples of community caring and sharing, the richness of the culture, and some had a cute story. But the politics and the agenda overshadowed all these merits.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: georgia;">Real Cats of Israel</b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">As for the Real Cats, this is about as real as it gets. We saw this crew outside when we went to pay a condolence to the family of 24-year-old Amichai Oster, who was killed in Gaza. Seeing this clowder of cats gave me a smile after a very sad visit.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyeRMMhzJ-d7sZiUzgZZstw7X0HRUhRHG2dBa8CpIkszn1KxBZ7UnqEr8to3TQNwpW4XUyEeBZQWFusYU02E4I9R363vA-toD0usZFr_bWxdWx_OW8LoB9d4jz0bAqZJw9IRjkOa09alGNI2YZQJvHmD8PTit5xAMVox_J_2rbgHFO2FcZHLWU1NXGjcP/s2467/cats%20by%20dumpster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2440" data-original-width="2467" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyeRMMhzJ-d7sZiUzgZZstw7X0HRUhRHG2dBa8CpIkszn1KxBZ7UnqEr8to3TQNwpW4XUyEeBZQWFusYU02E4I9R363vA-toD0usZFr_bWxdWx_OW8LoB9d4jz0bAqZJw9IRjkOa09alGNI2YZQJvHmD8PTit5xAMVox_J_2rbgHFO2FcZHLWU1NXGjcP/w400-h395/cats%20by%20dumpster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Besorot tovot - May we hear good news soon!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy Reading!</span></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-60686821387570600732024-01-09T19:01:00.000+02:002024-01-09T19:01:35.438+02:00The Right Book at the Right Time<p> <span style="font-family: georgia;">The world changed on October 7th, and since then, it's been hard to focus on a lot of things, especially when a siren goes off. But as a corollary to two of SR Ranganathan's <i>Five Rules of Library Science </i>(Every person his or her book; every book its reader), the right books often come along at the right time for the person who needs to read them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRMictSnEO6qTJSj3yCd-dVLN9E5a0ORC2MGgbUEvXYHrCR1bNI5dQf9mvLMyKMqSPEoSwUr-m1VDcUlkhIAFi-S-TKF9vvhSOUIlYFuZ86CJ14q6oyClWUhp4VjUOXrXgweh0BnsPcFUoec3XR_vqms3tq3GNqRGR420XbC_A5mztzEEpY3vOEaIrvTg/s466/Prime%20Ministers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="323" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRMictSnEO6qTJSj3yCd-dVLN9E5a0ORC2MGgbUEvXYHrCR1bNI5dQf9mvLMyKMqSPEoSwUr-m1VDcUlkhIAFi-S-TKF9vvhSOUIlYFuZ86CJ14q6oyClWUhp4VjUOXrXgweh0BnsPcFUoec3XR_vqms3tq3GNqRGR420XbC_A5mztzEEpY3vOEaIrvTg/w139-h200/Prime%20Ministers.jpg" width="139" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Yehuda Avner's <i><b>The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership</b></i> (Toby, 2010) has been enlightening in terms of the history of the modern State of Israel and politics. Avner (1928-2015) was born in Manchester. He was a speechwriter for Levi Eshkol and Golda Meir, and worked as an advisor to Yitzchak Rabin, Menachem Begin, and Shimon Peres. He also served as Consulate in New York and in Washington, DC, and he served as Israel's Ambassador to Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia. His book is a memoir of his diplomatic service, but also a look at history, and the personalities that shaped it.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">During this "matsav" (situation), one of the most interesting things in the book was Yitzchak Rabin's answer when Avner asked him, in 1995, why he shook Arafat's hand. Rabin answered that</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <span style="color: #2b00fe;">"Israel is surrounded by two concentric circles. The inner circle is comprised of our immediate neighbors. The outer circle comprises their neighbors -- Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya. Virtually all of them are rogue states, and some are going nuclear. Iranian-inspired Islamic fundamentalism is striving to destabilize the Gulf Emirates, has already created havoc in Syria...in Algeria...in Egypt...in Jordan...in the Sudan and Somalia...and in Yemen. And now it is gaining influence in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip...At the end of the day, the inner circle recognizes they have less to fear from Israel than from their Muslim neighbors, not least from radicalized Islamic powers going nuclear."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wow! If you think this situation is something new, it has been brewing for 30 years. A hefty read at over 700 pages, but very worthwhile. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UfGKljzjxJ5qJL6PBiYc2M-E977Mu6Ykuq8K1LiROczICDnAepNoAAt3oKVKopIgdMUZBE9Rkg5WVR6gHoV5e3xtivZcfzMBIXIe9t8jKX1uVg1HrqRUii9pUqP7FpP0Ne6UmFZoTzAANpxLy_mBtcpdkAsV_TIwkycT4DLt6pL1H2H_fxEoLDeLVmfy/s466/Megillat%20Esther.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="310" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8UfGKljzjxJ5qJL6PBiYc2M-E977Mu6Ykuq8K1LiROczICDnAepNoAAt3oKVKopIgdMUZBE9Rkg5WVR6gHoV5e3xtivZcfzMBIXIe9t8jKX1uVg1HrqRUii9pUqP7FpP0Ne6UmFZoTzAANpxLy_mBtcpdkAsV_TIwkycT4DLt6pL1H2H_fxEoLDeLVmfy/w133-h200/Megillat%20Esther.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />For those participating in the Nach Yomi project (an cyclical reading from the books of Prophets and Writings), it was incredible to read Megillat Esther, which is the story of how the enemies of the Jews tried to annihilate them, and things flipped and the enemies of the Jews were killed. No coincidence that the reading of this book took place after October 7th. While reading the actual text, I also read JT Waldman's <i><b>Megillat Esther</b></i> (JPS, 2005). Dubbed as the world's first religious, scholarly comic book, it combines amazing illustrations, creative use of text, and a list of resources from the commentaries. Hailed as a "visual masterpiece," the graphic novel reveals layers of meaning through both the art and the text. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYe59PoRVq-aQ8fOSYe6TOeBDdNOE79iu0B2y0xZH392l1NEInIuHF7Qm9rp_-g68wBBK4_zLkvFvW7WMVxiwkg2kLA2qkg-9uVbFF3adkh76fNWA14PbTXolfUavHHJNNXgLc-ZVk7jkmUOd2N8eJ3wGgktivPtNxpeCa0SNveQpz2rqfhXRddW87gqn3/s445/Tunnels.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYe59PoRVq-aQ8fOSYe6TOeBDdNOE79iu0B2y0xZH392l1NEInIuHF7Qm9rp_-g68wBBK4_zLkvFvW7WMVxiwkg2kLA2qkg-9uVbFF3adkh76fNWA14PbTXolfUavHHJNNXgLc-ZVk7jkmUOd2N8eJ3wGgktivPtNxpeCa0SNveQpz2rqfhXRddW87gqn3/s320/Tunnels.jpg" width="232" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />I was trying to give a quick summary of <i><b>Tunnels,</b></i> a graphic novel by Rutu Modan (Drawn and Quarterly, 2021), but Amazon did a much better job:</span><p></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">"When a great antiquities collector is forced to donate his entire collection to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Nili Broshi sees her last chance to finish an archaeological expedition begun decades earlier―a dig that could possibly yield the most important religious artifact in the Middle East. Motivated by the desire to reinstate her father’s legacy as a great archaeologist after he was marginalized by his rival, Nili enlists a ragtag crew―a religious nationalist and his band of hilltop youths, her traitorous brother, and her childhood Palestinian friend, now an archaeological smuggler. As Nili’s father slips deeper into dementia, warring factions close in on and fight over the Ark of the Covenant!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I was a little nervous to read about tunneling Palestinians in the current situation, but Modan's book was captivating, with humor, irony, and the twists and turns of a complicated history and current situation. It had the edginess and quirkiness that are often found in graphic novels, but was also well-researched. While many of my colleagues put graphic novels in the "middle grade area" of the library, this one is definitely for adults.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Real Cats of Israel</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">These cats live in Nir Oz, one of the worst hit communities on October 7th. I recently visited this once-serene enclave on the Gaza envelope, and took in the horror of what remained after over 100 of the 400 residents were murdered, kidnapped or injured. Houses were hit with RPGs or set on fire. But the cats still wander around.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuVFqx8hOG5Dz51vXzrIVdrcJAzsAkdpn4BfCNX6D6TE1BCFAi7-SfOKsY3QKJGrsS2E6LFRV2outtPp7RR79LyPf5eBoN8mSv6VtmlhwbunXxqMB0TmOfMXook8ae844VFGwYU-nXH3SS_Sqip_myxAtTsVWjcbiWqpcu06FBquZzP_P60y78ViNSC70/s4032/20240102_141528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuVFqx8hOG5Dz51vXzrIVdrcJAzsAkdpn4BfCNX6D6TE1BCFAi7-SfOKsY3QKJGrsS2E6LFRV2outtPp7RR79LyPf5eBoN8mSv6VtmlhwbunXxqMB0TmOfMXook8ae844VFGwYU-nXH3SS_Sqip_myxAtTsVWjcbiWqpcu06FBquZzP_P60y78ViNSC70/s320/20240102_141528.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHbBWOe6B-i_IeZIyPiRT_KsblEns9zchA8pdkg4t-ADSbOhZkGn4STDFAZtS72X3bpwjkHljqvFNKmAZ0HCM0aNzldGN_hdRYzZMXVHdfX2noKKjqe8MX4KHgbaMAKSwL2HW7XM4bXJG7QuWFIHOFPUFk8VyoPeoTf2kKE4RxrM8YIdFYu-_DfovR7sb/s4032/20240102_142654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHbBWOe6B-i_IeZIyPiRT_KsblEns9zchA8pdkg4t-ADSbOhZkGn4STDFAZtS72X3bpwjkHljqvFNKmAZ0HCM0aNzldGN_hdRYzZMXVHdfX2noKKjqe8MX4KHgbaMAKSwL2HW7XM4bXJG7QuWFIHOFPUFk8VyoPeoTf2kKE4RxrM8YIdFYu-_DfovR7sb/s320/20240102_142654.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><br /></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-81750697085634360082023-12-05T11:26:00.000+02:002023-12-05T12:26:12.169+02:00Let's Make Soup<p> Once again, winter has arrived in Israel, with a nice bit of rain, and some brisk, sunny weather. As the Talking Heads so eloquently expressed it in "Life During Wartime," "this ain't no party, this ain't no disco." So we have to look extra hard to bright moments in the dark days of Kislev and the "matsav" (situation).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fOSe28f2ZgznAGEH3tJUhTjaLo926FOf3LuVv711w1IQHIcXSasSrFgLCDL2racRDVkmhjCu8_RHR48XK8ReHr1OlzHTN6gPtivT7iWUgKZqX3ZNRzjcM-Gxj7RUEdfDmQXPdTrYbc0ltjFyFGEZxe0mH_04N73ObnsctPKmTfefFJkvS-3X4ZeDBLLp/s906/GRfS%20front%20cover%20v2%20KDP.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="906" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_fOSe28f2ZgznAGEH3tJUhTjaLo926FOf3LuVv711w1IQHIcXSasSrFgLCDL2racRDVkmhjCu8_RHR48XK8ReHr1OlzHTN6gPtivT7iWUgKZqX3ZNRzjcM-Gxj7RUEdfDmQXPdTrYbc0ltjFyFGEZxe0mH_04N73ObnsctPKmTfefFJkvS-3X4ZeDBLLp/s320/GRfS%20front%20cover%20v2%20KDP.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />For us, one such moment was meeting <a href="https://chayablumagadenyan.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Chaya Bluma Gadenyan</span></b></a> at a local vendor fair. She is the author of <b><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/9659311311?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_SQDCZCFJYNPD3TN73BTN_1" target="_blank"><i>Getting Ready for Shabbat!: Let's Make Soup!</i>,</a> </span></b>with art by Eugenia Ard (self-published, 2023). Chaya Bluma's first trip to Israel was for her bat mitzvah. She returned to Israel permanently in the late 1980s and worked in high tech for many years, eventually leaving a job as CFO to pursue "a more personally meaningful endeavor." During the pandemic, she taught English online to over 400 Chinese children on a one-on-one basis, and for the past three years, she has facilitated English learning for groups of Israeli youngsters.<p></p><p>The idea for the book germinated many years ago, when she heard a "put the chicken in the pot" song on a CD. As Chaya Bluma was looking for books to share with kindergarteners in her groups, her list of criteria included simple words, a positive message, appealing illustrations, and Jewish values. She remembered the song and realized it would make a great book. The book features her grandson, who is old enough to help and enjoys cooking with his grandmother. </p><p><b><span style="color: red;">SPOILER ALERT!</span></b>: The book begins with some wordless pages. A young boy is dropped off by an apartment building, and he climbs the steps to his grandparents' apartment with his school tik (bag) and two bags of groceries in tow. Grandmother (Grandma, Nana, Bubbe, Savta, Nona) is delighted to see him, and after he washes up, his grandmother asks what he wants to put in the pot. In go chicken, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, spices, potatoes, parsley, and finally, water. The words fit the tune of "London Bridge Is Falling Down." With the addition of each ingredient, Grandmother "stirs it up, nice and hot, we're getting ready for Shabbat." The soup, now ready for Shabbat, sits in the middle of the table. This beautiful double spread captures the colors and the amazing energy of a family around a Shabbat table.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJwEDznWZHWbVcW-TWnW4yqH00ldeFtE18oROR9_KsKAQyZneyXkfHcGfmQIfTbRILj4jtonn1v2A773pCTQHp_NJjDSZY6cG6J0ipi5wEl8UAJjYDpCOTylVUob_99d_S35teIZXsMQ6kKMxB_yNlSVhWeRxG0BjY5y2RQV4wtKK6Yp6sy7AVsR-KtQj/s1321/Getting%20Ready%20for%20Shabbat%20-%20double%20spread.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1321" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJwEDznWZHWbVcW-TWnW4yqH00ldeFtE18oROR9_KsKAQyZneyXkfHcGfmQIfTbRILj4jtonn1v2A773pCTQHp_NJjDSZY6cG6J0ipi5wEl8UAJjYDpCOTylVUob_99d_S35teIZXsMQ6kKMxB_yNlSVhWeRxG0BjY5y2RQV4wtKK6Yp6sy7AVsR-KtQj/w400-h186/Getting%20Ready%20for%20Shabbat%20-%20double%20spread.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal">©2023 by Chaya Bluma Gadenyan. Used with permission.<o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Cooking and singing at the same time, especially with young children, would be very challenging, so Chaya Bluma commissioned a crochet artist to make some of the ingredients in the book. She also created a coloring page, so that a group can review the items, and then follow along with the book.</p><p>As for Chaya Bluma's chicken soup, she grew up in an Ashkenazi home and married a Jerusalem-born Persian man, so her repertoire has literally been "spiced up." She makes <i><b>Gomeh sabzi,</b></i> which is a chicken soup with lots of fresh herbs and dried lime - her own "fusion" recipe. </p><p>We loved hearing about Chaya Bluma's self-publishing journey from finding an illustrator to picking a printer. There are two versions of the book. The original has activities like a maze and a crossword puzzle at the end, the recipe for Chaya Bluma's chicken soup, as well as QR codes to access the internet, and information about names and Shabbat. The second edition has question prompts, is less expensive, and does not include the activities (or the codes). Both versions have vibrant pictures, and because Chaya Bluma was able to work so closely with the illustrator, the boy looks like her grandson, and the grandmother looks like...Chaya Bluma.</p><p>Chaya Bluma has also published an adorable coloring book for girls -- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Names-Hebrew-Bible-Hebrew-English/dp/B0CGKNTQBH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2EI9JVJOLYNKQ&keywords=Girls%27+names+from+the+hebrew+bible&qid=1701623034&s=books&sprefix=girls%27+names+from+the+hebrew+bibl%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C223&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Girls' Names from the Hebrew Bible</span></b></a>. On the left of each double spread is a "modern" girl dressed modestly, and on the right is her biblical counterpart: Sarah, Rivka, Leah, and more. She has developed a card name based on the soup book, and is working on several children's picture book manuscripts. </p><p>It was a pleasure meeting Chaya Bluma and learning about all her creative projects.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33NUPgCqk1WFxSLJlflTtOGOVAYfRtjioJ8MkEjuErGPW3xr3LSxnJ9DisdAcNgJ41BIKcmel_q3_0mY9ti-cVq7Zgrg3izMMB4ctZqvRX90LEFMXaZ7PkelqqcIgmSbbxlz7yURLVS1cs9F8CbCj28CojK-5a-VIwrX-lXlMJmufnZ82ZGt4zqtfK1aV/s676/Chaya%20Bluma.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="676" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33NUPgCqk1WFxSLJlflTtOGOVAYfRtjioJ8MkEjuErGPW3xr3LSxnJ9DisdAcNgJ41BIKcmel_q3_0mY9ti-cVq7Zgrg3izMMB4ctZqvRX90LEFMXaZ7PkelqqcIgmSbbxlz7yURLVS1cs9F8CbCj28CojK-5a-VIwrX-lXlMJmufnZ82ZGt4zqtfK1aV/s320/Chaya%20Bluma.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-81153465260280423462023-11-07T19:04:00.001+02:002023-11-07T19:04:57.595+02:00A Visit to the National Library of Israel<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR76dkcXcLXmzTp1B3yEzXlkJCC4V4Ey1oZ08z6-8wp7G03hbGJMlMVyQ5KXUlOMCSW5KYctJVcoJXD1LrWB3XX8fpJbzhC_GLxBRH7yBDIqWtLb8njzs2KbqPx7Dmyh7r8dbT9nToZqpUElOTLEk2Uw13eoWwnSucZFgNrzDMw_vcUZYh-t1p2N_6PbL-/s1024/professional%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR76dkcXcLXmzTp1B3yEzXlkJCC4V4Ey1oZ08z6-8wp7G03hbGJMlMVyQ5KXUlOMCSW5KYctJVcoJXD1LrWB3XX8fpJbzhC_GLxBRH7yBDIqWtLb8njzs2KbqPx7Dmyh7r8dbT9nToZqpUElOTLEk2Uw13eoWwnSucZFgNrzDMw_vcUZYh-t1p2N_6PbL-/w400-h225/professional%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creative Commons license</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Many were anticipating the gala, grand opening of the new campus of the <b><a href="https://www.nli.org.il/en" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">National Library of Israel</span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;">,</span></b> but with the current "matsav" (situation), it's been kind of a "soft" opening, with a limit on how many people can be in the library for security reasons. We joined one of the daily tours of the facility, and the world "cool" came to mind throughout the tour. </p><p>As you can see from the photograph, the building is supposed to look like an open book. You don't really get that close up, but it's still an interesting shape. It is also a "green" building, so several aspects are mindful of the environment, including the landscaping. Our tour guide pointed out that while across the street (to the right in the photo), the Knesset building is heavily fenced, the library has no gate or fence, so everyone has access.</p><p>To preserve the quiet of the library, the tour guide had a microphone, and all the tour participants had head sets connected to the tour guide's output, so she could speak quietly and everyone could hear what she was saying. The building is built from Jerusalem Stone, a light-colored limestone. Even though it is called "Jerusalem Stone," the limestone for the building was quarried in Mitzpe Ramon, about 115 miles south in the Negev.</p><p>As part of the green concept, there is a huge skylight above the main reading rooms:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWiZJg58T7DhvZwW5jk2QfN4ZEl9vLNDaR3qVPLn1XXTh6u7_lHgqIcLZohZNUGHVEjZmRCCFdWeMIMID2RS72NAed5t4wQT0bAHba09K9vSrtboZI048uD84w27hfR8Hj_LPwZoRCB9lqsZ2xS_edc3oOK7iw6D6Bhq2T6eDijVJibweS7R_aYK26m4i/s4032/20231101_101139.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWiZJg58T7DhvZwW5jk2QfN4ZEl9vLNDaR3qVPLn1XXTh6u7_lHgqIcLZohZNUGHVEjZmRCCFdWeMIMID2RS72NAed5t4wQT0bAHba09K9vSrtboZI048uD84w27hfR8Hj_LPwZoRCB9lqsZ2xS_edc3oOK7iw6D6Bhq2T6eDijVJibweS7R_aYK26m4i/w300-h400/20231101_101139.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Besides the main reading room, there are several rooms for special collections and exhibits. There are offices, a synagogue and a prayer room.</p><p>What if the material you want isn't on the shelf? They it has to be retrieved from "the stacks," another really cool aspect of the library. In the storage area, the air is maintained at a very low oxygen level (like being on Mount Everest), so that nothing can catch fire. It also means that humans cannot breathe in the area, so it is all automated. The boxes are barcoded, and a computer directs the machinery.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhQBnQAG0VIJAcUzfuQKodjSbkIRbWp82rqp80VGCoETd3oc_JFiNmxV8pqCBhCWQBqBPU6JFdQXxf42yvH41NVJvoLwGQtu4MUIwgt0GSPDDoXp3vr14aGaHMv_veOPd4dwZWNlDPWG3GsakJvw7tDl8CO_ZjWxxadGF3Dbr-Eu8LlHJ_13G_sGwFOM5/s930/retrieval.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="930" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhQBnQAG0VIJAcUzfuQKodjSbkIRbWp82rqp80VGCoETd3oc_JFiNmxV8pqCBhCWQBqBPU6JFdQXxf42yvH41NVJvoLwGQtu4MUIwgt0GSPDDoXp3vr14aGaHMv_veOPd4dwZWNlDPWG3GsakJvw7tDl8CO_ZjWxxadGF3Dbr-Eu8LlHJ_13G_sGwFOM5/w400-h175/retrieval.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Outside, there is a big area for gatherings, and a rock sculpture representing letters:<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83daaTPXfMYjxCiL7IYd-WY15AKsUfjm9Cf6ds1MRkvBCWMmAowR1SS1DmkuDSMW6Z2ryy7xYoLY7f7MbA0t6hDeww-Ub8tOvXrlUGD8jYYy4npWQ5khI3iWpZdIqhuuJKqWXkpwbjKvCeTH2X91zzhyphenhyphen7eqiRoOl4DsC1pXG2Tt0e2OFmSUvTMm7loKir/s4032/20231101_105335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83daaTPXfMYjxCiL7IYd-WY15AKsUfjm9Cf6ds1MRkvBCWMmAowR1SS1DmkuDSMW6Z2ryy7xYoLY7f7MbA0t6hDeww-Ub8tOvXrlUGD8jYYy4npWQ5khI3iWpZdIqhuuJKqWXkpwbjKvCeTH2X91zzhyphenhyphen7eqiRoOl4DsC1pXG2Tt0e2OFmSUvTMm7loKir/s320/20231101_105335.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">REAL ISRAEL</span></b></div><div><br /></div>We usually finish up with a look at "The Real Cats of Israel." This segment originated because there were so many books about cats in Israel that gave the impression that they are all cute and cuddly and people love them, when, in fact, they are feral, often sickly, and are very unpopular, often dubbed "Israel's squirrels."<div><br /></div><div>So we'll end with REAL ISRAEL and dedicate this to the memory of Lavi Lipshitz, a 20-year old killed in battle on October 31st. Besides being a talented photographer, Lavi was an avid reader. May God avenge his blood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8aoamANuLHyPuAdB8j8XmM5EGHoq7MfyrN5TjlVNkPDA4t8k2tulM-0puIBVjdCzfysfsHDcuSSLuQtSpUGVegSznvJy2rcpbQIYh3SIZwZ_UCTZF136tUhWsx0Lio9Yo8VzSscj-o0KymCh3sK3lQ_MXfSZT8gtp2h1B3gJlyI_fIuvDta_g2qj4j6p/s534/photo.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP8aoamANuLHyPuAdB8j8XmM5EGHoq7MfyrN5TjlVNkPDA4t8k2tulM-0puIBVjdCzfysfsHDcuSSLuQtSpUGVegSznvJy2rcpbQIYh3SIZwZ_UCTZF136tUhWsx0Lio9Yo8VzSscj-o0KymCh3sK3lQ_MXfSZT8gtp2h1B3gJlyI_fIuvDta_g2qj4j6p/s320/photo.jpeg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-21575754268951069032023-10-02T17:51:00.001+03:002023-10-11T18:47:31.469+03:00The Beauty of Israel<p>I cannot help but wonder at the irony of my blog when Israel is being attacked on all sides by her enemies. But I think this is an important post. We in Israel basically want to live in peace and enjoy our beautiful homeland.</p><p> Jewish librarians have lamented that there are very few books for children about Israel that are just positive, good books -- no politics, no agenda. This season, there are three excellent children's books and a "coffee table book" that highlight the beauty of Israel, its diverse plants and animals and their ecosystems, and the wonder and miracle that is the Land of Israel.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ukjKgAVQnfgATD238K3FSOWrU0cPQXKnlWdMP20vzA6ZBj9PWzagU6SYBIA74Q5XRrVsnX81_pZ-l3VGTAWCT1P-Ti7TIMQmlGPO51NHSZyphPZffh1z7k3bzmGeA-p4a7G_yDESQUvfw1OzV4PwlbgFrVy1kAjy1tZI_h52a2mfi3G__0_ycA4uzpdl/s342/Barefoot%20in%20the%20Sand.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="342" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ukjKgAVQnfgATD238K3FSOWrU0cPQXKnlWdMP20vzA6ZBj9PWzagU6SYBIA74Q5XRrVsnX81_pZ-l3VGTAWCT1P-Ti7TIMQmlGPO51NHSZyphPZffh1z7k3bzmGeA-p4a7G_yDESQUvfw1OzV4PwlbgFrVy1kAjy1tZI_h52a2mfi3G__0_ycA4uzpdl/w200-h200/Barefoot%20in%20the%20Sand.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />Hava Divon's <i><b>Barefoot in the Sand </b></i>(Green Bean Books, 2023) is a story about making dreams come true. From the time he was a boy and heard stories about an amazing place, Saul longed to go to the Land of Israel and put his bare feet in the sand. When he grows up, he charts the way there from his home in Romania. Walking many miles, then taking a train, then taking a boat, he finally arrives in Tel Aviv. He then takes off his heavy boots and dances barefoot in the sand, joyfully singing Psalm 114 - “When the Jews left Egypt – a place so strange to Jacob and all his descendants – the Land of Israel became their haven and their home.” But wait! As Saul is reveling in being in Israel, another man, who has dark skin and is holding his sandals, is also barefoot and completes the verse from the Psalm. He is Solomon, and he has ridden a donkey all the way from Yemen. Rotem Teplow's illustrations complement the text, and they capture the dream and yearning of Jews to be in Israel in the past and today.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmSyptH02Y77GMvfC59i25GdVQOAj773kXj91d_uws25kQYbB60G47avlwaRyMJf74l2ACcAGvRuhJguu5MSoM3fGYoXycRcc5YMw-U_eylL7Sfh_oOcAtR35kf6oWbG_jrS6VqUTbtYE9VIX1WB13OTXmy8HFvaL5-DSQLFFnbHG7B-5XYMesXMRLZr5/s445/Miracle%20Seed.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="289" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmSyptH02Y77GMvfC59i25GdVQOAj773kXj91d_uws25kQYbB60G47avlwaRyMJf74l2ACcAGvRuhJguu5MSoM3fGYoXycRcc5YMw-U_eylL7Sfh_oOcAtR35kf6oWbG_jrS6VqUTbtYE9VIX1WB13OTXmy8HFvaL5-DSQLFFnbHG7B-5XYMesXMRLZr5/w130-h200/Miracle%20Seed.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br />Thank you to the folks at Eerdmans Books for Young Readers for an advance copy of Martin Lemelman's <b style="font-style: italic;">The Miracle Seed </b>because as I read this book, I keep saying "Cool!"<p></p><p>Graphic novel - cool</p><p>Archeology in Israel - cool</p><p>Discovering a 2,000-year-old date seed - very cool</p><p>Planting the seed and growing a date palm - really cool</p><p>And harvesting the dates - super cool</p><p>The graphic novel format is perfect for the combination of history and science. I can hardly wait to visit the Arava Institute in southern Israel and see the trees for myself!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EIqMdUL3teekMvrQXKNMhb7NKAdDW7wvkDyOiuOlMwr7KZV3NoI5js8TDXGUfzh4x48dobawXMMLcbKlOMZwo5HJHlk8u3kJKJQJ15AAL-eu8wywP4EWBwjQMPYwySYb8fNAUYdoSGY6V_RJdR6jadKUvHVXMtW3o41PnIjqHNWXlTwxktlWjvIQ8k2N/s1200/JudeanDatePalmMethuselahWithSign.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EIqMdUL3teekMvrQXKNMhb7NKAdDW7wvkDyOiuOlMwr7KZV3NoI5js8TDXGUfzh4x48dobawXMMLcbKlOMZwo5HJHlk8u3kJKJQJ15AAL-eu8wywP4EWBwjQMPYwySYb8fNAUYdoSGY6V_RJdR6jadKUvHVXMtW3o41PnIjqHNWXlTwxktlWjvIQ8k2N/w400-h300/JudeanDatePalmMethuselahWithSign.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wikipedia Commons<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUL7GKDS3OQVL8zx5vsdvl6bUlmke8BZpDUeAWMO2oPEVeLp2qgS4g6yrmxJImRrLZQyufKnbgFdyTYPaxZUOVzTficnvWkLBjDhVXH3aPQ9Gfvu7ndCOY-9tz-_E0QJSuTGbm-ZZYKuPWFu-xo8ioLQotHJJeOx7VsBX78OSuHGzhwOblKvLpK6lvsDW/s466/Feather%20Pebble%20Shell.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="394" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUL7GKDS3OQVL8zx5vsdvl6bUlmke8BZpDUeAWMO2oPEVeLp2qgS4g6yrmxJImRrLZQyufKnbgFdyTYPaxZUOVzTficnvWkLBjDhVXH3aPQ9Gfvu7ndCOY-9tz-_E0QJSuTGbm-ZZYKuPWFu-xo8ioLQotHJJeOx7VsBX78OSuHGzhwOblKvLpK6lvsDW/w169-h200/Feather%20Pebble%20Shell.jpg" width="169" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell </b></i>(Kar-Ben, 2024) is written and illustrated by <a href="https://mirileshembooks.com/" target="_blank">Miri Leshem-Pelly</a>, the author and illustrator of over a dozen children's books, including <i>Chloe's Nature Journal</i> and P<i>enny and the Plain Piece of Paper</i>. Based on her childhood experiences, Leshem-Pelly captures the beauty and diversity of Israel. From north to south, there are so many interesting and wonderful places. I was pretty excited to see the Twins Cave, also known as the Bat Cave included in the book because my family has often hiked there. It always amazes me that there are lush green parks in the center of Israel, and about two hours' drive south, the landscape is dry and stark, with totally different animals and plants. <div><br /></div><div>Unlike the girl in the book, who leaves the feathers, pebbles and shells she discovers for other people to find, I love having a little souvenir of my visit:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFtyzfd4LXLLoz5054PK9eiV522O8GoYtPeizhH-2FkYMbHJj445N8RdpYmXdq6_5yqU7VqDyJYEyHQO9ZhkcuSPS_h2NYiz6JjHQ9RFIaMyVjZicM_7GukyY-T0S6r1JXP_env6vmUgOJNUBSvVKafhLniSSrEUDkb71QoU9W-o3sx4Hn0FOFD7BclPN/s1206/rocks%20and%20stuff.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="1206" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFtyzfd4LXLLoz5054PK9eiV522O8GoYtPeizhH-2FkYMbHJj445N8RdpYmXdq6_5yqU7VqDyJYEyHQO9ZhkcuSPS_h2NYiz6JjHQ9RFIaMyVjZicM_7GukyY-T0S6r1JXP_env6vmUgOJNUBSvVKafhLniSSrEUDkb71QoU9W-o3sx4Hn0FOFD7BclPN/w640-h214/rocks%20and%20stuff.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div>In <b style="font-style: italic;">My Israel: Seventy Faces of the Land </b>(Gefen Publishing, 2023), "seventy prominent Israelis write movingly about their own special corner of the Land of Israel." Compiled by Nechemia (Chemi) J. Peres (son of Shimon) and Ilan Greenfield (Gefen's publisher), the book is divided into five sections: Zionist History: Sacrifice for the Homeland, Nature: The Land of Milk and Honey, Social Equality: Coexistence and Unity, Spirituality: History of the Jewish People, and Culture and Leisure: Life in Israel. Full disclosure: we like looking at pictures better than reading essays, although the one by Miriam Peretz, which describes why Samuel's Tomb is significant to her is touching (her sons Eliraz and Uriel "fell in battle during their service in the IDF"). Other contributors include Israeli executives, rabbis, and IDF officers, who describe their connection to places like Akko, Ben Gurion Airport, military cemeteries and historical sites like the Atlit Detention Camp, the Western Wall, and Habima National Theater. The mayor of our fair city (running for re-election, by the way) talks about Tel Beit Shemesh archeological site and the challenge of preserving it in the midst of a growing city. Our favorites: the dramatic landscapes of the Ramon Crater and the Negev and the gorgeous beaches at Arsuf Kedem and Tel Aviv.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9Bl9dxtikIT7FAf2NyHM5sBdVKMgKXdVhqipllCqK0HiMbcRo_ZJ16HGspKoAadCTm4gHA3GoGkWYojsQY6S0CZaTVcxYRUqHWKDlYhnWcT_v2NGpZtjDgeib0CJEBQW95qtegTbkb1jK0U5uOT5_nKgcGAxi0w28wxIBmF2eGISweNaQQc8Qmst4JzD/s1316/My%20Israel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1316" height="525" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9Bl9dxtikIT7FAf2NyHM5sBdVKMgKXdVhqipllCqK0HiMbcRo_ZJ16HGspKoAadCTm4gHA3GoGkWYojsQY6S0CZaTVcxYRUqHWKDlYhnWcT_v2NGpZtjDgeib0CJEBQW95qtegTbkb1jK0U5uOT5_nKgcGAxi0w28wxIBmF2eGISweNaQQc8Qmst4JzD/w640-h525/My%20Israel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p></p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, the ones are the Jerusalem Zoo are definitely a part of the beauty of Israel:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCRGzhKygAi8FDVEqX3VCLdGWZj-ykzprv7oK313jkEshA1lr5qkOG6ASk244qj2dZ_DG1wW2F_JDGk-7L-iDnVkb7emLpHlqJ0z9Lw8Ur1InFiGqxXicff1x2EkhYHSg7PBWBmbDi901ABF4re0dwLks6EyNBTevvuSOWB6YQ52ZtS63TX4G_BYalXLw/s4032/20231002_113540.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCRGzhKygAi8FDVEqX3VCLdGWZj-ykzprv7oK313jkEshA1lr5qkOG6ASk244qj2dZ_DG1wW2F_JDGk-7L-iDnVkb7emLpHlqJ0z9Lw8Ur1InFiGqxXicff1x2EkhYHSg7PBWBmbDi901ABF4re0dwLks6EyNBTevvuSOWB6YQ52ZtS63TX4G_BYalXLw/w300-h400/20231002_113540.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzgZoHaUsWroqF2kYCChsTnRmHI3pMS-4iuHpmi6chRwWoacgAEVMSFPBkRcFDVkQ5bp35rbhNbUKbqeUjyBbOZlcXOUr35hyphenhyphenPOYpKkTkaIzUIsur-fn5opOWnX-uTfBxPehmLOXtxZb3WnzmnavObLJi1pRF29osAD5xa9NagbhNx6ke7-L5ET0rArYz/s4032/20231002_111241.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzgZoHaUsWroqF2kYCChsTnRmHI3pMS-4iuHpmi6chRwWoacgAEVMSFPBkRcFDVkQ5bp35rbhNbUKbqeUjyBbOZlcXOUr35hyphenhyphenPOYpKkTkaIzUIsur-fn5opOWnX-uTfBxPehmLOXtxZb3WnzmnavObLJi1pRF29osAD5xa9NagbhNx6ke7-L5ET0rArYz/w300-h400/20231002_111241.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Happy Reading!</div></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-9543568054841560312023-09-12T10:03:00.000+03:002023-09-12T10:03:15.396+03:00Elul 5783<p> Wow! It's that time of year when we review the previous months and the books that have made an impact. Whether they have provided food for thought or good advice for the coming year, our list, much like our library, contains a variety of genres and subjects and fall into three categories: self improvement, enlightenment, and enjoyment.</p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">SELF-IMPROVEMENT</span></b></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexOHsECm9hfhjnZTwVSgohVuz0QeJYDT6lSPziIiNhMyWD4gRs6ICZjT69Ptm3yxmeUuMLRQ3GdOBvEGD9ur49X5BCbMx46YcgJzWq2gNnWzcieLOM9GHyJcqL26u2MorMGZUy1vo_ESGJfoKtF8rUWVY_zBpd8mNbgzjbfhuZAQ1unafaBinRG5wMWtt/s2560/Atomic%20Habits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexOHsECm9hfhjnZTwVSgohVuz0QeJYDT6lSPziIiNhMyWD4gRs6ICZjT69Ptm3yxmeUuMLRQ3GdOBvEGD9ur49X5BCbMx46YcgJzWq2gNnWzcieLOM9GHyJcqL26u2MorMGZUy1vo_ESGJfoKtF8rUWVY_zBpd8mNbgzjbfhuZAQ1unafaBinRG5wMWtt/w133-h200/Atomic%20Habits.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones </b></i>by James Clear.<p></p><p>The perfect book to read before Rosh Hashanah, when many Jews resolves to do things better or differently in the coming year. It reminded me of one of the classic Jewish books on character development, and Clear's advice is straightforward and easy to implement. </p><p><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgGSL3UdRR4lFJF4asFXtMnYXyAUpLsJlxP9fAqOTX0kbtG0W5YsKI9e1-L49zAKgtwHoTO_Y_X31oGGZA0Oy3dQZ_WJRsxdkhzvMoL8cDcvsFhW_Cb542wwOaqb4HRt6jwuCJgJfkIP4ACXHtPQiNavbXBsudejhRbTdq5f1RCDhY8K14-V1DlI10TxL/s466/Body%20and%20Soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgGSL3UdRR4lFJF4asFXtMnYXyAUpLsJlxP9fAqOTX0kbtG0W5YsKI9e1-L49zAKgtwHoTO_Y_X31oGGZA0Oy3dQZ_WJRsxdkhzvMoL8cDcvsFhW_Cb542wwOaqb4HRt6jwuCJgJfkIP4ACXHtPQiNavbXBsudejhRbTdq5f1RCDhY8K14-V1DlI10TxL/s320/Body%20and%20Soul.jpg" width="215" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Body & Soul: The Torah Path to Health, Fitness and a Holy Life b</b></i>y Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld & Dr Daniel Grove, MD.<p></p><p>We pray for health and healing, and this book is an interesting combination of Torah sources, suggestions and information to put you on the path to more meaningful living. With advice from rabbis and scholars and a medical advisory board, the book begins with a list of Torah luminaries and what they did to promote health and wellness, including diet and exercise. The authors assert that you are doing twenty mitzvot at the same time when you are exercising, and suggest ways to meet the challenge of staying healthy while partaking in lavish holiday meals, particularly in the month of Tishrei. There are "quiz questions" between the chapters, a food calorie guide, extensive endnotes, and a detailed index. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">ENLIGHTENMENT</span></b></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0ZxgLWbtD4HwU7heNgmeW_BqIvLqmsLh27MuYgbt-nWzeRep7WT_S3bSsgfxTWuCtSrr1Vok8FdanMZgAQpfaDfrVvqlvHap7dHcvuhHrH6A8kRrkHpqYAUUL8XLqUh1_vMmKgIio5oWueuF8HtPUPoJesikdGbSX7m9N7U4W79A0GDGmS-nf2n_Yirk/s466/can%20the%20whole%20world%20be%20wrong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="319" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0ZxgLWbtD4HwU7heNgmeW_BqIvLqmsLh27MuYgbt-nWzeRep7WT_S3bSsgfxTWuCtSrr1Vok8FdanMZgAQpfaDfrVvqlvHap7dHcvuhHrH6A8kRrkHpqYAUUL8XLqUh1_vMmKgIio5oWueuF8HtPUPoJesikdGbSX7m9N7U4W79A0GDGmS-nf2n_Yirk/w137-h200/can%20the%20whole%20world%20be%20wrong.jpg" width="137" /></span></a></b></i></div><p><i><b><i><b><br /></b></i></b></i></p><i><b>Can The Whole World Be Wrong?: Lethal Journalism, Antisemitism and Global Jihad </b></i>by Richard Landes. <p></p><p>This book could also have been titled "Can the Whole World Be Crazy?" Amazing and meticulously researched. I learned so much about the mainstream news media and so many terms that pinpoint the zeitgeist of the 21st century: moral schadenfreude, Y2K Mind, oikophobia. Enlightening and at times funny, it is also a warning. I particularly like the "Astoundingly Stupid Statements Discussed in This Chapter" at the end of several chapters because of their irony.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">ENJOYMENT</span></b></p><p><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLUJcSdKsfnCFSvY_zsyOJwHplApXe_KQBusk_t4mgrijFljhVoJY51ykqQ-OwPr0I0OWzDq9dODe1D8B1xgC7uuM6y19eyZyGLn1Z7zYl3JQGk9qXhna9-xmspJ2nv6GzXMHNZ85n2O6zfgK_yNbkofH6ySLSEDfOLjgMGLbxGxxpYMuZqAKnGep-j-u/s445/lessons%20in%20chemistry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="299" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLUJcSdKsfnCFSvY_zsyOJwHplApXe_KQBusk_t4mgrijFljhVoJY51ykqQ-OwPr0I0OWzDq9dODe1D8B1xgC7uuM6y19eyZyGLn1Z7zYl3JQGk9qXhna9-xmspJ2nv6GzXMHNZ85n2O6zfgK_yNbkofH6ySLSEDfOLjgMGLbxGxxpYMuZqAKnGep-j-u/w134-h200/lessons%20in%20chemistry.jpg" width="134" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Lessons in Chemistry </i></b>by Bonnie Garmus<p></p><p>Loved, loved, loved this book. It reaffirmed the joy of reading. Amazing, complex characters, strong sense of time in the 1960s and the challenges for women to be taken seriously, respected and appreciated. So much interesting information about chemistry and rowing. Although there was tragedy and sadness, there was also humor and lots of love -- the kind you build with the family you choose.</p><p><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><i><b><br /></b></i></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yhev-NhxeaUOG-GJAkryxVxphtIAQsLtISW1gPMOJjmAdK7Z0eTHhfvFjG85Ne1NTrz4RBsga09JXXAl7Av2gOfOQzfEaH3-kKhuBlSr2Nt1QGVQ5nqyWnkdK710zUlChmi80rQn0kV29fxKTDd73XmTRkfnzEfHczylhT7p8vdneEYJZ5iUrL1fpK0K/s445/packing%20my%20library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="285" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yhev-NhxeaUOG-GJAkryxVxphtIAQsLtISW1gPMOJjmAdK7Z0eTHhfvFjG85Ne1NTrz4RBsga09JXXAl7Av2gOfOQzfEaH3-kKhuBlSr2Nt1QGVQ5nqyWnkdK710zUlChmi80rQn0kV29fxKTDd73XmTRkfnzEfHczylhT7p8vdneEYJZ5iUrL1fpK0K/w128-h200/packing%20my%20library.jpg" width="128" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Packing My Library: An Elegy and Ten Digressions b</b></i>y Alberto Manguel<p></p><p>It's always nice to discover a kindred spirit, especially when it comes to books and reading and what a treasure it is to enjoy both. I loved reading about Borges, about Kabbalah, and about the joys of a physical book. It also reminded me of my boxes in storage, which, in the coming year, I hope to unpack.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>With the high heat in Israel, the Real Cats have spent a lot of time sleeping in the shade, so, instead, with the New Year, Life Is Like a Library brings you the Beauty of Israel:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp1epB0x8bFoKXB3LZciuwSLdwsrM9TW-nyOhyAHNM0XuPIf-R_qhWgUOEwjHEAPZ8ywDSUcviCkZzXllU4e3Je4yDF75rlbGeXtm3Z5XQTZADlfqnKBq1TdvLsKZqH66vaKgTFoqoyfvFnuDY5NN68r20jw6v47dRU3mpgaCsQgGNTGVs_9HOZpAVRg1/s4032/20230822_110213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp1epB0x8bFoKXB3LZciuwSLdwsrM9TW-nyOhyAHNM0XuPIf-R_qhWgUOEwjHEAPZ8ywDSUcviCkZzXllU4e3Je4yDF75rlbGeXtm3Z5XQTZADlfqnKBq1TdvLsKZqH66vaKgTFoqoyfvFnuDY5NN68r20jw6v47dRU3mpgaCsQgGNTGVs_9HOZpAVRg1/w480-h640/20230822_110213.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Judean Hills near Beit El</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>May you be inscribed for a good year!</p><p>Happy Reading!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-59233135795854652272023-08-12T22:09:00.001+03:002024-01-28T14:22:49.904+02:00The Joys of Summer ReadingBetween the extended hours of daylight, perhaps a lighter schedule, and some scheduled vacation, summer has always been an opportune time to read. We have fond memories of the Summer Reading Program at the local public library with special membership cards and charts and prizes, which included a game of bowling and a free frozen yogurt. We've always thought such incentive programs would work well for adults, but maybe with some more "mature" prizes.<div><br /></div><div>Libraries and bookstores promote "beach reads." Interestingly, <i>The Guardian</i> did research and found that the term gained popularity in the 1990s. Over time, it began to describe a certain type of book, something that will have mass appeal and isn't particularly intellectually stimulating.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our summer reading thus far does not fall into the "beach read" category:</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPjKBIBHktrSlu70IFCuq-YhU0Uv06XSYmeYzO8wIZz5GmLgw9ih36Sz2uRM0B5fIlhBP8CF0nsgAUSWQZIZUxhDdiB0VCRT1ksel4KkpdNzmJ8MHM_9ePeQZTV8bXgdx6I3mAy2DnZPs59raqAnz2pUtMr9IQttKhobwEqaAMeRx67y-fzAiajZb7Uv1/s2560/Wrath%20Becomes%20Her.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1691" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPjKBIBHktrSlu70IFCuq-YhU0Uv06XSYmeYzO8wIZz5GmLgw9ih36Sz2uRM0B5fIlhBP8CF0nsgAUSWQZIZUxhDdiB0VCRT1ksel4KkpdNzmJ8MHM_9ePeQZTV8bXgdx6I3mAy2DnZPs59raqAnz2pUtMr9IQttKhobwEqaAMeRx67y-fzAiajZb7Uv1/w132-h200/Wrath%20Becomes%20Her.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><br />First off, a recommendation for <i><b>Wrath Becomes Her </b></i>by Aden Polydoros (Inkyard, October 2023). We were lucky enough to get an advanced copy of the latest book by the author of <i>The City Beautiful -</i> winner of the 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Young Adults. We were totally blown away by this book about a female golem that takes place in Lithuania during the Holocaust. Interesting characters, strong sense of place and time, and a denouement (fancy word for how the whole story is wrapped up) that kept us on the edge of our seats, refusing to put down the book until we were finished. Run out and get this one immediately! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORjDpb8veT1mzGyf6CzKvFuYKTNMjV7rLLipQNCL7veps8-pNRsfcvTVkArmdREKL16o-EujD45G_CB4-AMNmgQT-xyVFyq-PoSaX2-aDvnoegmWiyo4DFGWIaUakONeg_t7qkLcqjlCLSR4FFdHo2enF0X-AMKlpzMeE__o3_hf3kUykWS04PkctQXMW/s2396/Possession.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2396" data-original-width="1563" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORjDpb8veT1mzGyf6CzKvFuYKTNMjV7rLLipQNCL7veps8-pNRsfcvTVkArmdREKL16o-EujD45G_CB4-AMNmgQT-xyVFyq-PoSaX2-aDvnoegmWiyo4DFGWIaUakONeg_t7qkLcqjlCLSR4FFdHo2enF0X-AMKlpzMeE__o3_hf3kUykWS04PkctQXMW/w131-h200/Possession.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><br />Another highlight has been <i><b>Possession</b> </i>by A. S. Byatt, a 1990 Booker Prize Winner. Our friend Jennifer recently organized "The Long Book Club." For those who many be intimidated by a book that is over 300 pages, she decided the group would read a long book - 500+ pages, but that we would meet every two weeks to discuss about one hundred pages. It feels a little like taking a course and doing homework, but with this book, it is well worth the time and effort. No Jewish content, but tons of references, fancy words, interesting places, and mythology and marine biology. As we read, we marvel at the genius of Byatt for weaving it all together in a story of a Victorian romance and a contemporary one.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And then there's a children's Passover book - <i><b>Workitu's Passover</b> </i>(Green Bean Books, 2023). It is "a story from Ethiopia" about the custom of Ethiopian Jews to break up their clay kitchenware before the holiday, "blend the fragments with more clay, and then create new containers from the mixture." Great illustrations complement the text, where Workitu is not happy because the family will break their dishes, but in the end, is happy to help her Auntie with the new creations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, the Real Cats of Israel have been trying to stay cool in the heat:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iT9bBvX_soE8i53j6WBEMHAtQFtA9z2ojOD_qioX87FEPXRHmPALH00swPdToxcdXNRssfUGdTKssRJkgdfJffHkncKFSdcTCYKjFUIRc9oOBW1wEDtgPo6gKXVYZ1S2UB9tgiOtXX0vzk2ocZI3Li51IpcNQ0OXYj4is0xwhsF1p4puGauwNr0pdWWX/s3840/IMG-20211101-WA0012.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iT9bBvX_soE8i53j6WBEMHAtQFtA9z2ojOD_qioX87FEPXRHmPALH00swPdToxcdXNRssfUGdTKssRJkgdfJffHkncKFSdcTCYKjFUIRc9oOBW1wEDtgPo6gKXVYZ1S2UB9tgiOtXX0vzk2ocZI3Li51IpcNQ0OXYj4is0xwhsF1p4puGauwNr0pdWWX/w225-h400/IMG-20211101-WA0012.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Reading!</div><br /><div><br /></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-55640744515657058822023-06-08T20:03:00.000+03:002023-06-08T20:03:23.721+03:00Can the Whole World Be Wrong?<p> At Life is Like a Library, we love trifectas. And we got a great one recently. Thank you to <a href="http://www.pomeranzbooks.com" target="_blank">Pomeranz Books</a> in Jerusalem for hosting an event promoted as</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>Lethal Journalism and the Oslo Debacle: A Panel About Media Bias Against Israel</b></span></p><p>Three authors spoke about the topic:</p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Eliezer Tauber</b>, </span>author of <i><b>The Massacre That Never Was </b></i>(The Toby Press, 2021);</p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Richard Landes</b></span>, author of <i><b>Can the "Whole World" Be Wrong?: Lethal Journalism, Antisemitism and Global Jihad</b></i> (Academic Studies Press, 2022);</p><p>and <span style="color: #ff00fe;">David Bedein</span>, author of <i><b>Roadblock to Peace: How the UN Perpetuates the Arab-Israeli Conflict</b></i> (Israel Resource Agency, 2014)</p><p>Also in attendance:</p><p> Jonathan Pollard, a former US intelligence analyst who was convicted of "conspiracy to deliver national defense information to a foreign government" and given a life sentence. He was paroled after 30 years and moved to Israel shortly after his parole expired. He sat on the panel with the authors;</p><p>and Leo Dee, whose wife and two of his daughters were murdered in a terrorist attack on April 7, 2023. He had much to add to the discussion in terms of how his family members' murders were reported by the media.</p><p>Pomeranz is one of our all-time favorite bookstores on many levels. It is a nice big store full of an eclectic mix of Jewish books (and some secular self-help books). It is located on Be'eri Street in Jerusalem, up the street from Froumine House on King George, which was the temporary home of the Israel Knesset from 1950 to 1966. And best of all, the staff is knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. And, obviously, they host interesting and engaging book events.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8q4_8DN8rrYRpd7_VCetHv03T6A5kJu_fW1euaPGMfVxsIGxVp_sWDTHZ5AMlpuJeGpx_kz7pwVkHMSXY9Y3q7A6o0cvyJMrKv0z77CX9pCbXZf8opTEMyrVkIA52HOfUcXOjwtsIjJVB9r7Aw9WV2dYzb46MQY6Mqdj7dY51AHYWu8xS6tg1P5PYQ/s960/Pomeranz%20Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8q4_8DN8rrYRpd7_VCetHv03T6A5kJu_fW1euaPGMfVxsIGxVp_sWDTHZ5AMlpuJeGpx_kz7pwVkHMSXY9Y3q7A6o0cvyJMrKv0z77CX9pCbXZf8opTEMyrVkIA52HOfUcXOjwtsIjJVB9r7Aw9WV2dYzb46MQY6Mqdj7dY51AHYWu8xS6tg1P5PYQ/w400-h266/Pomeranz%20Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vbVAlBTzDJAYo_OJxbEvaw3WHKmaHQMSYSBlug4ZTBYLI-LwTdXByuhlhnBbQ57Q52EW0hch1KLhuf-Vr4s7kJindbsM96-NQXSp7JACj4V2Tr_tJf76g3sS2FjEmQQ_j2Owh12uruAJIcnjOgXlqe36WEgPKY3yVze9mOodhGf-YblaWaD5ngBo1Q/s899/Massacre%20that%20never%20was.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vbVAlBTzDJAYo_OJxbEvaw3WHKmaHQMSYSBlug4ZTBYLI-LwTdXByuhlhnBbQ57Q52EW0hch1KLhuf-Vr4s7kJindbsM96-NQXSp7JACj4V2Tr_tJf76g3sS2FjEmQQ_j2Owh12uruAJIcnjOgXlqe36WEgPKY3yVze9mOodhGf-YblaWaD5ngBo1Q/w134-h200/Massacre%20that%20never%20was.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><br />Each author spoke, and then the panel interacted and later fielded questions from the audience. <b><span style="color: #38761d;">Professor Tauber</span> </b>is "a world expert on the emergence of the Arab nationalist movements, the formation of the modern Arab states, and the early phases of the Arab-Israeli conflict. He is currently the director of the Menachem Begin Institute for the Study of Underground and Resistance Movements." He spent four years researching his book and one year writing it. The notes comprise about a third of the book, and Tauber's sources includes archival records, typescripts of interviews, and many memoirs. <p></p><p>True to its subtitle, Tauber debunks "the myth of Deir Yassin." On April 9, 1948, Etzel and Lehi members attacked the village of about 1,000 residents west of Jerusalem as part of a larger Haganah operation to make the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway safe and break the siege of Jerusalem. About 100 villagers were killed, including women and children, as well as five of the attackers. Most of the villagers escaped to a neighboring village and the reminder were taken prison and moved to eastern Jerusalem. But the battle was exploited to enflame the Arabs against the Jews. The number of casualties was highly inflated, and false reports of rape and other atrocities were spread. Rather than encouraging the Arabs to fight, they fled. Hopefully Tauber's excellent research and presentation will finally put this myth to rest.</p><p><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfTy4mK65xEV6dY3S46uE6VYWRvLEomEOtuPL-_Qh5CCr5r21kxu2TniERNWtcLligba2zzdR1sJJ6h92wtZEyRp2dO8xzidEJkGBAnJvh3f4Uqu-nf8T9m88iEflmCG9UU-yTlWQ0sQ09u30mUB8SBAKUM5ynk4nhakZKsi5J4qgEoVhhYM0Z90Cow/s1500/Can%20the%20Whole%20World.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1027" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfTy4mK65xEV6dY3S46uE6VYWRvLEomEOtuPL-_Qh5CCr5r21kxu2TniERNWtcLligba2zzdR1sJJ6h92wtZEyRp2dO8xzidEJkGBAnJvh3f4Uqu-nf8T9m88iEflmCG9UU-yTlWQ0sQ09u30mUB8SBAKUM5ynk4nhakZKsi5J4qgEoVhhYM0Z90Cow/w137-h200/Can%20the%20Whole%20World.jpg" width="137" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />Professor Landes </span></b>was trained as a medievalist and taught history at Boston University. His book "documents how a radical inability of Westerners to understand the medieval mentality that drove Global Jihad prompted a series of disastrous misinterpretations and misguided reactions that have shaped our so-far unhappy century." Another meticulously researched book with extensive footnotes, a comprehensive bibliography and detailed index, one Amazon reviewer calls the book "frighteningly brilliant and brilliantly frightening." One of our favorite aspects of the book is Landes' terms to describe the current "journalistic" environment, including "Masochistic Omnipotence Syndrome," "Moral Schadenfreude," and "Humanitarian Racism." At a hefty 486 pages of text, it is a fascinating and worthwhile, if challenging read. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl8zz0AofDlriU2II99sCAARSnZ29ou6A876Sv9pf2JMWdz2f3Gd2HIlZYMetrhjlLddeC0nyAEDcfHxr2n3k0c-VzCeUOQihDxhyV6Cic2tpgynaj7eU5CYX8CexAotRJoHFRW_miFxy9SI0NcIzd8sGnCibS7DoYrpOfA4Pj75ks7wZvy4EQV8k-w/s2469/Roadblock%20to%20Peace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2469" data-original-width="1724" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl8zz0AofDlriU2II99sCAARSnZ29ou6A876Sv9pf2JMWdz2f3Gd2HIlZYMetrhjlLddeC0nyAEDcfHxr2n3k0c-VzCeUOQihDxhyV6Cic2tpgynaj7eU5CYX8CexAotRJoHFRW_miFxy9SI0NcIzd8sGnCibS7DoYrpOfA4Pj75ks7wZvy4EQV8k-w/w139-h200/Roadblock%20to%20Peace.jpg" width="139" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #ff00fe;">David Bedein</span> established the Israel Resource News Agency and serves as the director of the Center for Near East Policy Research. He also created and maintains the website<span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b> <a href="https://israelbehindthenews.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Israel Behind the News</span></a>.</b></span> His book details how the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) blocks peace and supports the teaching of hate and terror in Arab schools. It keeps the refugee issue alive and "avoids any permanent solution to the plight of the refugees from the 1948 war."<p></p><p>Bedein spoke about current efforts to "report Israel's reality to the media," and efforts to stop Palestinians terrorists and their families from receiving stipends for killing Israelis.</p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, this guy was wandering around the Adamit National Park in Northern Israel, probably more interested in what the picnickers were eating than the amazing views and the Keshet "Cave": </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeMzK91GZgUSuNSVUMKP8R-Jf85YsThQLYXi09gh64z2P2Le9xw5iA75SBXhv1NUKeFN5xnPkoxEt5VXXYJKUii88SXG3gy4GC9f_VNoRyKsCENQK9qv1BZPSfDJ6_10fa3aO5bb6rGaT05ucELOncDA2dBG7rtMcAJcHCwuxPwSfRv-g7WKhBvEKqQ/s829/cat%20at%20Adamit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="829" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeMzK91GZgUSuNSVUMKP8R-Jf85YsThQLYXi09gh64z2P2Le9xw5iA75SBXhv1NUKeFN5xnPkoxEt5VXXYJKUii88SXG3gy4GC9f_VNoRyKsCENQK9qv1BZPSfDJ6_10fa3aO5bb6rGaT05ucELOncDA2dBG7rtMcAJcHCwuxPwSfRv-g7WKhBvEKqQ/s320/cat%20at%20Adamit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLSPIVWxbs5isC3jxsSM1IumtH6znVJgRxc7BS6Qt4XseKwimfCUNWYLY3kiCNJaBmyoLoT_wPp_LMW7YFdXv3WxtlWpeXCPW_8jS9LfN6htxxBObU6Ztfi6H-Bypx2OUZhY-zexXnxq6cCvk2ftV0KX0sE5kyAs7z1tHcfbHBqEu0SGIaNPfAyPomw/s4032/20230529_150119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLSPIVWxbs5isC3jxsSM1IumtH6znVJgRxc7BS6Qt4XseKwimfCUNWYLY3kiCNJaBmyoLoT_wPp_LMW7YFdXv3WxtlWpeXCPW_8jS9LfN6htxxBObU6Ztfi6H-Bypx2OUZhY-zexXnxq6cCvk2ftV0KX0sE5kyAs7z1tHcfbHBqEu0SGIaNPfAyPomw/w480-h640/20230529_150119.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keshet "Cave" at Adamit Park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Happy Reading!</div><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-60803721816736909642023-05-12T13:29:00.002+03:002023-05-13T21:56:28.964+03:00MAY 2023 JEWISH BOOK CARNIVAL<p> </p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4O76DmalaettZZ--rlqLpgYPo4Bi0lA0fJdcF4OtsRVP_0CDpBq37YHDH2ki-5n-OqriIa5rJKjpDpHIkTfJXqGS4ubmkq_xb5WKFwGvT_f2dXy7diXKCkXOPC95TbcIMtPrOg5zkN2n-aNuMYQ90yAI3xFsStJqdFZnPIosWL0A4P9gblnbsB8M6g/s960/jewish_book_carnival.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4O76DmalaettZZ--rlqLpgYPo4Bi0lA0fJdcF4OtsRVP_0CDpBq37YHDH2ki-5n-OqriIa5rJKjpDpHIkTfJXqGS4ubmkq_xb5WKFwGvT_f2dXy7diXKCkXOPC95TbcIMtPrOg5zkN2n-aNuMYQ90yAI3xFsStJqdFZnPIosWL0A4P9gblnbsB8M6g/w400-h400/jewish_book_carnival.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />Life Is Like a Library is honored to host the May 2023 Jewish Book Carnival -- a monthly round up of links from across the blogosphere. It includes book reviews, author interviews, essays and other posts related to Jewish books.<br /><br />The purposes of the Jewish Book Carnival are to build community among bloggers who feature Jewish books and their blogs, and to promote Jewish reading and fields supporting this reading such as publishing and library services.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVhICF8Yy3Y3FPsG-lWdrodAdA49DpL8WDe2_Y2ZHcfVlUSS8B4NAI6I0XpnmeCwgUCnr6HbRKAVFrcJY1H3WMHQte-2rykCRYhRm0lkY0l6ICZX2gx6qouHC3uLOvjaujNSJ7TLPy4ecutH8qJNFLj4XWwWvhypvjZxKWRjhTGmqnbwHwNw1gX9Cmg/s2550/shadows%20we%20carry.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1644" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVhICF8Yy3Y3FPsG-lWdrodAdA49DpL8WDe2_Y2ZHcfVlUSS8B4NAI6I0XpnmeCwgUCnr6HbRKAVFrcJY1H3WMHQte-2rykCRYhRm0lkY0l6ICZX2gx6qouHC3uLOvjaujNSJ7TLPy4ecutH8qJNFLj4XWwWvhypvjZxKWRjhTGmqnbwHwNw1gX9Cmg/w62-h96/shadows%20we%20carry.jpg" width="62" /></a></div><br />As with the last time we hosted (in December 2022), Gila Green is the first one to submit, so she's at the top of the list. This month at <a href="https://gilagreenwrites.com/blog/guest-blog-posts/welcome-back-author"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Gila Green Writes,</b></span></a> Meryl Ain shares what it's like to write a second novel.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWK0V6FfBwhOLgCHyhXemzYmLn_tXFA7wP-O1MxEC_rdugPH5yOq59O94hINVBzcSFTGrlHu6qp8J5sA5in84i3YgMQTWeseTAqheUrB-3zKZPrFAchH7VBrj_Rqxw_7uKdYeJOKrHrVU-fFMf7eJpEzBr9tIxxHzCBu9kKjuqCx9AAwMVYLF0VPn2A/s2400/witch%20of%20woodland.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1589" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWK0V6FfBwhOLgCHyhXemzYmLn_tXFA7wP-O1MxEC_rdugPH5yOq59O94hINVBzcSFTGrlHu6qp8J5sA5in84i3YgMQTWeseTAqheUrB-3zKZPrFAchH7VBrj_Rqxw_7uKdYeJOKrHrVU-fFMf7eJpEzBr9tIxxHzCBu9kKjuqCx9AAwMVYLF0VPn2A/w57-h86/witch%20of%20woodland.jpg" width="57" /></a></div><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">At <a href="https://jewishbooksforkids.com/2023/04/25/interview-with-laurel-synder-author-of-the-witch-of-woodland/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Jewish Books for Kids and More</b></span></a>, Barbara Bietz interviews Laurel Snyder about her new middle-grade novel, <i><b>The Witch of Woodland.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Uk9DE7XVaZs-KOE9lH8Z3MPUnz2jZFQVMzqODoYHr4W5XkTGd2lGMjGp91C1BeXE09MfL1_ke0DEiGZzJLtTMZ8QYjs-_fFgY_2i2Uru6UtGv3uF6DBMw56cqCmbpBLKBc6KS1PllMrEOj7h9uVpmWENlAazCXcNZ0a0hwk-7C_xDrmDf5DPxm1nTw/s320/immigrant%20baggage.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="219" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Uk9DE7XVaZs-KOE9lH8Z3MPUnz2jZFQVMzqODoYHr4W5XkTGd2lGMjGp91C1BeXE09MfL1_ke0DEiGZzJLtTMZ8QYjs-_fFgY_2i2Uru6UtGv3uF6DBMw56cqCmbpBLKBc6KS1PllMrEOj7h9uVpmWENlAazCXcNZ0a0hwk-7C_xDrmDf5DPxm1nTw/w70-h103/immigrant%20baggage.jpg" width="70" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">On her blog Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, Deborah<b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2023/05/q-with-maxim-d-shrayer.html"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">interviewed</span></a><a href="https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2023/05/q-with-maxim-d-shrayer.html"> </a></span></span></b>Maxim D. Shrayer about his new book,<i><b> Immigrant Baggage.</b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">On her <a href="https://www.erikadreifus.com/blogs/my-machberet/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>My Machberet </b></span></a>blog, Erika Dreifus celebrates <a href="https://www.erikadreifus.com/2023/05/jewish-literary-links-jahm-edition/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Jewish American History Month </b></span></a>with a distinctly literary flair. <br /><br /><br />On The Book of Life Podcast, you can celebrate <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><a href="https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/04/jewish-american-heritage-month-2023.html">Jewish American Heritage </a><a href="#">Month</a> </b></span>using these resources that include a <a href="https://jewishlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/love_your_neighbor_3.pdf"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>book list</b></span></a> and a <a href="#"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>list of webinars on Jewish kid</b></span></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZQ6tqP_iYZJ37mRD3gVesTuPAtPtRAgP"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b> lit</b></span>,</a> and by listening to an<a href="https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-sky-full-of-song.html" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>interview with Susan Lynn Meye</b></span></a><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>r a</b></span>bout her middle grade Jewish novel set on the American prairie, <span style="color: black;"><i><b>A Sky Full of Song</b></i></span>.<br /><br /><br />The Sydney Taylor Shmooze mock award blog has a <a href="https://www.sydneytaylorshmooze.com/2023/05/review-librarian-of-auschwitz-graphic.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>review of the new graphic novel version</b></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">of</span> <span style="color: black;"><i><b>The Librarian of Auschwitz</b></i></span> </span>by Antonio Iturbe. The original prose version won the 2018 Sydney Taylor Book Award in the young adult category.<br /><br /><br />The Association of Jewish Libraries, in cooperation with ALA Graphics, is pleased to bring you this beautiful new Jewish American Heritage Month poster, with original art by Sean Rubin, illustrator of the 2021 Sydney Taylor Book Award winning picture book, The Passover Guest by Susan Kusel. Order your poster and matching bookmarks here: <a href="https://jewishlibraries.org/celebrate-jewish-american-heritage-poster/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>https://jewishlibraries.org/celebrate-jewish-american-heritage-poster/</b></span></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfxGzgOF_NYEVRufY9MqNqishz8ae-Ud4Op1t872RCLjmChZhl-yFWZjsdZHoB_oJKCeOneLgAF9LV61qyES9tmrQy4H0Sl8o0q61JKs9uOdB_sd0F8gz_MLwEUnHm-ROIy6MhgB8iWu8TagcoawuHyfyPHMSDBfcQVVzhoTgbsSSQsX6CGUAyRsJ7w/s372/poster.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="274" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfxGzgOF_NYEVRufY9MqNqishz8ae-Ud4Op1t872RCLjmChZhl-yFWZjsdZHoB_oJKCeOneLgAF9LV61qyES9tmrQy4H0Sl8o0q61JKs9uOdB_sd0F8gz_MLwEUnHm-ROIy6MhgB8iWu8TagcoawuHyfyPHMSDBfcQVVzhoTgbsSSQsX6CGUAyRsJ7w/w295-h400/poster.png" width="295" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>And, at Life Is Like a Library, it's that time of year to read books about <a href="http://lifelibrary-ksp.blogspot.com/2023/05/counting-omer-5783.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Counting the Omer </span></b></a>and making positive changes. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Heidi Rabinowitz has started a new Instagram account, Kidlit Kippot at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kidlitkippot/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>https://www.instagram.com/kidlitkippot/</b></span></a>, to curate images of Jewish representation in illustrations (kippot and other visual markers of Judaism), especially in non-Jewish kidlit. Please follow @kidlitkippot and if you have examples, please send images to Heidi at <a href="mailto:bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com">bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com</a>. <br /></span><div>Enjoy!</div></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-85140796291057060822023-05-11T16:17:00.001+03:002023-05-11T16:17:10.627+03:00Counting the Omer 5783<p> The period between Passover and Shavuot is a time for introspection and a good opportunity to work on character development as we move from the Exodus from Egypt to receiving the Torah. As in the past, the Life Is Like a Library reading list for these 49 days is a combination of Jewish and secular books. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLNlVX8fFtQG_MiY_tMb8NVHwDPCeNaSQFecq3couXTLWiqK6-_jprah7BwHTN-yIB36Fjg8qBppPDuczZ9Y1l5L3i8L5UFDZ_34cMGec9r_0fB4WRDLF4r-ai3s-bzRc34THaacUa-KC68qhukDDjSEYldktz7EvXWC0zbORoXAUZT5g6Vi9APecUQ/s1545/dance%20of%20the%20omer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLNlVX8fFtQG_MiY_tMb8NVHwDPCeNaSQFecq3couXTLWiqK6-_jprah7BwHTN-yIB36Fjg8qBppPDuczZ9Y1l5L3i8L5UFDZ_34cMGec9r_0fB4WRDLF4r-ai3s-bzRc34THaacUa-KC68qhukDDjSEYldktz7EvXWC0zbORoXAUZT5g6Vi9APecUQ/w129-h200/dance%20of%20the%20omer.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><br />In <b><i>Dance of the Omer: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Transformational Journey of Sefirat Ha'Omer</i></b> (Mystical Skeptics Publishers, 2021), Rav Benji Elson presents the daily and weekly count as "a journey and process that follows the Waters of Eden as they flow out from the Garden, transform in the processes of precipitation, and ultimately, become the plants of the Garden -- this planet -- and the wheat of the Omer grains themselves. The Dance of the Omer, then, is a transformational 'movement' that mirrors the natural cycles involved in the growth of Life and in the growth of the Omer Offering itself." <p></p><p>There are many "layers" to this dance. For each week, Elson presents the form of water (River, Sea, Storms, etc.) as well as the corresponding blessing from the Amidah, the Hebrew vowel sound, the type of song, the color, the direction (North, South, etc.), the element (Water, Air, Earth, Fire), the Archetype, and the Prophetess. There are meditations and visualization practices. For each day, there is a discussion of the power of that day, a practice, and a suggestion to apply what was discussed about the day. </p><p>To be honest, there is a lot of metaphor and non-standard practice that is not my cup of tea. But the book provides a lot of information, and the metaphor of water flowing and changing works well to emphasize that we should also be building upon the days of the Omer, noticing the natural flow of life, and hopefully applying what we learn all-year round.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURK1EvGcqBdY4EFn1xM_-FpFiFL3YsoTx6S9nufhKS71goEIuLCWdEnT6Y7spmOrIAs3vzU0KZaYHNTNSxVPhYLDtxzliPaBahYcHXhs2TmWuZ0csMaGS8ZkAxsAN9tDd5SwdAb_gPYbgPd7SFYie0VIOowcFepZDCIfYaMV-CJ5d1gohPuJKFdFLJQ/s2560/Atomic%20Habits.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURK1EvGcqBdY4EFn1xM_-FpFiFL3YsoTx6S9nufhKS71goEIuLCWdEnT6Y7spmOrIAs3vzU0KZaYHNTNSxVPhYLDtxzliPaBahYcHXhs2TmWuZ0csMaGS8ZkAxsAN9tDd5SwdAb_gPYbgPd7SFYie0VIOowcFepZDCIfYaMV-CJ5d1gohPuJKFdFLJQ/s320/Atomic%20Habits.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />The <i>New York Times </i>Bestseller <i><b>Atomic Habits </b></i>by James Clear is a perfect book for the Omer. Don't think "atomic," as in Atomic Bomb blowing up things. Think "atomic" in terms of the atom -- "the smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of electrically charged particles." Tiny changes can lead to remarkable results. <p></p><p>Why this book is so great is because, according to Clear, when you look at your habits, you don't want to think in the short term. </p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">THERE ARE NOT GOOD HABITS OR BAD HABITS. THERE ARE ONLY EFFECTIVE HABITS.</span></b></p><p>(This reminded me of one of the tenets of character development: there are no "good" character traits or "bad" character traits. The challenge is to have them in balance, with appropriate traits in appropriate situations).</p><p>You have to ask yourself:</p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DOES THIS BEHAVIOR HELP ME BECOME THE TYPE OF PERSON I WISH TO BE?</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DOES THIS HABIT CAST A VOTE FOR OR AGAINST MY DESIRED IDENTITY?</span></b></p><p>Exactly what we should be thinking about as we count the Omer. Highly recommended reading for everyone, the young the better, so you can develop and maintain good habits and break bad habits early. </p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, sometimes you just need to take a nap on a bookcase:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-C-gRIz5SF9Q5NFTgYdp5bOr1w5M35Gt7JLsfT_cj63fkyan19KcWXj379GkIXwZjKKhnBAjm2ThTfs7J7FnK6idf6RQC4uRi4aOS__TodnvrmEfpwsiRUO42V673hNAR68CeaIYO7ohD6Bl52IU8WwR8BCziimiPTO1ssXUYHgwQtdOtIEts9rJ78A/s1600/IMG-20200904-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-C-gRIz5SF9Q5NFTgYdp5bOr1w5M35Gt7JLsfT_cj63fkyan19KcWXj379GkIXwZjKKhnBAjm2ThTfs7J7FnK6idf6RQC4uRi4aOS__TodnvrmEfpwsiRUO42V673hNAR68CeaIYO7ohD6Bl52IU8WwR8BCziimiPTO1ssXUYHgwQtdOtIEts9rJ78A/w225-h400/IMG-20200904-WA0001.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p>Happy Reading!</p><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-35829083754498911732023-01-11T12:27:00.000+02:002023-01-11T12:27:20.971+02:00All the Broken Places<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> John Boyne's latest release is getting a lot of hype and a lot of hate. <i><b>All the Broken Places </b></i>(Pamela Dorman Books, 2002 (US edition)) is the sequel to <i><b>The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas </b></i>(David Fickling Books, 2006). I don't recall any book that has incited so much ire from my library colleagues, so let's look at that big elephant first. Written "as a fable," it is the story of Bruno, the son of a Nazi official at Auschwitz, and the totally unlikely and impossible friendship he develops with Shmuel, a boy of similar age who is interred in the death camp. Longing for companionship, Bruno crawls under the barb-wire fence and joins Shmuel, both of them ultimately dying in the gas chamber. The book has sold eleven million copies worldwide, yes 11,000,000 copies, and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet and opera. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MRmjTi0vraGbshf6sXa69tEz2OUexBbBDoc6hz7szMrtedtaDQm9wDrsVcmlK3IfprhW2qmFVa__E3d1zJAqf519-6FsLoEA5XLHxnyKBq6AaDlX8vBUHlvOCXswUQYs28YStBSCIj6uJpCWcA4jORA3gRQxZFZD339VmGuiedV7b36IWf5Sh_bNvw/s2448/boy%20in%20the%20striped%20pyjamas.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="1636" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MRmjTi0vraGbshf6sXa69tEz2OUexBbBDoc6hz7szMrtedtaDQm9wDrsVcmlK3IfprhW2qmFVa__E3d1zJAqf519-6FsLoEA5XLHxnyKBq6AaDlX8vBUHlvOCXswUQYs28YStBSCIj6uJpCWcA4jORA3gRQxZFZD339VmGuiedV7b36IWf5Sh_bNvw/w134-h200/boy%20in%20the%20striped%20pyjamas.jpg" width="134" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Critics have skewered this book because it is unrealistic, paints Bruno's death as a bigger tragedy than Shmuel's, and distorts the horror of Auschwitz. Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a noted Talmud professor at Yeshiva University, wrote an <a href="https://aish.com/48965671/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>article</b></span></a> on Aish.com that called the book "well-meaning, " but also quoted a Holocaust survivor, who begged the rabbi to "<span style="color: #363636;">tell everyone that this book is not just a lie and not just a fairytale, but a profanation."</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #363636;">Super Jewish kidlit librarian Heidi Rabinowitz gave </span><a href="https://everyoneloveditbutme.com/the-boy-in-the-striped-pajamas/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>her views</b></span></a><span style="color: #363636;"> on Lisa Hedger's podcast </span><a href="https://everyoneloveditbutme.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>"Everyone Loved It But Me."</b></span></a><span style="color: #363636;"> She finds the book extremely offensive because the book does not work as a fable -- there is no moral to teach, it attempts to humanize Nazis, and Bruno is impossibly naive. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #363636; font-family: georgia;">I do not hate this book as much as everyone else does. By now it is too famous to not know the plot and the ending, but when I first read it in 2006, I noted Boyne's skill in drawing the reader in and building tension. I read a lot of Holocaust literature, and I thought that the literary quality of the book would encourage readers to further explore the topic. And even if I did not like it, or found issue with it, it could always be used as an example and a teaching moment by pointing out the inaccuracies and the improbability of the story. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span style="color: #363636;">I was reminded of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk, "</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>The Danger of a Single Story</b></span></a><span style="color: #363636;">."</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: georgia;">She notes "how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children." The main takeaway from her talk is that "The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete." I would apply this to <i><b>The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas</b></i>. This is definitely not the one book to read to learn about the Holocaust. But, quite frankly, neither is <i><b>The Diary of Anne Frank</b></i>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f0f0f; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QnB6LDEaq2vqIxpiuieM8kCXwDd_sihderHp7Lt9_Qut4sGBoT6LXWN8bE7OSaZ0Q95vwCdqj_KJK7AhPxRLK971Ec4uuHVONAgiWihQuyXZuVn5HeV0phitjWSSKiGMrVbtBXQI8xl6LTo2txgQ3Di0NzJkX0fprj305anR8fLKqvJf_sQfzTq3YA/s390/all%20the%20broken%20places%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="390" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QnB6LDEaq2vqIxpiuieM8kCXwDd_sihderHp7Lt9_Qut4sGBoT6LXWN8bE7OSaZ0Q95vwCdqj_KJK7AhPxRLK971Ec4uuHVONAgiWihQuyXZuVn5HeV0phitjWSSKiGMrVbtBXQI8xl6LTo2txgQ3Di0NzJkX0fprj305anR8fLKqvJf_sQfzTq3YA/w400-h306/all%20the%20broken%20places%203.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f0f0f; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Would I have picked up <i><b>All the Broken Places </b></i>if it was not promoted as the sequel to <i><b>The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas?</b></i> Probably not. I never wondered what became of Bruno's sister, but I was intrigued by the hype. It is interesting how the cover of the UK version mimics its predecessor, while the US version does not. There is something about a sequel -- knowing the characters and their history brings you right into the action of the book. The title is taken from a conversation about Europe after the war: "They're still rebuilding...after all that unpleasantness...". Gretel "felt if I might laugh out loud. It was an extraordinary way to refer to six years of war, countless millions of deaths and all the broken places that had been left behind."</span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Without giving too much away, <i><b>All the Broken Places </b></i>is meant for adults. It is about Bruno's sister, Gretel, and is told in alternating chapters. Gretel is now in her nineties and living in the posh Mayfair neighborhood of London. But every other chapter recalls her back story. She leaves Germany as a teenager. She and her mother are living in Paris three years after Bruno's death -- six months after her father is hanged for war crimes. Her mother has become an alcoholic, and Gretel feels a pervading guilt throughout her life. Her guilt haunts her for the rest of her life, and, as the reader will learn, there are reasons for the guilt.<br /><br />I enjoyed the book. There is no question of John Boyne's skill as an author. You can tick off all the appeal points: well-developed, nuanced characters, strong sense of place in every location, great pacing and tone. There is humor, anger, sadness -- the whole gamut of emotion. <br /><br />In his author's note, Boyne describes the book as "a novel about guilt, complicity, and grief." He also notes</span><br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;">Writing about the Holocaust is a fraught business and any novelist approaching it takes on an enormous burden of responsibility. Not the burden of education, which is the task of non-fiction, but the burden of exploring emotional truths and authentic human experiences while remembering that the story of every person who died in the Holocaust is one that is worth telling. </span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;">For all the mistakes in her life, for all her complicity in evil, and for all her regrets, I believe that Gretel's story is also worth telling. </span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;"><br /><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;">It is up to the reader to decide whether it is worth reading.</span></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">It definitely is.</span><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f0f0f; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f0f0f; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-88856008839291573282022-12-12T18:23:00.001+02:002022-12-12T19:26:13.936+02:00JEWISH BOOK CARNIVAL - DECEMBER 2022<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYxOv0WTiaiMFJ8hWIomraW_d4IjGQDVECxXdMPlzjVDs3jkYeCT19e6MNUInp6kgphOE_cubjFJ1_wRRUmc2VlwkEFSOLkYH-k1ipKva255jANmI603j-lj1p7wOGPdk6JSqGskXRkMhARi0ZHYWbNzlNCldG8K0slp1P5u-wUo9WAM5y2r2sG7XBA/s960/jewish_book_carnival-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYxOv0WTiaiMFJ8hWIomraW_d4IjGQDVECxXdMPlzjVDs3jkYeCT19e6MNUInp6kgphOE_cubjFJ1_wRRUmc2VlwkEFSOLkYH-k1ipKva255jANmI603j-lj1p7wOGPdk6JSqGskXRkMhARi0ZHYWbNzlNCldG8K0slp1P5u-wUo9WAM5y2r2sG7XBA/w640-h640/jewish_book_carnival-1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Life Is Like a Library is honored to host the December Jewish Book Carnival -- a monthly round up of links from across the blogosphere. It includes book reviews, author interviews, essays and other posts related to Jewish books. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The purposes of the Jewish Book Carnival are to build community among bloggers who feature Jewish books and their blogs, and to promote Jewish reading and fields supporting this reading such as publishing and library services.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This month </span><a href="https://www.gilagreenwrites.com/index.php" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">Gila Green Writes </a><span style="font-family: georgia;">hosts author Haviva Ner-David who shares her experience of novel writing and tries to answer the question: </span><a href="https://www.gilagreenwrites.com/index.php/blog/guest-blog-posts/guest-post-author-haviva" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">W<span>hat Is Fiction Writing About, After All?</span></span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On The Book of Life Podcast, Heidi Rabinowitz interviews two Sephardic authors, Bridget Hodder (</span><b style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The Button Box</i>)</b><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and Sarah Aroeste (</span><b style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom</i>)</b><span style="font-family: georgia;">. </span><a href="https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2022/12/its-always-party-with-sephardi.html" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">I<span style="color: #2b00fe;">t's Always a Party with a Sephardi!</span></a></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Sydney Taylor Shmooze has plenty of Hanukkah book reviews, including </span><a href="https://www.sydneytaylorshmooze.com/2022/12/review-hanukkah-at-monicas.html" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">this review </span></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">of </span><i style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Hanukkah at Monica's</b></i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> by Varda Livney, reviewed by Rinat Hadad Siegel.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Association of Jewish Libraries has published an <a href="https://jewishlibraries.org/ajl-statement-on-censorship-and-banning-books/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">open statement against book banning</span></a> on their blog, People of the Books.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: georgia;">On her blog Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, Deborah <a href="https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2022/11/q-with-deborah-r-prinz.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><span>interviewed</span> </b></span></a>Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz about her new children's picture book, <i>The Boston Chocolate Party</i>.<br /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">At Jewish Books for Kids... and More, Barbara Bietz shares a <a href="https://jewishbooksforkids.com/2022/11/27/hanukkah-book-roundup-2022/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Hanukkah book roundup</b></span></a>.<br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sarah Lavane, author of Unmatched: An Orthodox Jewish Woman's Mystifying Journey to Find Marriage and Meaning, <a href="https://jewishlink.news/features/55208-unmatched-sarah-lavine-speaks-candidly-about-shidduch-resumes-matchmakers-and-orthodox-singles?fbclid=IwAR22ed_qlcYRNzGaESZFmYVwHGt9Q1DPCacxloYCu-_-NbSsWeZXtwXQ6UE"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>talks to Michael Feldstein from Jewish Link</b></span></a> about shidduch resumes, matchmakers and Orthodox singles.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">On her <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><a href="https://www.erikadreifus.com/blogs/my-machberet/">My Machberet</a> </b></span>blog, Erika Dreifus routinely compiles news of Jewish literary interest. Here's one recent post: <a href="https://www.erikadreifus.com/2022/12/jewish-literary-links-155/"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Jewish Literary Links</b></span></a>.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In Tablet Magazine, Rachel Fremmer picks <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/best-jewish-childrens-books-2022" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>The Best Jewish Children's Books 0f 2022</b></span></a>. <br /><br />And at Life Is Like a Library, <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><a href="http://lifelibrary-ksp.blogspot.com/2022/12/winter-in-israel.html">Winter in Israel</a> </b></span>means bird migration and hot soup.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Happy Hanukkah!</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHYoCO7cNdrEfNcw6RDDvKJMr6fDevgF18-tGsW-08IITJcylhMwmaN0MRGv1I4Ev2tDulIt7dRvjnQtW9uazTLrYSU3M5o3AOgB1tjtzmksGwA7Bjnv_vWQ3emr_9WPD14_MdpRIhz67SXKxznYVJY7Gk4aNlHlZ4D2gGTXeOFCjkjyTCOIeoegE6A/s3602/hanukkah.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3542" data-original-width="3602" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHYoCO7cNdrEfNcw6RDDvKJMr6fDevgF18-tGsW-08IITJcylhMwmaN0MRGv1I4Ev2tDulIt7dRvjnQtW9uazTLrYSU3M5o3AOgB1tjtzmksGwA7Bjnv_vWQ3emr_9WPD14_MdpRIhz67SXKxznYVJY7Gk4aNlHlZ4D2gGTXeOFCjkjyTCOIeoegE6A/w400-h394/hanukkah.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-17033199041649845392022-12-08T19:11:00.004+02:002022-12-29T17:52:09.270+02:00Winter in Israel<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> When the weather turns cold in Israel, a few things happen. It starts to rain, birds start their migration from Europe and Asia to Africa, the supermarket puts away the "artiks" (sugar-water ices) and put out the Krembo, and I eat a lot of soup.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">While I could wax poetic about the deliciousness of Krembo, the chocolate-covered marshmallow sitting on a cookie, there are no books about them...yet. But there are some great books about the bird migration through Israel:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpEZ3B7-qA9V2DlG0poUV8gOn5jKSyy-c90acOTHu0EnIgdxN9nSRD9tmeZ4jU6l-baNQCHvLnJ0YW2X0HrGWSrLsLoF8FSK66Qsji4R_xBYd5riNGi5LwGd9oVUL2Cvs3D78JIBQWPXMVxN0R4mamNAjapd0-bLueBdYyHX2Vqlpk0KsCqErAMuSlw/s2560/All%20Eyes%20on%20Alexandra.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2148" data-original-width="2560" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpEZ3B7-qA9V2DlG0poUV8gOn5jKSyy-c90acOTHu0EnIgdxN9nSRD9tmeZ4jU6l-baNQCHvLnJ0YW2X0HrGWSrLsLoF8FSK66Qsji4R_xBYd5riNGi5LwGd9oVUL2Cvs3D78JIBQWPXMVxN0R4mamNAjapd0-bLueBdYyHX2Vqlpk0KsCqErAMuSlw/w148-h124/All%20Eyes%20on%20Alexandra.jpg" width="148" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Anna Levine's <i><b>All Eyes on Alexandra</b></i> (Kar-Ben, 2018) is about a crane who flies to the beat of a different drummer, but when leadership is needed to get the flock where they need to go, Alexandra takes charge. Chiara Pasqualotto's illustrations capture the grace of the big birds in the air.</span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBTig92guwbWF2YYnbh87vPUcWn3MxuI0GNho2vvh2rvCwxl-yHvDV4gpJQ7r8gCRaLjRRSyPiQSS0X37huirFNtyYBrA0-4HOp2y0dpP_UuK68o1DGh66woO9d0YmNOyPT7Wo1jzALrnBL5w6u37cv7rtkmc_sNY585JcCkCY_GDhIWhKHccFZ9N6w/s2560/Stork's%20Landing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="2560" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBTig92guwbWF2YYnbh87vPUcWn3MxuI0GNho2vvh2rvCwxl-yHvDV4gpJQ7r8gCRaLjRRSyPiQSS0X37huirFNtyYBrA0-4HOp2y0dpP_UuK68o1DGh66woO9d0YmNOyPT7Wo1jzALrnBL5w6u37cv7rtkmc_sNY585JcCkCY_GDhIWhKHccFZ9N6w/w157-h132/Stork's%20Landing.jpg" width="157" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Tami Lehman-Wilzig's new book with Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz, <i><b>The Boston Chocolate Party </b></i>(Apples and Honey, 2022) about chocolate and Hanukkah is getting a lot of buzz, but <i><b>Stork's Landing </b></i>(Kar-Ben, 2014) remains one of my favorites. When I reviewed it for the Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter, I noted that "Simple, colorful illustrations complement the text, with the white and gray of the storks set against vibrant spring blossoms and muted shades of autumn skies. Several aspects of life in Israel enhance the story: the annual migration of birds and the cooperative community environment of the kibbutz."</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptYzQQsgqaWtfl2JnZ49MNrE8aaEqik_DQYtRJOlvcgH5ez-kAigqzzf8dQ7f7KwT69TIeuiqKESwheYzs74bMQ8MIutap2jUnMILxWnzD0Uof6-mmdDq0Svln-KlGspnFcnbWP6xhHcfRf0waLszkOafKD-n6ldD0qhfCFTIdhdl2yBD81WeL9NiVA/s1250/Storky's%20Journey%20Home.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1000" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptYzQQsgqaWtfl2JnZ49MNrE8aaEqik_DQYtRJOlvcgH5ez-kAigqzzf8dQ7f7KwT69TIeuiqKESwheYzs74bMQ8MIutap2jUnMILxWnzD0Uof6-mmdDq0Svln-KlGspnFcnbWP6xhHcfRf0waLszkOafKD-n6ldD0qhfCFTIdhdl2yBD81WeL9NiVA/w92-h116/Storky's%20Journey%20Home.jpg" width="92" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">An interesting selection, also published this year is <i><b>Storky's Journal Home</b></i> by Nachshon Meir Spiegelman (The Israel Center for Libraries). "Storky loses her way during her first migration, and finds herself in a wonderland, confused by the different people she meets, all of whom seem to share one story about the longest journey of all time. This is the Jewish people's story, through the bird's eyes."<br /></span><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRtYv43yI4THVS8C1IYLT5PRCyJP3D5ULow0fPV-tTrOarX7K4O5-DdvswQwK9x_xMpV2rAi9xxoYISZDTp6S3njCeE-HuKLHUsaN-lHbcyG8Patc4bySDlRHNXHeeW_T7NEehpFDlcvz3RFl40kJ76E5llf5zgafInMl8rqnhxHCELzXxpY7IF45PA/s500/man%20who%20flies.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="487" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRtYv43yI4THVS8C1IYLT5PRCyJP3D5ULow0fPV-tTrOarX7K4O5-DdvswQwK9x_xMpV2rAi9xxoYISZDTp6S3njCeE-HuKLHUsaN-lHbcyG8Patc4bySDlRHNXHeeW_T7NEehpFDlcvz3RFl40kJ76E5llf5zgafInMl8rqnhxHCELzXxpY7IF45PA/w128-h131/man%20who%20flies.jpg" width="128" /></a></span></div><br /><br />And, of course, there is <i><b>The Man Who Flies with Birds </b></i>(Kar-Ben, 2009) by Carole G. Vogel and Yossi Leshem. Yossi was a Senior Researcher in the Department of Zoology in the Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University and is the founder and Director of the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration. He has done amazing things in his field including tracking migratory storks with GPS and working with barn owls as pest control agents. The book explains how Yossi's knowledge of bird migration reduced air collisions by rerouting planes. <br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: 700; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK1aE_jXGqDw1rBifghzSHPII1L_rbPjL2_UtGveLNn7qHtXUDDNif44KvERJZCSaf0Mw4GTMT51XphbNJSOOf0dD5Du2GFTEMmBNTTI4eDe5oldKzDEXrEUlFixGJEb_oYQDinJxVFQFrFlg5LHKL8pFK3qIsyw7bcGQf_dRZt2ZLPmlFHJG_4fnEQ/s2560/jewish%20flavours.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1966" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNK1aE_jXGqDw1rBifghzSHPII1L_rbPjL2_UtGveLNn7qHtXUDDNif44KvERJZCSaf0Mw4GTMT51XphbNJSOOf0dD5Du2GFTEMmBNTTI4eDe5oldKzDEXrEUlFixGJEb_oYQDinJxVFQFrFlg5LHKL8pFK3qIsyw7bcGQf_dRZt2ZLPmlFHJG_4fnEQ/w154-h200/jewish%20flavours.jpg" width="154" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Winter is also a great time to warm comfort foods. When Michael Leventhal was kind enough to send me an advance copy of Silvia Nacamulli's <b><i>Jewish Flavours of Italy: A Family Cookbook</i> </b>(Green Bean Books, 2023), I was fascinated by the introductory chapter about the history of Jews in Italy -- in some cases dating back to the destruction of the Second Temple. But as I looked through the recipes, there weren't too many my family would be adventurous enough to try because of ingredients like anchovies and pine nuts. But I found one that is an ultimate comfort food: Minestra di Pasta e Patate (Pasta and Potato Soup) combines noodles, potatoes, and cheese. Don't tell my family that there are two anchovies!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some other soups we'll be whipping up to warm us from the cold:</span></p><p><a href="https://www.kitchenstories.com/en/recipes/thai-carrot-soup-981e" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">Thai Carrot Soup</span></b></a></p><p><a href="http://www.laurieconstantino.com/recipe-index/gypsy-soup/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">Moosewood Gypsy Soup</span></b></a></p><a href="https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/curried-carrot-sweet-potato-ginger-soup"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">Curried Carrot, Sweet Potato, and Ginger Soup</span></b></a><br /><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy Reading (and eating!)</span></p><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-24214946114658604082022-09-05T09:07:00.000+03:002022-09-05T09:07:57.843+03:00Elul 5782<p>As Rosh Hashanah approaches, our preparations for the New Year accelerate during the month of Elul: shopping, cooking and baking, and preparing both emotionally and spiritually. It's also a good time to review the past year, noting both accomplishments and areas that can use some improvement, and then plan for the New Year. At Life Is Like a Library, some of the many books we've read over the past year are particularly apropos for Elul:</p><p>Two great children's books remind us to think positive. In <i><b>Tomorrow Most Likely</b></i> by Dave Eggers (Chronicle Books, 2019), a boy starts out with the assertion that "tomorrow most likely there will be a sky. And chances are it will be blue." As he goes through his day, he reassures himself of other things that are most likely tomorrow, like squirrels and airplanes, and finding rocks, but also riding whales and eating clouds. Lane Smith's amazing illustrations make this book a visual delight, and the comfort of things that are "most likely" is a perfect message to keep in mind in the coming year. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQf5h6Xd9clr8X6pMb8S1teRPtPYFcl8m_Biu22KLToCWAXYNT_qZ9k0yq_g5ICWKN5cTsAGhOMSqTUk2xFiYZQ4YVj0pPfP6Dt9MCgfsWuvPQvWqPbW3XXxJUjOhQE4hiSHhMjKjKgwMQGv7_mooP9GwOihGtVBc-XsPzNlnr-Hyx8AHrH6_1R-xqvQ=s2560" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1994" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQf5h6Xd9clr8X6pMb8S1teRPtPYFcl8m_Biu22KLToCWAXYNT_qZ9k0yq_g5ICWKN5cTsAGhOMSqTUk2xFiYZQ4YVj0pPfP6Dt9MCgfsWuvPQvWqPbW3XXxJUjOhQE4hiSHhMjKjKgwMQGv7_mooP9GwOihGtVBc-XsPzNlnr-Hyx8AHrH6_1R-xqvQ=s320" width="249" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhresybiokrQ1ks2iBSwUSaxtqg6L8xpl-QlmpG8o5mCRbDeg3ybo_pNTWn9_83JSqSjT_IpBgkpRte_-Bu3JmL6pc8nEP4HMV6w9nHNTVHJlSbxyu9ytqI2wUElSTXhKq0dihJwo1U-zPKWK3DmscmqDN-Lq9ICMYmLtJsTJkT0GDWBwKEu-QJBLT0Vw=s2560" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1979" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhresybiokrQ1ks2iBSwUSaxtqg6L8xpl-QlmpG8o5mCRbDeg3ybo_pNTWn9_83JSqSjT_IpBgkpRte_-Bu3JmL6pc8nEP4HMV6w9nHNTVHJlSbxyu9ytqI2wUElSTXhKq0dihJwo1U-zPKWK3DmscmqDN-Lq9ICMYmLtJsTJkT0GDWBwKEu-QJBLT0Vw=s320" width="247" /></a></p><p>Shinsuke Yoshitake's <i><b>There Must Be More Than That! </b></i>(Chronicle Books, 2020) also has a great message for Elul. "Grown-ups often tell you to choose one of two things. But if neither of them seems right...there are more choices over here!" Little sister's imagination goes wild with the possibilities. From reassuring to ridiculous, we must remember there are always more than two options.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><b>But Perhaps. Just Maybe...</b></i> (Green Bean Books, 2022) was one of our favorite children's books this year. The combination of cute illustrations and <i>mussar</i> (character development lesson) is a winner. Bonus points that the lesson is directly from <i>Pirke Avot </i>-- giving the benefit of the doubt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin6yJeqB8cD9nCqZBxng4dzrOHpRdQEIoZrIK6zBuVOQEBTIjohKGzM4U0DJV3vR3HELDLc6ujyyY6npGrJxx4H3dvB5lS21hIcXHJEJBE0jAm6ZRIkrSMj8JvGNO73LMoti0ashjrGEAYeDQpnFgcvwd9ikZWMtcJexu-km8RjtyHTJyhuU0noF66pw=s2560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2383" data-original-width="2560" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEin6yJeqB8cD9nCqZBxng4dzrOHpRdQEIoZrIK6zBuVOQEBTIjohKGzM4U0DJV3vR3HELDLc6ujyyY6npGrJxx4H3dvB5lS21hIcXHJEJBE0jAm6ZRIkrSMj8JvGNO73LMoti0ashjrGEAYeDQpnFgcvwd9ikZWMtcJexu-km8RjtyHTJyhuU0noF66pw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And yet another Green Bean Book based on a verse from Tanach - <i><b>Nuri and the Whale</b></i>. Written by Ronit Chacham, translated by Mekella Broomberg and illustrated by Oran Yogev, it tells the story of, well, Nuri and the Whale. Nuri follows his father's advice, taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet): "Cast your bread on the water, and one day it will come back to you" (11:1). He feeds a little fish every day, and soon the fish grows big. The fish takes him to see the Wisewhale -- the King of the Sea. Wisewhale gives Nuri the ability to understand the language of animals and gives him some parting words,"Know that there will be days to come when you will give and take -- and you will be both happy and sad." Some interesting things happen to Nuri, and he passes his sage advice to his grandchildren: <b><span style="color: #7b1ebd;">"Those who open their hearts will be rewarded in the end. What will the reward be? Sometimes treasure, sometimes a smile, and sometimes a joyful heart." </span></b>What a great message to start the year. The gorgeous illustrations bring the story to life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9JB9DEE35dvJZGUR50WXKGLB9gGhIB126DRjSWTo-BMGboD8mrWu8y4pnBrVKQg5bNFA235JHmxQpQ3WipJH7yXyX7OB-2OdcVu9iNWP5EbqPwc8G1efRNDQHo9hgjOoBxJy694bH2f4wZsCpcIWDjVR7TlNKKH7q5aEJKn-V2OnYkt5ziE19ROtPQ/s2560/nuri%20and%20the%20whale.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh9JB9DEE35dvJZGUR50WXKGLB9gGhIB126DRjSWTo-BMGboD8mrWu8y4pnBrVKQg5bNFA235JHmxQpQ3WipJH7yXyX7OB-2OdcVu9iNWP5EbqPwc8G1efRNDQHo9hgjOoBxJy694bH2f4wZsCpcIWDjVR7TlNKKH7q5aEJKn-V2OnYkt5ziE19ROtPQ/w314-h320/nuri%20and%20the%20whale.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Brene Brown's <b style="font-style: italic;">The Gifts of Imperfection </b>(20th Anniversary Edition, Random House, 2020)is a must read, and it's a perfect book for Elul. Brown encourages everyone to strive for wholeheartedness. She provides ten guideposts to help you get there, and each guidepost has suggestions for Digging Deep -- Getting Deliberate, Getting Inspired, and Getting Going. The guideposts include cultivating self-compassion, cultivating calm and stillness, doing meaningful work (even if you are not paid in currency) and cultivating laughter, song and dance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnlOQslStAIKu4mU79nbMzibRS0qr_21Hdg8ny39SOlqNYKWg0z1nQwPcq6WZHerpMY7gt8XRonZHUX-hObN5TGZ4kX0GkzX9TJL76haX709qsuln35n8BL6oBa9AwXJDpNujHeCr-6zXfaGQhYj_nt-NG2pztIksoIQO_zgy_NDrpIrmDPlubRFuVw/s400/Hired%20Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="247" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnlOQslStAIKu4mU79nbMzibRS0qr_21Hdg8ny39SOlqNYKWg0z1nQwPcq6WZHerpMY7gt8XRonZHUX-hObN5TGZ4kX0GkzX9TJL76haX709qsuln35n8BL6oBa9AwXJDpNujHeCr-6zXfaGQhYj_nt-NG2pztIksoIQO_zgy_NDrpIrmDPlubRFuVw/w124-h200/Hired%20Girl.jpg" width="124" /></a></div><br />The Hired Girl</b></i> by Laura Amy Schlitz, the 2016 Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers, is the story of Joan/Janet, a farm girl who escapes the drudgery of her life of chores and becomes a hired girl to a Jewish family in Baltimore. There are so many wonderful aspects of this book that include Joan's honest and romantic personality, history and aspects of life in the early 1900s, and Joan's appreciation of Judaism as she works for the family. But I found this to be such an "Elul book." Joan/Janet is always inspiring -- to read more books, to learn, to become a better Catholic, and to be helpful to other people. And isn't that what Elul is all about?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">And one more time...Boulou, the sweet bread or cake that Jews of North African (Libya, Tunisia) origin traditionally eat during the month of Tishrei. (From </span><i style="text-align: left;"><b>Babka, Boulou & Blintzes: Jewish Chocolate Recipes from Around the World</b></i><span style="text-align: left;"> (Green Bean Books, 2021)</span></div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jC-vJ0xw7Ia0oG5nPUffriMomjkupe1WTrenMYXdCmQ49IJeDwSjtwHVimBLF16vL7OkNyKXWU-R9XJm7u_3XsWXj3DsCgHVGgfqmIJTkj_Gi-ob7TBSClGOPCYC_A7XrDWW-iFBLvDVZA0NhoAsQTe2qqnRNT4zuWXltwT1CpjrmgHcTqQjbVRizQ/s2560/Bsbks%20Boulou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1930" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jC-vJ0xw7Ia0oG5nPUffriMomjkupe1WTrenMYXdCmQ49IJeDwSjtwHVimBLF16vL7OkNyKXWU-R9XJm7u_3XsWXj3DsCgHVGgfqmIJTkj_Gi-ob7TBSClGOPCYC_A7XrDWW-iFBLvDVZA0NhoAsQTe2qqnRNT4zuWXltwT1CpjrmgHcTqQjbVRizQ/s320/Bsbks%20Boulou.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><br />BOULOU</div><br /><br />from Fabienne Viner-Luzzato (<a href="http://www.fabienneshomecooking.com/">www.fabienneshomecooking.com</a>)<br /><br /><br />Makes 3 boulou (each one will cut into several slices; number of slices depends on thickness)<br />Prep time: 30 minutes<br />Cook time: 15-20 minutes<br /><br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br /><br />2 large eggs (2 extra-large eggs in the US)<br />150 g/5 1/2 oz/3/4 cup sugar<br />2 teaspoons vanilla sugar<br />125 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup vegetable or sunflower oil<br />about 500 g/1 lb. 2 oz/ 3 3/4 cups self-raising flour (extra for dusting)<br />100 g/3 1/2 oz/2/3 cup dark chocolate chips<br />50g/ 1 3/4 oz/ 1/3 cup raisins<br />50 g/1 3/4 oz/1/3 cup flaked almonds<br /><br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/180 degrees Celsius fan/400 degrees Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.<br /><br /><br />2. Place the eggs, both sugars and the vegetable or sunflower oil in a mixing bowl and mix together using a fork. Start adding the flour slowly, mixing with your hands to form a dough. Mix the flour in well, avoiding leaving behind lumps of flour. Add enough flour to make a soft dough -- the consistency of the dough needs to be soft, easy to touch but still slightly sticky.<br /><br /><br />3. On the work surface, divide your dough into three equal portions to make three different flavored boulou. Add the chocolate chips to one portion of dough, the raisins to another and the flaked almonds to the final portion of dough, kneading each flavoring into the dough until evenly distributed. Cook's Tip: If you prefer, you can mix all the flavoring ingredients together (the chocolate chips, raisins and almonds), then simply divide this mixture into three and knead one portion into each portion of dough.<br /><br /><br />4. Roll the flavored portions of dough into three equal-length logs (you might need to dust the work surface with a little flour first) and then flatten each one into a rectangle about 5 cm/2-inch wide and 15-20 cm/6-8-inch long, then place on the lined baking sheet.<br /><br /><br />5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they become golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack, then leave to cool completely. Once cool, cut into 2 cm/3/4-inch thick slices to serve (or you can cut them into thinner slices, if you prefer).<br /><br /><br />6. Store the baked logs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days, and slice them, as needed. They will keep for longer, but will dry a little -- but they will still taste amazing dipped in hot black coffee!<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoFFMqzPhDr07dmrvdh67VkOT0cp72GCTG3vjkezlQmzSlajoqn1XDmWGp7ChOlzgP7xMM_vsn8IPpUcnrzkgAsV07SYE8D1mDP6v8Lyn-q2WexaQyxveKv4WEmUI-NLjADDjVH-mAnpYvKX6yNhsBc7CcZ1PJGR0FBqQfmEwTEpZzo5XX5QBQNEMh-w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoFFMqzPhDr07dmrvdh67VkOT0cp72GCTG3vjkezlQmzSlajoqn1XDmWGp7ChOlzgP7xMM_vsn8IPpUcnrzkgAsV07SYE8D1mDP6v8Lyn-q2WexaQyxveKv4WEmUI-NLjADDjVH-mAnpYvKX6yNhsBc7CcZ1PJGR0FBqQfmEwTEpZzo5XX5QBQNEMh-w=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br />As for the Real Cats of Israel, they are also excited for Elul, anticipating lots of delicious food scraps from all the cooking and baking:<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYq36xcLTDdEGv4DkwrK7JCx3q-vcxUKjU1Id8quYVqlrX69K7f_k-OBZXD931DcetsvvYPBLuE6Y9IVcjEtZj5Wk7r3utjQBLMlu9PEvRlx8pbd9kA8AU3NaI8pzjAZDTpZphgDnmQLH71XSwQWth_UlhqdECM-Kri4qAU3vu06jhGAUaK78rsyMSg/s4032/20200210_063901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYq36xcLTDdEGv4DkwrK7JCx3q-vcxUKjU1Id8quYVqlrX69K7f_k-OBZXD931DcetsvvYPBLuE6Y9IVcjEtZj5Wk7r3utjQBLMlu9PEvRlx8pbd9kA8AU3NaI8pzjAZDTpZphgDnmQLH71XSwQWth_UlhqdECM-Kri4qAU3vu06jhGAUaK78rsyMSg/w300-h400/20200210_063901.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div>Happy Reading!</div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-11906351821722710342022-08-04T13:47:00.002+03:002022-09-29T07:49:26.554+03:00Between the Dire Straits - Bein HaMetzarim<p> T<span style="font-family: georgia;">he three week period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av is known as "Bein HaMetzarim" - between the dire straits, and it is the saddest period in the Jewish calendar. The custom is not to hold weddings, not to play or listen to live music, and not to cut hair or shave (as a sign of mourning). Because it is considered a time of misfortune, many avoid dangerous situations, such as travel or surgery. But, as always in Judaism, it is also a time to reflect and learn. So when we are between the "dire straits," we read a lot of Holocaust-related material:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt2G5vZdGkB9V1MroZPBDFCd31Kk-bcWlzqKZh0KUZvFzlV95ACXdP6-ZxrPwDf8I-YpZJiQPWvjh8FI6SKMmJfp7CANRpK3KOlhoKO-E0QOTI3emCU33ZA-0tB3EkvzYOoKkzDgjtwRnIf95gfgrgI1izwaclQmPui59hKuot7la-4r9cuPnFLzMkA/s1360/Irma's%20Passport.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="880" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt2G5vZdGkB9V1MroZPBDFCd31Kk-bcWlzqKZh0KUZvFzlV95ACXdP6-ZxrPwDf8I-YpZJiQPWvjh8FI6SKMmJfp7CANRpK3KOlhoKO-E0QOTI3emCU33ZA-0tB3EkvzYOoKkzDgjtwRnIf95gfgrgI1izwaclQmPui59hKuot7la-4r9cuPnFLzMkA/w129-h200/Irma's%20Passport.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Catherine Ehrlich writes about her grandparents' harrowing experiences in Austria before, during and after the <i>Anschluss </i>in <i><b>Irma's Passport: One Woman, Two World Wars, and a Legacy of Courage</b></i> (She Writes Press, 2021). Irma, Ehrlich's grandmother, was one of the rare women who attended university in the early 20th century. She and her first husband planned to go to England and study literature, but World War I started, and he was killed in combat. Heartbroken, Irma went to Vienna to teach. She encountered Jacob Ehrlich, whom she had known in their native Bohemia (Czech Republic). They married and had a son, Paul. Soon after, the Nazis arrived and made life miserable for the Jews. Catherine never knew her grandfather. As an active leader of the Jewish community, he was arrested and taken to Dachau, where he died. Irma was able to use her knowledge of languages and connections to escape to London with her son. She spoke to Jewish groups about the urgent need to save the Jews trapped in Nazi-occupied areas. After the World War II, she and Paul moved to the United States, where she eventually worked filing persecution claims for Holocaust survivors.<br /><br />Irma literally lived history, and much of the book is about historical events. It is also interesting how many nationalist stirrings and Antisemitism there was even before World War I. Irma was a survivor, and her granddaughter combines Irma's account of her life, the historical events, and her own memories of this formidable lady to show that Irma refused to think of herself as a victim. </span><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgZ9zM4VQmq1BnHQYC4MQGHIXlan_xwzk_eJXqRQbD0mBtyeKa28A1EYE0hUjiPhLVeJEnWQF_4DgRZVEEMFBD4yY2DCGxUF11bVuzIgvy2QuUn3Edkb9NBnuLeB6AY7ExkwPxXh8lwyoQBbyizbu0OLTKofa6HoSY072NH38Ggv1IKZO_IhvGP3quA/s1500/Child%20Without%20a%20Shadow.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgZ9zM4VQmq1BnHQYC4MQGHIXlan_xwzk_eJXqRQbD0mBtyeKa28A1EYE0hUjiPhLVeJEnWQF_4DgRZVEEMFBD4yY2DCGxUF11bVuzIgvy2QuUn3Edkb9NBnuLeB6AY7ExkwPxXh8lwyoQBbyizbu0OLTKofa6HoSY072NH38Ggv1IKZO_IhvGP3quA/w133-h200/Child%20Without%20a%20Shadow.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Subtitled "A Story of Resilience," <i><b>A Child Without a Shadow </b></i>(self-published, 2021) is the story of Shaul Harel. His family left Warsaw in 1932 for Brussels, where he was born Charles-David Hilsberg in 1937. When the Nazis invaded, he and his sister were separated from their parents and hidden with non-Jews. After World War II, he was sent to an orphanage, then a school, and immigrated to Israel when he was twelve. He served in the Israeli army, went to medical school, and became a renowned pediatric neurologist. This book contains a lot of reflection. Did Shaul's time as a hidden child, where his life was devoid of love, mental stimulation and fresh air, spur him to his achievements and his caring way with child patients? Another fascinating and inspiring story of someone who lived history. </span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVLlSiItCBmpPilAjUb8zUHxGNGgGDTg0gUnpnOjdoPOHdgVola62O-wKsvjVDFzsCJ_-y65gnxHcNhYqKyg6vOztoTivhkr3LhG17vdCYKDX3DbGUjbRDK22bC8N_KrdprHSPhzU6bgcbfUqrz-pn0dEYWwEmtnGZmkalm7Z3NxOVt9JMBKA8KsdDQ/s2560/forgotten.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1692" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVLlSiItCBmpPilAjUb8zUHxGNGgGDTg0gUnpnOjdoPOHdgVola62O-wKsvjVDFzsCJ_-y65gnxHcNhYqKyg6vOztoTivhkr3LhG17vdCYKDX3DbGUjbRDK22bC8N_KrdprHSPhzU6bgcbfUqrz-pn0dEYWwEmtnGZmkalm7Z3NxOVt9JMBKA8KsdDQ/w133-h200/forgotten.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />The Forgotten Memoirs </b></i>(by Esther Farbstein; Mesorah, 2011) may have the wrong title because the stories are unforgettable. Its subtitle, "Moving Personal Accounts from Rabbis Who Survived the Holocaust," gives the reader an idea of the content. Farbstein did extensive research and found that many rabbis published learned books after World War II, and in the introduction to the book or in an afterword, they described their experiences during the Holocaust. These introductions are the text of the book. Each story is unique, but there are some similarities: the rabbis' circuitous journeys through Europe to escape the Nazis, their concerns for their constituencies, and their adherence to Torah Judaism no matter the danger or challenge. It's a thick volume, but it is probably better to take breaks between each rabbi's account. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbMkvq7dgvhvs2y744DbcJrYWiw_TfKHYbY02_Ytfi1WQTRIya1vr1onruE3KdTI-3h4vx3gaHq9AhG83t6Dnfr2clwZT8OnHqulKVCXrPkrglq0o0eN2pZ0vWKqSIvhGS2GWrAUqAgevTRFJctEhidF1cI94BclucJ-QVsTtmcp8eekTtT-Pl4N_Vw/s499/vanishing.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbMkvq7dgvhvs2y744DbcJrYWiw_TfKHYbY02_Ytfi1WQTRIya1vr1onruE3KdTI-3h4vx3gaHq9AhG83t6Dnfr2clwZT8OnHqulKVCXrPkrglq0o0eN2pZ0vWKqSIvhGS2GWrAUqAgevTRFJctEhidF1cI94BclucJ-QVsTtmcp8eekTtT-Pl4N_Vw/w126-h200/vanishing.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><br />The Vanishing </b></i>(Library Tales Publishing, 2022) by David Michael Slater is billed as "an unforgettable journey of redemption and revenge." The story starts when Sophie Siegel is eleven years old, and the situation for Jews in Germany is deteriorating quickly. As she hides from Nazis in a closet, she realizes she is invisible. Her primary goal is to keep her younger neighbor, Giddy, safe and alive. But as she moves from her village to the ghetto to a concentration camp, she learns that there are no rules, and no justice. Full of action and full of graphic detail of Nazi atrocities, the reader will root for Sophie and Giddy. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hopefully, this will be the last time we read Holocaust books during the Three Weeks because they will be transformed into days of joy!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">As for the Real Cats of Israel, we've had quite a parade of feral cats, including Noga:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qgI1hZphxE2NvcJeNLPoq_NWnsRyg1BED2O1sB-QiKMKHCXNq2i_AEYLjbm4MryQ2Szt36lLnDNkGM3cskqUbDIKOVRHO9z_se2w15htqCd_9ZLSsjLv5Xx3jOLO7tf5UUwVGBbFl_66nAto3dhwHIwf1inheuGWc04uCyz6kqsxu3QCG6qpVqeqHg/s4032/20211006_070807.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qgI1hZphxE2NvcJeNLPoq_NWnsRyg1BED2O1sB-QiKMKHCXNq2i_AEYLjbm4MryQ2Szt36lLnDNkGM3cskqUbDIKOVRHO9z_se2w15htqCd_9ZLSsjLv5Xx3jOLO7tf5UUwVGBbFl_66nAto3dhwHIwf1inheuGWc04uCyz6kqsxu3QCG6qpVqeqHg/s320/20211006_070807.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Meaningful reading!</span></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-78387293325618337032022-07-12T19:35:00.000+03:002022-07-12T19:35:52.257+03:00Leaving Eastern Parkway<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj013r1aIpChGVPlKuo2e-QIfEeNJPUUjvn8X1de17iTxK3ChBm8aZrAW0JFdmZBQZNGkgT84zsFZ-1YtgLvMmsGg3OM2fPW0xSkbMYBkPOsUpWKG6nNH9ZuVGqbCiB9_IpsRm-4B82NShIoGy9-UUPovUD-F8rTldKfLIHiDgRNfZjt3Raj0RU46Kz8A/s2400/Leaving%20Eastern%20Parkway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj013r1aIpChGVPlKuo2e-QIfEeNJPUUjvn8X1de17iTxK3ChBm8aZrAW0JFdmZBQZNGkgT84zsFZ-1YtgLvMmsGg3OM2fPW0xSkbMYBkPOsUpWKG6nNH9ZuVGqbCiB9_IpsRm-4B82NShIoGy9-UUPovUD-F8rTldKfLIHiDgRNfZjt3Raj0RU46Kz8A/w266-h400/Leaving%20Eastern%20Parkway.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>At Life Is Like a Library, we read a lot of books in the "Off the Derech (OTD) genre -- stories of religious Jews who decide to leave the Orthodox fold (See some selections in the <a href="https://jewishlibraries.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Off-the-Derech-Bibliography.pdf" target="_blank">AJL Bibliography Bank</a>). That is the only spoiler we will give so that you can enjoy all the humor and irony in Matthew Daub's first novel. Available in September from Delpinium, the novel centers on Zev Atshul, a handball-playing fifteen-year old from Crown Heights Brooklyn. The story takes place in the early nineties, where Zev is conflicted about his love of handball and his place in the Lubavitcher Hasidic community. After a tragedy, for which Zev feels guilt, he goes to live with his sister in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. Life in the Midwest is a challenge. But this resourceful teenager stumbles to find his way, making interesting friends and questioning God's mercy and justice.<p></p><p>Full disclosure (put no spoilers!): I had low expectations for this book. So many OTD books have stereotypical characters, especially the religious ones, who come off as crazed, hypocritical and cultish. And, of course, all the non-religious characters are wonderful and morally superior. The characters here were more nuanced, and Zev's relationship with a Reform Rabbi is a combination of both awkward and touching. Although the characters do walk down Eastern Parkway, the main drag in the Lubavitch community in Crown Heights, there is much more significant Jewish content and a Yiddish glossary at the end for all the words included. The author has also captured the cadence of speech easily recognizable in this Brooklyn enclave. The pacing is great. The story develops slowly but steadily and the mix of mundane and dramatic is just right. There is a strong sense of place in Brooklyn, Urbana, and Chicago (and another location!). The ending is satisfying -- not happily ever after, but one that makes sense for the story. As said, full of irony, some sadness, but lots of humor, including Zev trying to lose his Brooklyn cadence by watching and repeating after a television host.</p><p>Daub is a retired university art professor, and one wonders how much of his personal experience is reflected in the character of Paul in the novel.</p><p>I can't wait to discuss this one with super librarian and book group moderator Rachel Kamin!</p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, they are taking it easy in the summer heat:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRf0KTyUY2rQ3W9jZwkEoQb_DSovizi5TUu0qDrLKuy-F2NQQCnFQlADKAAudUIknbFtumXyYmbPuBHfi98Pymv7pL0pPOrZG76k2DawfjRGo4pkjnt7eXdjedwK_HRLcFghKdvnCDbOyV7tmvPuGHNNMyZYt7RMZBF8P-vsKMYQQDus4gONPt3k1JNg/s1440/Toxi%20at%20rest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="810" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRf0KTyUY2rQ3W9jZwkEoQb_DSovizi5TUu0qDrLKuy-F2NQQCnFQlADKAAudUIknbFtumXyYmbPuBHfi98Pymv7pL0pPOrZG76k2DawfjRGo4pkjnt7eXdjedwK_HRLcFghKdvnCDbOyV7tmvPuGHNNMyZYt7RMZBF8P-vsKMYQQDus4gONPt3k1JNg/w225-h400/Toxi%20at%20rest.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><p>Happy reading!</p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-24057779028273167632022-06-12T08:47:00.000+03:002022-06-12T08:47:12.779+03:00The Jerusalem International Book Forum and The International Writers Festival<p> Every May, Jerusalem is host to the<a href="https://www.jbookforum.com/" target="_blank"> International Book Forum</a> and <a href="https://fest.mishkenot.org.il/en/home/a/main/" target="_blank">The International Writers Festival.</a> As with many events, this live gathering was highly anticipated. While there were many interesting sessions from which to choose, the one that caught my eye was "Where the Cool Kids Are: The Rise and Rise of YA and Children's Literature." As an aside, my former English teacher, Christopher Pomeroy Fearon, is rolling in his grave about a phrase ending with a form of the verb "to be" and with a colon after it. But I guess the "Cool Kids" don't worry about proper grammar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-4W0WJkfMo-OA6upXnILPX3uSS0DzQm2HG4BQv5_G0YJdrh82C7Q3zh-qON2rtYZ6zSuHg6xl0pPdn2d9v9zp_uRr6OZYOklDZLFDdSMq6TkDFj9__vaLO9dR0Nt3hX6253Q1-5pg_oQ6j7f6RqgHrXHvgg1uGQ3ZEaH7_KHXLEEPYam3pSMb_fkQg/s4032/20220517_112132.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-4W0WJkfMo-OA6upXnILPX3uSS0DzQm2HG4BQv5_G0YJdrh82C7Q3zh-qON2rtYZ6zSuHg6xl0pPdn2d9v9zp_uRr6OZYOklDZLFDdSMq6TkDFj9__vaLO9dR0Nt3hX6253Q1-5pg_oQ6j7f6RqgHrXHvgg1uGQ3ZEaH7_KHXLEEPYam3pSMb_fkQg/w400-h300/20220517_112132.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>This was the first YA panel ever presented at the Forum. The session was moderated by Rena Rossner, Literary Agent at The Deborah Harris Agency in Israel. Her first question to the participants was about what's happening in the market, and what's selling. Obviously, the pandemic had a huge impact on book sales, with increases across the board. Barbara Marcus, President and Publisher, Random House Children's Books PRH, US noted that even though the US industry is down eight percent, retail sales continue to grow. Books about Social Justice, Asian Americans, and the ever-popular Dr. Seuss were big sellers.</p><p>Thille Dop, Senior Publisher, Children's & YA Literature, Luitingh-Sifthoff, Netherlands, was a delight. Young readers in the Netherlands want to read in English -- <i>Wimpy Kid</i>, <i>Story Treehouse</i>, <i>Dog Man </i>are favorites. </p><p>What is happening in Italy? Very impressive that during the lockdown, books were considered an essential good, like medicine and groceries, and bookstores remained opened. Marta Mazza, Editor in Chief, Mondadori Children's Books, Italy said the <i>Heartstopper</i> Series (a Queer romance graphic novel) was very popular. </p><p>Natasha Farrant, a literary scout and author from the UK, commented that comedian David Walliams' book sold very well during the pandemic.</p><p>Finally, Belina Ioni Rasmussen, Managing Director of Macmillan Children's Book UK noted that the young part of the market grew. Sales of picture books and activity books increased significantly, and children's books accounted for 24.5 percent of the market -- bigger than the adult fiction market. She also talked about the phenomena of Marcus Rashford, a professional football (soccer) player for Manchester United. He is also an activist and very involved in charities that address food poverty. And, he involved with literacy. In 2020, he launched a book club and his book, <i>You Are a Champion</i> was published in 2021. The book club will distribute 50,000 free books annually, and hope to release two new books are year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3Rd86z4vhx9DRoTic1IYaXPxGgsYHmSog2ixM40bOJ7e81j0Lxd4YIMaPQL_hCKeXcrjprvlleJq8CXRYoMd8_CEQqWstg7m8ugxPrrUq7kTkpv0GJUiZQzdyOY9KUfJT2ZsbpB46I7j1hPqC_bJFgxyl-cDeoHI7D8q9LurrsPA9kaIT4TZBlI-QA/s4032/20220517_111401.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3Rd86z4vhx9DRoTic1IYaXPxGgsYHmSog2ixM40bOJ7e81j0Lxd4YIMaPQL_hCKeXcrjprvlleJq8CXRYoMd8_CEQqWstg7m8ugxPrrUq7kTkpv0GJUiZQzdyOY9KUfJT2ZsbpB46I7j1hPqC_bJFgxyl-cDeoHI7D8q9LurrsPA9kaIT4TZBlI-QA/w300-h400/20220517_111401.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>All of the speakers noted two big trends in the YA market. The first is social media. Bookstagram and Book Tok, dedicated areas of Instagram and Tik Tok, respectively, are driving the market. People are posting loads of content about their favorite books. On the positive side, if people like the book, it will attract more readers. On the negative side, this content can also be negative and dissuade young readers from picking up the book. Readers are creating communities, and this organic growth of book lovers can make or break a book. </p><p>The second is the rise of the physical book. E-books and audio are not so popular, but special editions are all the rage. On of the panelists mentioned <a href="https://www.illumicrate.com/" target="_blank">Illumicrate</a>, a subscription service that delivers a box of goodies that include a hardcover book with an exclusive cover design, and a variety of book merchandise that can include drinkware, stationery, bookmarks and tote bags. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YNGSO9q88BQxMm1Bb_omt-AjVv6l9-tKAtr2B3QHEaRvSZa5c_k1sTORKPY8Ij2iWG9KfaW_dKfKoxfQcezc_8JuUf9liFF-dK43DnTlhU5VzSwKEx2C0CSnKIB9L_gABNqLX2BwhYhSOYlZ-0uNpEWuW4wAkE1GU3XwpnXhASPq1A0stvlkjHIdnA/s1367/illumicrate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="1180" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YNGSO9q88BQxMm1Bb_omt-AjVv6l9-tKAtr2B3QHEaRvSZa5c_k1sTORKPY8Ij2iWG9KfaW_dKfKoxfQcezc_8JuUf9liFF-dK43DnTlhU5VzSwKEx2C0CSnKIB9L_gABNqLX2BwhYhSOYlZ-0uNpEWuW4wAkE1GU3XwpnXhASPq1A0stvlkjHIdnA/s320/illumicrate.png" width="276" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Here are the major trends mentioned:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Horror </li><li>Graphic novels</li><li>Increase in sales of banned books</li><li>LGBTIA+</li><li>books about mental health/self-care/resilience</li><li>manga</li><li>the rise of the backlist</li><li>and poetry and other books to feed the soul</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, exciting news from the Safari in Ramat Gan - a litter of five sand kittens was born on May 16th.</p><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0pnePMXIjs2QjOHZZPH2L2IFowfKIXpANyThN4TMKEUUZ7MRR_w0euaiI52Yub8LyLXgP-r2Ek4Ddp5_Sy1GTMi2qxkchLSU19s5hLWB3Sp9It613p3ojWEakLAZQ63jyORbmX1ig97SqFW7TOew7BvQEWOrM3UF-OydORX6HnHZRCF7nUxzPlTXpQ/s735/Sand%20kittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="490" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0pnePMXIjs2QjOHZZPH2L2IFowfKIXpANyThN4TMKEUUZ7MRR_w0euaiI52Yub8LyLXgP-r2Ek4Ddp5_Sy1GTMi2qxkchLSU19s5hLWB3Sp9It613p3ojWEakLAZQ63jyORbmX1ig97SqFW7TOew7BvQEWOrM3UF-OydORX6HnHZRCF7nUxzPlTXpQ/w266-h400/Sand%20kittens.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="ImageCaption" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 5px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="" contenteditable="false" disabled="" style="direction: ltr;">Sand cat kittens at safari </span></div><div class="ImageCredit" style="background-color: white; direction: ltr; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">(<span class="" contenteditable="false" disabled="" style="direction: ltr;">Photo: Yam Siton</span>)
</div></td></tr></tbody></table>Happy Reading!<br /><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-35034184213165602372022-05-09T20:25:00.002+03:002022-05-09T20:28:27.497+03:00Waking Lions <p> My local book club was yet another fatality of COVID-19. Between finding a safe place to meet and all the people passing around the book, it finally succumbed earlier this year. I was not the most active member; I often skipped the books in which I had no interest (as did other members, which could be another reason why the group folded). But I miss discussing books, so I decided to read the latest selection for a local library group.</p><p>This month's selection</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMNUCsQrYJTKhVpHk_7ecLx7emu6BbS5IDgZoJ2NrIpMROkVehc8a9YzsJ1mBhqxabaaEoF_Hw7ZpY7CGbKW7a3kii9Qxy4Ndh1XM_X1EQa9arGR-fH9e3kY6DQ9jOM2YdusFmwgOidc-hRKysIp7l58tKlO6vLWmCg4nqCbEdVoVFbERp8AmTlfTtw/s400/waking%20lions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMNUCsQrYJTKhVpHk_7ecLx7emu6BbS5IDgZoJ2NrIpMROkVehc8a9YzsJ1mBhqxabaaEoF_Hw7ZpY7CGbKW7a3kii9Qxy4Ndh1XM_X1EQa9arGR-fH9e3kY6DQ9jOM2YdusFmwgOidc-hRKysIp7l58tKlO6vLWmCg4nqCbEdVoVFbERp8AmTlfTtw/w261-h400/waking%20lions.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><p>So first of all, here is how not to run a book club: Send out a notice that the group will be meeting on Zoom and that a few days before the meeting a request for reservations will be sent out, and then never send out the request for reservations. Arrange it so that the person sitting at the desk at the library has no information and has to call the book club contact person. Then have the contact person not contact the person who asked to participate. So that you not only ruined my evening, but pretty much guaranteed that I'm not interested in your group anymore.</p><p>But I'm so glad I read <b><i>Waking Lions</i></b>. This one was definitely out of my comfort zone of literary fiction and romance. And when I leave my comfort zone, I am either disappointed or very excited that I tried something different. In this case, it is the latter. The appeal points are all there and all amazing: a strong sense of place in the Negev region of Israel and perfect pacing. But what really stands out are the characters. As I read, I kept changing my mind about who was good and who was bad, and I'm still thinking about it. The way the story unravels with so many twists and turns kept me glued to the book until I finished it.</p><p>I don't want to spoil it because I highly recommend reading this book. Here's a little teaser: Eitan Green is a neurosurgeon who for some political reason had to leave his prestigious job near Tel Aviv and now works at Soroka Hospital in Beersheva. His wife Liat is a police detective, and they have two sons. One night after work, he decides to blow off some steam and takes a drive south on Route 40. He hits and kills an Eritrean on the road and leaves the scene. But the man's wife is there, picks up the wallet Eitan dropped, and shows up on his doorstep. What follows is a tense tale of secrets and strange alliances that doesn't quite make sense until the end of the book.</p><p>A big thank you to super librarian/book club leader Rachel Kamin for providing me with discussion questions and an article from her book group meeting.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, as long as the book is about lions, here are some more cats from the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vTrQzCy8q4-ZKhmrDWlywDh3EC0n6F7c0-1AauaKFFZVeJ4WPXSc290hKt92_p5fz7X4ZQ2YArjROnRcDl10rISMIYpqioYJhCM4k9oYrq9cpQriTsO65BEPdbehK8txzG53dnUBUdDKGBTuWkr9br6gL24TCA4Fg5NoZznKoYwlshds0dTt4tsFsw/s1600/IMG-20220417-WA0005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1600" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vTrQzCy8q4-ZKhmrDWlywDh3EC0n6F7c0-1AauaKFFZVeJ4WPXSc290hKt92_p5fz7X4ZQ2YArjROnRcDl10rISMIYpqioYJhCM4k9oYrq9cpQriTsO65BEPdbehK8txzG53dnUBUdDKGBTuWkr9br6gL24TCA4Fg5NoZznKoYwlshds0dTt4tsFsw/s320/IMG-20220417-WA0005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPih4c1KJYRLP4X4j5KWRNz78fZCSMFnlMO0MUCtc-NOBlynYWOPjh-fky8ALG50qUL1MxEXrr2pPkC2Z7qdSsK-S1FTFKmqh2dKeIcMod1PVGoTTqBKGoakcLJCOSN4930x-TjvQR63LBt5FS6IpD6fkDeooJh8e0XVZ5QU7fPx3BrEyi254cDnoDw/s1599/IMG-20220417-WA0009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPih4c1KJYRLP4X4j5KWRNz78fZCSMFnlMO0MUCtc-NOBlynYWOPjh-fky8ALG50qUL1MxEXrr2pPkC2Z7qdSsK-S1FTFKmqh2dKeIcMod1PVGoTTqBKGoakcLJCOSN4930x-TjvQR63LBt5FS6IpD6fkDeooJh8e0XVZ5QU7fPx3BrEyi254cDnoDw/s320/IMG-20220417-WA0009.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjek252fdkp-oIMtWAEmGqQXuBkk2szRtS_bogL-cW3otqWoS4dZ3Rxm6-81Rd39ZD10LdfFKilACynGY5gvXRrFxney4TPywWjbOeFEFm3pIpi4iZq3mRmPZ_FzsafBC6_MytKl6qwJ4GbwerBOtpJ16rSsLRTneviC0F-hDomh1LBOON_Fr1gd8MJKQ/s1599/IMG-20220417-WA0033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjek252fdkp-oIMtWAEmGqQXuBkk2szRtS_bogL-cW3otqWoS4dZ3Rxm6-81Rd39ZD10LdfFKilACynGY5gvXRrFxney4TPywWjbOeFEFm3pIpi4iZq3mRmPZ_FzsafBC6_MytKl6qwJ4GbwerBOtpJ16rSsLRTneviC0F-hDomh1LBOON_Fr1gd8MJKQ/s320/IMG-20220417-WA0033.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqmeAJWASDNIsUM4WdL-aPy76b5yRiwr8BkALqPWZ8JTsC0x-3h95N5XTVGzz3v3UaV_V-jaJMgFzBnyeuJbkfjl91wv1IwUj0O_YNZYLlMBVCoHzgaD5xHEYeIhCOUCq2Dj5OrmKqs7VRy0nS_hOSCF2xmnnU3UX6MV1tqolzWynjDibHr9eMBUb7Q/s1599/IMG-20220417-WA0036.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1599" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqmeAJWASDNIsUM4WdL-aPy76b5yRiwr8BkALqPWZ8JTsC0x-3h95N5XTVGzz3v3UaV_V-jaJMgFzBnyeuJbkfjl91wv1IwUj0O_YNZYLlMBVCoHzgaD5xHEYeIhCOUCq2Dj5OrmKqs7VRy0nS_hOSCF2xmnnU3UX6MV1tqolzWynjDibHr9eMBUb7Q/s320/IMG-20220417-WA0036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Happy Reading !</p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-19783177093424958642022-04-03T11:58:00.000+03:002022-04-03T11:58:33.360+03:00Kindness Is the Word<p> Three recent children's books focus on kindness. We've all seen posts on Facebook or bumper stickers or graffiti with quotes like Ann Herbert's "Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Beauty." There are websites like <a href="https://inspirekindness.com/" target="_blank">Inspire Kindness</a>, with posts like <a href="https://inspirekindness.com/blog/kindness-101" target="_blank">"Kindness 101: What Is Kindness and How Do You Teach It?"</a></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvbT9aHhkAwV76Qk_8oItmLV4Z4gArQvUvDkCLVA1cyp2XlM-jEgzSMD0K_LvVofpJCzcAmGmaeang-ZVQAXJlMGIqt2A6AmaKE4rQeCP12z4dtMNBHzcg7XdawPuf3frnOStgR24RrGlY6YyN95wPdjROQwaJdZGNfk2MvY9hFLgzNvYRbqDyP9CzA/s2126/ABC.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2126" data-original-width="2119" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFvbT9aHhkAwV76Qk_8oItmLV4Z4gArQvUvDkCLVA1cyp2XlM-jEgzSMD0K_LvVofpJCzcAmGmaeang-ZVQAXJlMGIqt2A6AmaKE4rQeCP12z4dtMNBHzcg7XdawPuf3frnOStgR24RrGlY6YyN95wPdjROQwaJdZGNfk2MvY9hFLgzNvYRbqDyP9CzA/w199-h200/ABC.jpg" width="199" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />ABCs of Kindness</b></i> is one of the four books in a "sweet collection" of books written by Patricia Hagerty and Summer Macon (Caterpillar Books, 2019). The other three are <i><b>123s of Thankfulness</b></i>, <i><b>Happiness Is a Rainbow</b></i>, and <i><b>Friendship Is Forever</b></i>. The illustrations are super cute. I could see all these adorable elephants, bears, rabbits, and mice on the walls of a nursery or on baby clothes. For the most part, the rhyming text is simple and upbeat and emphasizes friendship, caring, and inclusiveness. But at Life Is Like a Library we read across genres and recommended age levels, so there are often interesting references and connections. The line "E is for everyone -- we are all the same" brought to mind Dara Horn's <i style="font-weight: bold;">People Love Dead Jews </i>(W.W. Norton & Company, 2021). We are not all the same, but that's okay. In fact, that is the challenge -- to love and respect others despite our differences. The verdict on this one is very cute pictures, and, for the most part, okay text with a positive message.<p></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyo3-b6-RqzB3HBckOlQlsNcH735InG6PN3QXFHcdczf-p1X2nw5Pc9Y9AbvFaemMmT58s7vCCHoeYyDS94fmyGZcIm39tR09CX7Itpc30mdsskPyJfeltPJ1pl1hUdtXzfi79BrPamYgYRFz9QZjrytVb_YEmPRRE6IOxaiS6mOc-TC5laH4hINo1Q/s1200/Lala.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="927" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyo3-b6-RqzB3HBckOlQlsNcH735InG6PN3QXFHcdczf-p1X2nw5Pc9Y9AbvFaemMmT58s7vCCHoeYyDS94fmyGZcIm39tR09CX7Itpc30mdsskPyJfeltPJ1pl1hUdtXzfi79BrPamYgYRFz9QZjrytVb_YEmPRRE6IOxaiS6mOc-TC5laH4hINo1Q/w154-h200/Lala.jpg" width="154" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Lala's Words </b></i>(Orchard Books, 2021) is illustrator and animator Gracey Zhang's first picture book. The illustrations of Lala's home and neighborhood are black and white, while Lala's dress is yellow. But this heightens the impact of Lala's special place -- an empty lot filled with green weeds. Lala goes there, waters the plants, and speaks to them lovingly, complimenting their leaves and encouraging them to grow. But soon it is just too hot to go outside. What will happen to Lala's plants? You MUST read this book to find out because it is charming and packs a big punch. It has been proving that talking to plants makes them grow. Imagine if we talked to everyone with words of kindness and encouragement!<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKdYaE0WvUlrNzEnQ-T2Fg2xGipJuCbqQflLlL60NioEK3tXgiCkHQbqq4bnN2fn4XeIOvs8z1c7c1PE8svlKajBQrRByoyqiuxqJ1x6RDsFoIShfPfVDfqApmsQRL-k_N-QF0qCas78h8lqG2uo8slFVZN11xuDMdhJXa7YTDznVyKA5a_zVR1Umcw/s2560/every%20little%20kindness.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2223" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKdYaE0WvUlrNzEnQ-T2Fg2xGipJuCbqQflLlL60NioEK3tXgiCkHQbqq4bnN2fn4XeIOvs8z1c7c1PE8svlKajBQrRByoyqiuxqJ1x6RDsFoIShfPfVDfqApmsQRL-k_N-QF0qCas78h8lqG2uo8slFVZN11xuDMdhJXa7YTDznVyKA5a_zVR1Umcw/w130-h149/every%20little%20kindness.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br />And finally, who doesn't love a wordless picture book? You can imagine what the characters are saying and make up your own dialog. Not so great for story time, but great for the classroom and creative writing. Marta Bartolj's <i><b>Every Little Kindness (</b></i>Chronicle Books, 2021) was first published in Slovenia in 2018. A woman wakes up and goes outside, and soon, as in Pirke Avos, "mitzvah gorreret mitzvah," one good deed inspires another from sharing fruit, to picking up trash, to returning a lost item, and so on, until it comes full circle, and someone does a kindness for the woman at the beginning of the book. Subtle illustrations with pops of color put the focus on the characters' actions. Recognized as an outstanding wordless picture book at the Kristina Brenkova Awards, this one is a winner on many levels.<p></p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, they are enjoying the warm weather. This is our friend Nacho. He looks very much like our beloved JoJo, so his name is a double play on words (which we love): Nacho because he's orange, and "not Jo," because he is not JoJo.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0Ei5lZIm6MIIYhjmM263AVlEm90BGU8PdIDbO1SVukVp-IIHEpmQRckhPj8m-EGUgw2h-tCHFLoUtggYlA7s9ly9QJKZ53qJne6-baguK53H7waQNoM6w8nKf5R2StHSIFbRFd--UYGhOCimgo8PvL7HjKiZZRjTlyKUH1NrWQ1Igj7KVyKtVxvNBA/s4032/20220329_055725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0Ei5lZIm6MIIYhjmM263AVlEm90BGU8PdIDbO1SVukVp-IIHEpmQRckhPj8m-EGUgw2h-tCHFLoUtggYlA7s9ly9QJKZ53qJne6-baguK53H7waQNoM6w8nKf5R2StHSIFbRFd--UYGhOCimgo8PvL7HjKiZZRjTlyKUH1NrWQ1Igj7KVyKtVxvNBA/s320/20220329_055725.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Happy Reading!</p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-21883747288843937392022-03-07T14:42:00.001+02:002022-03-07T14:42:48.473+02:00But Perhaps...Just Maybe<p> We're super excited about a book that will be available later this month:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYPsVvrw78cwvksGHW6WDwHbDtZRXUb9SDzFk3QEjy5CqlhVB-ILBlQSV3elpRehdZVEfJulbN-787mublZ4BmFm6Z1aFH9NBSlfDJBD1_CeoHItTR8Uik31Kd28dB3m3PIMc34Q4gVJMxoXiWi8Hk6lGurBOr9Wl76iTmoucE3wOE4NnoIHnI3i28Mw=s2560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2383" data-original-width="2560" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYPsVvrw78cwvksGHW6WDwHbDtZRXUb9SDzFk3QEjy5CqlhVB-ILBlQSV3elpRehdZVEfJulbN-787mublZ4BmFm6Z1aFH9NBSlfDJBD1_CeoHItTR8Uik31Kd28dB3m3PIMc34Q4gVJMxoXiWi8Hk6lGurBOr9Wl76iTmoucE3wOE4NnoIHnI3i28Mw=w400-h373" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><b><i>But Perhaps, Just Maybe... </i></b>written by Tuvia Dikman Oro and illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt (Green Bean Books, 2022), was originally published in Hebrew in 2021 as Aval, Bichlal, L'Mashal (Yedioth Books), which is more euphonic because it rhymes, but literally means, "But, at all (or ever), for example." </p><p>Why is this book so wonderful? </p><p>First of all, it is based on a verse from Ethics of the Fathers (Pirke Avot). Not only is Pirke Avot our favorite Jewish text, but the book is based on one of our favorite verses, which is translated so beautifully as the beginning of the book:</p><p>Joshua ben Perahiah would say: Find for yourself a teacher, choose for yourself a friend, and judge everyone with the scale weighted in their favor (Chapter 1, Verse 6).</p><p>The verse is often translated as "Make for yourself a rabbi, acquire for yourself a friend, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt." </p><p>Either way, these are important words to live by.</p><p>Next, the adorable illustrations by <a href="https://www.menahemhalberstadt.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Menahem Halberstadt</b></span></a>, illustrator of many children's book and the man behind the art in the hit series <b><i>Shtisel</i></b>. The use of native Israeli animals and birds -- the hedgehog (kipod - very popular in kid's books and TV shows) and the hoopoe (national bird of Israel) -- gives the book an Israeli flavor, even though the story could have taken place anywhere.</p><p>Then you have Duck and Hedgehog whose bicycles both have flat tires. While Duck is continually frustrated by others' actions, Hedgehog keeps repeating the refrain, "But perhaps, just maybe," finding alternate explanations for things like a cat stirring up dust and a rock in the road while they walk their bicycles to the repair shop.</p><p>So not only do we learn about giving the benefit of the doubt, we learn about choosing a friend that can be positive and see things differently. </p><p>And, of course, at the end, Hedgehog was right about all the situations they encountered.</p><p>We love this book, and perhaps, just maybe... you'll love it, too!</p><p>As for the Real Cats of Israel, Spring has arrived and they are out and about:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLMhhKxoX1RU72_l4oHEWZmiSy3Hzb4z4k_CNNYADzXgpD9iWaXDTwqpkFchDanVfYdGPq0W2H4BmvgQyxUczE8-R-S9Sh94zmYeh0FiTzClK6QohzNwQp6SpJiPGsT6UTMaDnEBIn-R-Q_yNdLlK6vOyMMR18867Wv651laU3AQzOJbVVirRj-BJZvw=s1280" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLMhhKxoX1RU72_l4oHEWZmiSy3Hzb4z4k_CNNYADzXgpD9iWaXDTwqpkFchDanVfYdGPq0W2H4BmvgQyxUczE8-R-S9Sh94zmYeh0FiTzClK6QohzNwQp6SpJiPGsT6UTMaDnEBIn-R-Q_yNdLlK6vOyMMR18867Wv651laU3AQzOJbVVirRj-BJZvw=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>Happy Reading!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-55014929554584999882022-02-09T16:06:00.000+02:002022-02-09T16:06:10.464+02:00Eat Chocolate on Days that End in "y"<p>H<span style="font-family: georgia;">ere at Life Is Like a Library, we don't celebrate or observe secular, Hallmark holidays. Thanksgiving for us, for example, is not the fourth Thursday in November, it is every possible minute of every day. "Were our mouth as full of song as the sea, and our tongue as full of joyous song as its multitude of waves, and our lips as full of praise as the breadth of heavens, and our eyes as brilliant as the sun and the moon, and our hands as outspread as eagles of the sky and our feet as swift as hinds -- we still could not thank You (God) sufficiently, and to bless Your Name for even one of the thousand thousand, thousands of thousands and myriad myriads of favors that You performed for our ancestors and for us" (Morning Service for Sabbath and Festivals).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Next. St. Valentine's Day is the day this early Christian clergyman was martyred by the Romans in 269 CE. He became the patron saint of love, marriage, and affianced couples, and also of beekeepers and epileptics. According to one source, Valentine's Day "might have been a Christianized version of Lupercalia, an ancient post-winter-early-spring Roman fertility and purification festival that was observed on February 15th in which boys slapped women with bloody goat's hides." February 14th is actually a very sad day for Jews. In 1349, the Massacre of Strausbourg took place. The locals blamed the Jews for many things: the Bubonic plague (Black Death), poisoning wells, price fluctuations. The community was imprisoned, and driven by a mob to the cemetery, where 2,000 Jews were burned to death in a pyre. Their valuables were stolen, and, or course, all debts owed to the Jews were canceled. So no, we do not send cards or flowers or go to fancy restaurants for dinner or give each other big boxes of chocolate.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But much like the way we celebrate thanksgiving, every day is a good day to eat chocolate, and while the above story is rather grim, the new book from Green Bean Books, <b style="font-style: italic;">The Chocolate King</b> is a cute tale of how Jews introduced chocolate in France. Written by Michael Leventhal and Illustrated by Laura Catalán, it is the story of young Benjamin, who dreams of making chocolate like his grandfather Marco, who made a thick, dark beverage of hot chocolate. Without gory details, Marco explains to Benjamin how their family had to leave Spain, with as many cocoa beans as they could take, and move to France. There, people were not familiar with chocolate. How they discover how delicious it is, thanks to Benjamin, is the climax of the story. While there is no overt Jewish content in the book, it is based on historical fact. As a librarian, I appreciated the "Bite-Sized History of Chocolate and the Jewish Community," a pictorial timeline that starts with the Mayans around 600 CE and ends with Bayonne as the chocolate capital of France. Another pictorial shows the production of chocolate "From Bean to Bar." And, completing the backmatter is a recipe for "Thick Hot Chocolate Drink" -- <a href="https://thomandaimee.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/spanish-thick-hot-chocolate-drink-chocolate-a-la-taza/" target="_blank">Chocolate a La Taza</a> -- by Claudia Roden. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As long as we are celebrating chocolate, be sure to check out Michael's collection of chocolate recipes, <b><i>Babka, Boulou & Blintzes</i></b>. We recently shared the recipe for <a href="http://lifelibrary-ksp.blogspot.com/2021/11/chocolate-and-talmud.html" target="_blank">Boulou</a>, which are even more delicious when they are dipped in a mug of hot chocolate. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here's a basic recipe for hot chocolate from <a href="https://celebratingsweets.com/" target="_blank">Celebrating Sweets</a>:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">Homemade Hot Chocolate</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">Makes 1 serving:</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">1 cup milk</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">1 Tablespoon sugar</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">2 Tablespoons chocolate chips</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">1-2 drops vanilla extract</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;">Place milk, cocoa powder, and sugar in a small saucepan, and heat over medium/medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until warm, but NOT boiling. Add chocolate chips and whisk constantly until the chocolate chips are melted and distributed evenly into the milk. Add vanilla extract and serve immediately.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As for the Real Cats of Israel, they eat everything but chocolate (It can be lethal for them. Interesting fact: theobromine is the toxic agent and can cause abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and death). But this guy reminded me of one of my favorite combinations -- chocolate and peanut butter. Reese was last seen dumpster diving in the municipal parking lot.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi060_lJXTDPaHuIb5optzyz8kqg6OZPhv4MU7T-ei0wMZ8oLbf4Yb-veJD-w4MQ9yZ07K_yMP7dtt5kNuTyhHp-HcSEKhkICcxhzksLi1zllh0QlRUNym8cfPzzFLI2jf9jtXCV4-OLVLeUnA1kPf9nlS2GecgycVLxbYB-GbNg5xGVh711mJ9FqrUcA=s1635" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1198" data-original-width="1635" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi060_lJXTDPaHuIb5optzyz8kqg6OZPhv4MU7T-ei0wMZ8oLbf4Yb-veJD-w4MQ9yZ07K_yMP7dtt5kNuTyhHp-HcSEKhkICcxhzksLi1zllh0QlRUNym8cfPzzFLI2jf9jtXCV4-OLVLeUnA1kPf9nlS2GecgycVLxbYB-GbNg5xGVh711mJ9FqrUcA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy chocolate every day!</div>Happy reading!<br /><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-29518870089625863172022-01-06T09:35:00.000+02:002022-01-06T09:35:28.277+02:00The Unfinished Corner - Interview with Writer Dani Colman<p> Finally, finally. Almost as a reward for wading through "less than ultimate" review books, I have been blown away by an amazing graphic novel, and I will have to keep checking my thesaurus for different words for "amazing."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeWbJNOExn3Xx3H839ehr1OJChwvXWmVRfwtSZu4hXCXIdfhiRmV0OqwZ8NrN7vl0tLN_JvvUNV9RL5oV017UkLNTiCUtezo6am_XmdQRDOacILplz5tbRz1mLfeUMTk0f5tsaK1AOzj5T4vy6KHBKSDdiL-xH0ZEG0EqRwA2x0eXrv6BsgBQRDWB-Gw=s2100" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeWbJNOExn3Xx3H839ehr1OJChwvXWmVRfwtSZu4hXCXIdfhiRmV0OqwZ8NrN7vl0tLN_JvvUNV9RL5oV017UkLNTiCUtezo6am_XmdQRDOacILplz5tbRz1mLfeUMTk0f5tsaK1AOzj5T4vy6KHBKSDdiL-xH0ZEG0EqRwA2x0eXrv6BsgBQRDWB-Gw=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></div>Published in 2021 by Wonderbound, <i><b>The Unfinished Corner</b></i> creators are<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dani Colman - Writer</div><div style="text-align: center;">Rachel "Tuna" Petrovicz - Artist</div><div style="text-align: center;">Whitney Cogar - Colorist</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jim Campbell - Letterer</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The graphic novel is such a great format for an adventure story like this one. The combination of illustrations and text, the different formats -- panels, double spreads, etc., and the mythical characters, will hold the reader's attention.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a fan girl, I could go on, but I had the privilege of asking writer Dani Colman some of my questions.<br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I want to be very careful not to reveal spoilers, because I
know readers will be delighted when they encounter some of the amazing (stunning? astounding?) things
in the graphic novel.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: I will give a hint that there is a scene which to me was a combination of the television show “Glow
Up” and Mirka, of <i>Hereville</i> fame, versus the dragon. There is also a vehicle which reminds me of
either The Magic School Bus or the Mystery Machine van from Scooby Do. Have others
noticed this?</span><o:p></o:p></p><b>Dani Colman: The book is absolutely full of references for the eagle-eyed! I very much wanted to pay tribute to <i>Hereville</i>; there are very few proudly Jewish graphic novels for younger readers, and the <i>Hereville</i> books are so witty and adventurous and fun. Reading them was huge to me in proving that yes, this kind of story can be done. There are also references to many of the stories that influenced me growing up, from <i>The Iron Giant </i>to <i>The Land Before Time</i> to <i>Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins</i>. Part of this is just a love letter to the stories that made me: I wouldn't be the writer I am without all of these wonderful influences. But I was also conscious of the fact that, as a millennial, some of the parents reading this book to their kids will be around my age, and will have grown up with the same stories. Nostalgia is such a powerful force, so I hope that including these little shoutouts to meaningful stories will help these parents and other adult readers tap into that childhood sense of wonder and adventure as they read.<br /></b><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: My short summary would be: Miri Feigenbaum, a talented art student, is swept into a bat mitzvah vision quest to save the world from demons. What’s yours?</span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span><b>Dani Colman: The way I pitch it to new readers is this: "It's a fantasy adventure based on Jewish mythology, in which four children are kidnapped by a rogue angel who wants them to finish the corner of the Universe that G-d forgot." What I've found works really well about this description is that it has three moments of surprise in it: three moments where I can see a potential reader's eyebrows go up with intrigue:<br />"...based on Jewish mythology..."<br />"...rogue angel..."<br />"...corner of the Universe that G-d forgot."<br />By the time I get that third eyebrow raise, they're usually reaching for the book!</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: There is so much Jewish content: Kabbalah, Midrash, folklore, Jewish prayer. Two questions:<br />How did you research the graphic novel?</span></div><div><br /><b>Dani Colman: I started by just reading everything I could get my hands on: books, articles, poorly-researched reddit posts - you name it! It's been a long time since I attended cheder, and I also knew I wanted to explore parts of folklore and the non-canonical texts that weren't part of my Jewish Studies curriculum as a teen, so I just absorbed as much as I could. Over time, I zeroed in on a couple of books that collected the kinds of stories that felt right for a fantasy adventure. Howard Schwartz is a renowned folklorist who's spent decades exploring Jewish mythology, so several of his books became foundational texts for <i>The Unfinished Corner</i>. From these foundational texts, I'd pull on threads I found interesting; sometimes they led to more of the same, but just as often I'd find some obscure piece of arcane text that gave the stories additional dimensions or context. One of the things I love about Judaism is that it's a culture of interpretation: the Talmud is literally the product of years of scholars debating the meaning of every line of the Torah! That means that for any given folktale or piece of commentary, there are tens of different versions and hundreds of different interpretations. There's very little "right" or "wrong": there's "doing the best you can to find a meaning that makes sense and upholds Jewish values".</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: How did you weave it all together – across time and space?</span><br /><br /></div><div><b>Dani Colman: I knew where the story had to start, and I knew where the story had to end, and I knew that one stop in the middle was non-negotiable from the outset - I won't spoil it here, but it's a rare Jewish folktale that's very familiar to many non-Jews as well, so including it would instantly make the book more accessible to a wide variety of readers. From there, it was a question of which of the stories I'd researched would help the children in their journey: who's going to give them new information, or a way to traverse something impassable? Which characters will get in the protagonists' way, but in a way that forces them to be creative and learn something new? Which pieces of mythology can I draw on to exploit the specific strengths of my characters, or trip them up in interesting ways? Some folktales lent themselves really well to the epic journey nature of the story, such as the travels of Bar Bar Hanna (a sort of Jewish Sinbad figure); others, as much as I loved and wanted to include them, just didn't mesh well with the story I was trying to tell, and got put in the "maybe for a sequel" folder.</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: How do you think non-Jewish readers will react to the story?</span></div><div><br /><b>Dani Colman: I knew from the get-go that this book had to function as a fun, engaging adventure first. Readers are sensitive (and rightly so) to soapboxing, so if the characters aren't relatable and the story isn't gripping, any attempt to teach readers a little about Judaism will fall flat. So far, the response from non-Jewish readers tells me the book has succeeded in that! Readers enjoy the fantastical adventures, and I've had more than a few people tell me they were inspired to go out and read more about Judaism after they finished reading <i>The Unfinished Corner</i>. Reading stories based in other cultures was a huge part of my upbringing, from folklore to other religions to stories based in parts of the world I'd never seen. Every time I read a book that introduced characters living lives that were unfamiliar to me, I was motivated to read more, learn more, experience more. I can only hope that <i>The Unfinished Corner </i>does the same for non-Jewish readers!</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: Many characters that are usually villains or “the bad guys” in Jewish lore are portrayed somewhat sympathetically. For example, Lilith (my son told me not to say her name out loud!) seems pretty reasonable. Are she and the Nephilim (fallen angels) just misunderstood?</span><br /><br /></div><div><b>Dani Colman: Jews are traditionally quite good at seeing other people's point of view; we're generally not dogmatic. It's built into our liturgy and tradition, from the Noachide commandments for ethical living for non-Jews, to the mitzvahs of taking care of guests and not making non-Jewish household members or staff work on Shabbat, to stories of even our more traditional villains (like Achashverosh) being brought around by wisdom and lateral thinking. I had some conversations with my editor very early on about whether it would strengthen the story to include a more traditional "Big Bad", but at the end of the day, it just didn't feel authentically Jewish to do so. There's also the fact that Jews have been cast as villains in so many anti-Semitic narratives and we as a people are - of course! - much more complex than that. The vast majority of us are ordinary folks just doing our best; just like any group, we've also got truly good people and people who are...not. For any non-Jewish reader who's got a little unconscious anti-Semitism floating around in their brain, making sure the nominal antagonists of the story are complex and empathetic is a way of countering that bias.</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: My library colleagues usually assign graphic novels to the “middle grade” section of the library, but as an adult, I appreciated so many references, for example, Hadassah singing “Three Little Maids” from “The Mikado” in the back seat, that I don’t think they would appreciate. Who do you see as your target audience?</span><br /><br /></div><div><b>Dani Colman: Our recommended reading age is 8-13, and we've had a pretty good response from that demo, even with the occasional Gilbert and Sullivan! That said, I feel strongly that "all ages" material should be truly for all ages. Younger readers will probably read this book with their parents, which means that there should be jokes and references for the parents to enjoy too. Speaking purely for myself, there's also something so satisfying about returning to a book I enjoyed as a kid, and finding something I could only appreciate as an adult - it's like the author left a gift for me. A book like <i>Watership Down </i>is meaningful to me because every year I've read it - and I've read it almost every year since I was eight or so - I've discovered or understood something new. That's the mark of good kids' or teens' literature for me: a story that grows and matures with the reader.</b></div><div><b><br />I also should probably mention that Miri's family is lovingly inspired by my own parents and siblings, and gathering around the piano with my dad to sing Gilbert and Sullivan was a proud family tradition. The bat mitzvah-scene rewrite of "Modern Major General" was directly inspired by my own siblings' b'nei mitzvah, in which - in lieu of speeches - I sang The Bat Mitzvah Rag to the tune of "Tom Lehrer's Vatican Rag," and my siblings sang The Rabbi Cometh to the tune of Flanders & Swann's "The Gas-Man Cometh." It's just what the Colman kids do!<br />There's also a musical joke in the middle of the book that I expect exactly one person (outside the creative team) to get, and that's my dad. Hi, Dad!</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: The Association of Jewish Libraries maintains a Jewish Values Finder. From that values list, I obviously saw <i>Tikkun Olam</i>/Repairing the World and Cleaving to Friends. What other values would you like readers to take away – both personal and communal?</span></div><div><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span><b>Dani Colman:<i> Lifnei Aver </i>- inclusivity - is the big one. The four main characters are very different, and have unique strengths and weaknesses. In writing the story, I was very careful to make sure that for each character, there was at least one point where the story could not progress without them; that, without Judith's worldliness or Avi's studiousness or Miri's stubbornness or David's open-heartedness, the foursome would stop dead. This in turn plays into the broader theme of not just valuing each other's differences, but actively making space for them, and it helps the children come to the realization that those they think are the villains of the story actually have much more to offer.</b></div><div><b><br /><i>T'shuvah</i> and <i>s'lichah</i> - repentance and forgiveness - are also really important. Growing up is making mistakes, and these characters do that: they keep secrets, they behave selfishly, and they lash out when they're hurt. It takes acknowledging their failings, understanding how they've caused hurt, and willingness to forgive and be forgiven for them to come together in strength and persevere.</b><br /><br /><span style="color: #2b00fe;">LILAL: Any plans for a sequel or related graphic novel?</span><br /><br /></div><div><b>Dani Colman: There are so many places I want to take these characters! The stack of fun ideas I had to leave out for space is bigger by far than the stack of ideas that made it into the book. Given the opportunity, I could explore the infinite corners of Judaism with these characters for the rest of my career. Right now, though, this is a debut book from a brand new imprint, so we're still watching how it does out in the world. When the time is right, we'll be ready!</b><div class="yj6qo ajU" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 2px 0px 0px; outline: none; padding: 10px 0px; width: 22px;"><div aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Show trimmed content" class="ajR" data-tooltip="Show trimmed content" id=":su" role="button" style="background-color: #e8eaed; border-radius: 5.5px; border: none; clear: both; line-height: 6px; outline: none; position: relative; width: 24px;" tabindex="0"><br /></div></div><p class="MsoNormal">Thank you Dani.</p><p class="MsoNormal">And now, one of the best parts of the graphic novel world...</p><p class="MsoNormal">FREE SWAG!!!!!</p><p class="MsoNormal">Watch the trailer <span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uuk_2lhvwc" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Click <a href="https://vaultcomics.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wonderbound/2021/04/31144519/TUC_Preview.pdf" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></b></a> to download a preview of <i><b>The Unfinished Corner</b></i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Click <a href="https://vaultcomics.sfo3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wonderbound/2021/04/03102748/TUC-BOOKMARKS.pdf" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: red;">here</span></b></a> for free bookmarks.</p>Click<a href="https://youtu.be/YRAgfJVX30c" target="_blank"> <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">here</span></b></a> for a chat with Dani Colman and Wonderbound Managing Editor Rebecca Taylor<p class="MsoNormal">Some sad news from The Real Cats of Israel. One of our own Real Cats, JoJo, has ascended to Kitty Heaven. We saved JoJo when he was a kitten, and he was in our lives for five years. While this feisty Tom reminded us of a teenage boy -- run around, eat, sleep, he definitely crawled into our hearts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyM1Yf_dg9p9qi3IAr1vOUQI0umqZugfOXQzxItA7wBlZmUH8FwgqE1x70_H9C3Tl67ArI1dQG1QazR4aYDEgbItHzNNRfPm0MzSOpCu0mqGwR_O4xAPcaackTkEmcNEmzyfvVeJz3RelZWACBBNwqaRQG6OU5rqi5i9ojSFgzdzimkjr11hKfefqFSw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyM1Yf_dg9p9qi3IAr1vOUQI0umqZugfOXQzxItA7wBlZmUH8FwgqE1x70_H9C3Tl67ArI1dQG1QazR4aYDEgbItHzNNRfPm0MzSOpCu0mqGwR_O4xAPcaackTkEmcNEmzyfvVeJz3RelZWACBBNwqaRQG6OU5rqi5i9ojSFgzdzimkjr11hKfefqFSw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Happy Reading!<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><br /><p></p></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-86394390033067696532021-11-11T15:00:00.002+02:002021-11-17T09:24:47.240+02:00Chocolate and Talmud<p>Life Is Like a Library has had a run of "less than ultimate" books. "Using our gift to only uplift," we try to stay positive in this space, so with the deadline looming, we were worried if we would have something to share for this month's Jewish Book Carnival. When all else fails, CHOCOLATE! Actually Green Beans, as we feature two recent books by this British publisher.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5Mr9cycquTQso3TPy2eROGwhZsm4czCYtkKEO6awCqo0KnCHdPLvOBjH3hGML8N4dqv5Jz8zpApcxDIyEr0N6WZOnLrOKSfAdViFrO_EVvNSpllV_mq0ji4uYtNULgihDebb5vJRi7F4/s1000/chocolate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="982" data-original-width="1000" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5Mr9cycquTQso3TPy2eROGwhZsm4czCYtkKEO6awCqo0KnCHdPLvOBjH3hGML8N4dqv5Jz8zpApcxDIyEr0N6WZOnLrOKSfAdViFrO_EVvNSpllV_mq0ji4uYtNULgihDebb5vJRi7F4/s320/chocolate.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxGSIZhCbLpYqKPlL9bzwZ0innKmmHJfaQ7kqmQc3PaDB5VW5T8akMmEvl4OkcGYz3hwozoVa3jEJxwMdmvOX2AG23p6_HjCLH4yYmKsZoLZoOXNst2iPW__AuFxnJ7VF9tw4y0a5Jjy1/s2048/Bsbks+Boulou.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1544" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxGSIZhCbLpYqKPlL9bzwZ0innKmmHJfaQ7kqmQc3PaDB5VW5T8akMmEvl4OkcGYz3hwozoVa3jEJxwMdmvOX2AG23p6_HjCLH4yYmKsZoLZoOXNst2iPW__AuFxnJ7VF9tw4y0a5Jjy1/w151-h200/Bsbks+Boulou.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><br />Babka, Boulou & Blintzes: Jewish Chocolate Recipes from Around the World </b></i>(Green Bean Books, 2021) will be out later this month. Michael Leventhal compiled this collection of all things chocolate. The introduction discusses the history of chocolate and the Jewish connection. In the 1500s, Jewish traders in Spain "starting playing a key role in the creation and expansion of the chocolate market." These traders fled to France from the Spanish Inquisition, and Bayonne became the "chocolate capital of France." The recipes are organized by Cookies, Bars & Brownies; Cakes, Loaves & Tarts; Savory Dishes & Drinks, Hot & Cold Desserts; and Bonbons, Bites & After-Dinner Delights. Leventhal helpfully includes a glossary of UK-US terms and a note on measurements, so us non-Brits finally know that what the Brits call caster sugar is regular white sugar. Many talented people contributed recipes to the book, including Amy Krtizer Becker from What Jew Wanna Eat, foodie Joan Nathan, and Orly Ziv. Even better, all sales of the book help raise money for Chai Cancer Care.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most of us have our go-to recipes for things like brownies and chocolate chip cookies, so this responsible reviewer decided to try something new: boulou. Boulou is a sweet bread or cake that Jews of North African (Libya, Tunisia) origin traditionally eat during the month of Tishrei. One taste tester thought they were mandelbrot, but they are sort of, kind or, but, not really. The dough is laid out in logs on a baking sheet and then sliced after the logs have been baked and cooled. They come out like a firm cake, not hard like mandelbrot, and they are perfect for dipping in coffee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdM_h-6u6kPqibUxgUG61lbI6rrT1CN6GQ8DCEr-YIndw4YNYr1TlYQvQHP412vOoacH-IIX_45q-vxBnLRLQxI_LG03f_SXJFAcPWYfl9aW4ibTvvbG9WBSVkxN24gdEJKE0EbuB5F4R/s2048/20211109_125530.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdM_h-6u6kPqibUxgUG61lbI6rrT1CN6GQ8DCEr-YIndw4YNYr1TlYQvQHP412vOoacH-IIX_45q-vxBnLRLQxI_LG03f_SXJFAcPWYfl9aW4ibTvvbG9WBSVkxN24gdEJKE0EbuB5F4R/s320/20211109_125530.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I made one almond, one raisin, and one chocolate chip, but next time, I will try making my boulou with a combination of all three. Here's the recipe (shared with permission of Green Bean Books):<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>BOULOU</b></div><div><br /></div><div>from Fabienne Viner-Luzzato (<a href="http://www.fabienneshomecooking.com" target="_blank">www.fabienneshomecooking.com</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Makes 3 boulou (each one will cut into several slices; number of slices depends on thickness)</div><div>Prep time: 30 minutes</div><div>Cook time: 15-20 minutes</div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients</div><div><br /></div><div>2 large eggs (2 extra-large eggs in the US)</div><div>150 g/5 1/2 oz/3/4 cup sugar</div><div>2 teaspoons vanilla sugar</div><div>125 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup vegetable or sunflower oil</div><div>about 500 g/1 lb. 2 oz/ 3 3/4 cups self-raising flour (extra for dusting)</div><div>100 g/3 1/2 oz/2/3 cup dark chocolate chips</div><div>50g/ 1 3/4 oz/ 1/3 cup raisins</div><div>50 g/1 3/4 oz/1/3 cup flaked almonds</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/180 degrees Celsius fan/400 degrees Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Place the eggs, both sugars and the vegetable or sunflower oil in a mixing bowl and mix together using a fork. Start adding the flour slowly, mixing with your hands to form a dough. Mix the flour in well, avoiding leaving behind lumps of flour. Add enough flour to make a soft dough -- the consistency of the dough needs to be soft, easy to touch but still slightly sticky.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. On the work surface, divide your dough into three equal portions to make three different flavored boulou. Add the chocolate chips to one portion of dough, the raisins to another and the flaked almonds to the final portion of dough, kneading each flavoring into the dough until evenly distributed. <b>Cook's Tip:</b> If you prefer, you can mix all the flavoring ingredients together (the chocolate chips, raisins and almonds), then simply divide this mixture into three and knead one portion into each portion of dough.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Roll the flavored portions of dough into three equal-length logs (you might need to dust the work surface with a little flour first) and then flatten each one into a rectangle about 5 cm/2-inch wide and 15-20 cm/6-8-inch long, then place on the lined baking sheet.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they become golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack, then leave to cool completely. Once cool, cut into 2 cm/3/4-inch thick slices to serve (or you can cut them into thinner slices, if you prefer).</div><div><br /></div><div>6. Store the baked logs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days, and slice them, as needed. They will keep for longer, but will dry a little -- but they will still taste amazing dipped in hot black coffee!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhit4ZOjZFGmXlkFeNuADSP79wpd9arxPwXPUmcMhqyziHBG8mCYW4SqMLGp0JFbyJSr-_84Xs0fjG_WECUjoyxVq3TvHf0v5-KgTcbasxZIWzPEi79fx7pC_W86A6lGbewuXTA35dWzSCf/s1979/lenny+and+benny.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1979" data-original-width="1466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhit4ZOjZFGmXlkFeNuADSP79wpd9arxPwXPUmcMhqyziHBG8mCYW4SqMLGp0JFbyJSr-_84Xs0fjG_WECUjoyxVq3TvHf0v5-KgTcbasxZIWzPEi79fx7pC_W86A6lGbewuXTA35dWzSCf/s320/lenny+and+benny.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><br />Besides chocolate, baking, and eating baked goods with coffee, one of our favorite things is Jewish children's books based on Talmudic stories, and Green Bean came through again with Naama Benziman's <i><b>Lenny and Benny</b></i> (Green Bean Books, 2021). Originally published in Israel as <i><b>Noni and Noni-Yoteir</b></i> (Morris and Morris-More), it is based on the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza (Babylonian Talmud - Gittin 55B). Lenny and Benny are two rabbits that started as friends, but became not so friendly. When Benny has his birthday party, Lenny is accidentally sent an invitation and shows up. Benny wants him to leave. Lenny, much like Bar Kamtza, offers to help with the party, but Benny refuses and kicks out the humiliated Lenny. In this children's book, the story ends happily and Lenny and Benny reconcile. In the Talmud, Bar Kamtza exacts revenge by spreading rumors about the party host and his guests, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the Second Temple. The blue and red illustrations provide a simple complement to the heart-felt text, and I love the double fold out of Benny's party.</div><div><br /></div><div>While boulou are usually served in Tishrei, and the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza is usually told before Tisha B'Av, they are both appropriate all year long. Cake and coffee are always great, and, for as much as baseless hatred (sinat chinam) was responsible for the destruction of the Temple, unconditional love (ahavat chinam) (and maybe chocolate) will hasten the building of the Third Temple. May it be quickly and in our time!</div><div><br /></div><div>Sad news from The Real Cats of Israel. Our kittens got sick and are no longer with us. We miss you Yuki, Stormy, and Clawdia!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YdK_kSq2S1IMTgcexjSVMHGb-j3OIDFSSS0zXEQZdGM-ZvJKteB-ZN2v5XHkj6k2rcChgZpZIRJB_i7bkPj9NXM9YEfIMSK4cjE2D9SjXw6kkFpE7R7Wl765mgiRCcctJ47GQif1u4IR/s2048/20210726_190107.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YdK_kSq2S1IMTgcexjSVMHGb-j3OIDFSSS0zXEQZdGM-ZvJKteB-ZN2v5XHkj6k2rcChgZpZIRJB_i7bkPj9NXM9YEfIMSK4cjE2D9SjXw6kkFpE7R7Wl765mgiRCcctJ47GQif1u4IR/s320/20210726_190107.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div>Happy Reading!<br /><p><br /></p></div></div>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-11414691446847886602021-10-11T13:32:00.000+03:002021-10-11T13:32:09.133+03:00Palestine<p>The main reason my interest in the history of pre-State Israel is so fascinating is because I can visit the places where history happened. Two recent books highlight two of the people involved in this history.</p><p>Laura S, Schor's <i><b>The Best School in Jerusalem: Annie Landau's School for Girls, 1900-1960</b></i> (Brandeis University Press, 2013) chronicles the history of the school as well as the history of the State. Annie Landau moved from London to Jerusalem in 1899 to teach English at a girls' school. The school was started in 1864 by Moses Montefiore, and named the Evelina de Rothschild school when it was endowed by her husband in her memory. With Annie's strong personality and leadership skills, she soon became of the head of the school. During her tenure the number of students increased significantly, the fields of study expanded to meet the needs of the students and the community, and the school really did become know as the best school in Jerusalem. The school's history was entwined with Israel's history, as Evelina welcomed new immigrants, saw its graduates working in British Mandate offices, and continued providing instruction under challenging conditions in the War of Independence. The school is now in the Rechavia neighborhood of Jerusalem, but it was once on the corner of HaNevi'im and Shivtei Yisrael, located in Frutiger House, the home of a Swiss banker who went bankrupt.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemTvLQ3E7ryhMPZmD8s3KHAEfCMgDwaAOKh3mweezefMw6WTlvXHCWfPCMHb7Zc1ETtTyoG0flTI9kOHSisPCpnSuOCN4e2roaRba55rui5JasiJgWgTR9wBg56VE8sCyCwLRNjq5Pmc5/s100/evalina+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="75" data-original-width="100" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemTvLQ3E7ryhMPZmD8s3KHAEfCMgDwaAOKh3mweezefMw6WTlvXHCWfPCMHb7Zc1ETtTyoG0flTI9kOHSisPCpnSuOCN4e2roaRba55rui5JasiJgWgTR9wBg56VE8sCyCwLRNjq5Pmc5/w400-h300/evalina+3.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruitger House in the early 20th century</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The building is now known as Machanayim House, and it now occupied by the Ministry of Education. Or is it? I paid a visit, and I was not able to get close and take pictures. Could it be that the Evelina School is now occupied by the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic? Mosad? Shabak? Who knows!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IcP-pGNNv_p5AfpyO5FKytABNYiMXzz7XDfWfpn3ojGqX529XVjIC6nD5MgA1mqg3cL9IQZ0xg1KdLPN-SApU7eHsjuR6TQMKQVcA2kqaBOYDIRPR812D07iiv2Tz6eOHxY_KYQXrGyu/s2048/20211010_153857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IcP-pGNNv_p5AfpyO5FKytABNYiMXzz7XDfWfpn3ojGqX529XVjIC6nD5MgA1mqg3cL9IQZ0xg1KdLPN-SApU7eHsjuR6TQMKQVcA2kqaBOYDIRPR812D07iiv2Tz6eOHxY_KYQXrGyu/s320/20211010_153857.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Daniel S. Chertoff's father, Mordecai S. Chertoff, went to Palestine in 1947 and became a correspondent for the <i>Palestine Post</i> (now the <i>Jerusalem Post</i>). He corresponded with his family about his work and about what was going on: the danger, the elation of November 29th when the United Nations voted for partition, and the loss of friends to Arab violence. Daniel's book, <i><b>Palestine Posts: An Eyewitness Account of the Birth of Israel: Based on the Letters of Mordecai S. Chertoff</b></i> (Toby Press, 2019), is both historical and personal. The letters describe the convoys trying to break through the siege of Jerusalem, as well as Mordecai's love life. Mordecai gives an account of how the Israelis broke the blockade at Bab el Wad.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRQMBQILpaLT7BtcBKRf83Dlr3rgqP41I0WSwSSHBKxja1abN-H710NY-FIpaxvE8p3dBXQGlNz9h3cMJyjy_WwoHM7HqyzcwtxGYZGVlQoXJ1rqcSRS6t1NsonSpR-zPmDkyJpq76diN/s800/Bab_al-Wad_1917.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="800" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirRQMBQILpaLT7BtcBKRf83Dlr3rgqP41I0WSwSSHBKxja1abN-H710NY-FIpaxvE8p3dBXQGlNz9h3cMJyjy_WwoHM7HqyzcwtxGYZGVlQoXJ1rqcSRS6t1NsonSpR-zPmDkyJpq76diN/s320/Bab_al-Wad_1917.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bab el Wad in 1917</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Bab el Wad saw fierce battles during the War of Independence (1947-1948). In Arabic, it means "Gate of the Valley," and now it is called Sha'ar HaGai ("Gate of the Valley" in Hebrew). The trip from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem (that now takes less than an hour with no traffic) used to take three days. The Ottomans upgraded the road in 1867, which reduced the time of the trip to two days. The Ottomans built an inn in 1869, which was the only place along the road where travelers could stop for the night. The inn had some famous visitors, including Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, King Edward VII of England, and German emperor Wilhelm II. Abed Kouttainay's family lived in the Khan and ran the inn. He remembers serving British soldiers beer in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCkezJbQPKo" target="_blank">this video</a>.</p><p>Israeli soldiers fought long and hard to gain control of Bab el Wad. They took positions in the surroundings mountains, and held their posts for six days under heavy fire. It is now a National Memorial Site run by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Since it is a ten-minute drive from where I live, I went to take the tour. Films of eyewitness accounts dominate the presentation, but there are several artifacts inside and several vintage vehicles outside. I was thinking they will be bringing a lot of school tours, and as I was leaving, there was a big group of high school students. After watching all the films and walking around, the place that I pass on the highway has taken on new meaning.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQ_kIWizB11t3gRoHz7KpExBaqUxKYc-R68Ae69lMVuk97O_qKGuMDTl5M-E6G8-gNNol5Meug_F-3ot87PfuBI3ciHQqkYcpGHUHdLM0-V5_XnbFRAosawoIndjrdSz-xwGDPt4NUpuZ/s2048/20211011_105333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQ_kIWizB11t3gRoHz7KpExBaqUxKYc-R68Ae69lMVuk97O_qKGuMDTl5M-E6G8-gNNol5Meug_F-3ot87PfuBI3ciHQqkYcpGHUHdLM0-V5_XnbFRAosawoIndjrdSz-xwGDPt4NUpuZ/w300-h400/20211011_105333.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9GzBgjlfwFzNYShpe2scd4JWyD3qhi6ahPMw3m1rtB_kza-KUKmNRdZzxeNJSEzFvLl3X1-HsvrnTgcapDw6pgCTwknUCiiwo45xK9n4FapWutkFJm4-RDyekgsUWb5vBZJngegtYmSe/s2048/20211011_114709_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9GzBgjlfwFzNYShpe2scd4JWyD3qhi6ahPMw3m1rtB_kza-KUKmNRdZzxeNJSEzFvLl3X1-HsvrnTgcapDw6pgCTwknUCiiwo45xK9n4FapWutkFJm4-RDyekgsUWb5vBZJngegtYmSe/s320/20211011_114709_01.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4N4lTS9Fta0z5N9H4zkJp8plbfUKavSzkqQ1h_cSgxJSSAgmEAPRtiUzRIBqRlja6BLcTVtSNphRkFNNwByIA-3I8BLRB5y3sNLKqbsPbdrT0RcDqAFm-9e8JJGDR69PKlaNHzcGJSMZ8/s2048/20211011_114343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4N4lTS9Fta0z5N9H4zkJp8plbfUKavSzkqQ1h_cSgxJSSAgmEAPRtiUzRIBqRlja6BLcTVtSNphRkFNNwByIA-3I8BLRB5y3sNLKqbsPbdrT0RcDqAFm-9e8JJGDR69PKlaNHzcGJSMZ8/s320/20211011_114343.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4N4lTS9Fta0z5N9H4zkJp8plbfUKavSzkqQ1h_cSgxJSSAgmEAPRtiUzRIBqRlja6BLcTVtSNphRkFNNwByIA-3I8BLRB5y3sNLKqbsPbdrT0RcDqAFm-9e8JJGDR69PKlaNHzcGJSMZ8/s2048/20211011_114343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4N4lTS9Fta0z5N9H4zkJp8plbfUKavSzkqQ1h_cSgxJSSAgmEAPRtiUzRIBqRlja6BLcTVtSNphRkFNNwByIA-3I8BLRB5y3sNLKqbsPbdrT0RcDqAFm-9e8JJGDR69PKlaNHzcGJSMZ8/s2048/20211011_114343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4N4lTS9Fta0z5N9H4zkJp8plbfUKavSzkqQ1h_cSgxJSSAgmEAPRtiUzRIBqRlja6BLcTVtSNphRkFNNwByIA-3I8BLRB5y3sNLKqbsPbdrT0RcDqAFm-9e8JJGDR69PKlaNHzcGJSMZ8/s2048/20211011_114343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I hoped to see some Real Cats of Israel wandering around, but there must have been hiding. Our friend Noga has grown quite a bit since we last saw her:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YuajRmur0TXoY0ozLgihlwxGpGq3CUe4iYhKeOqlxzEMwdMPbRjjWDWsCa3DnKnnnbDZgJMhmAyMDT8BWxc-dZatTLRj0VPAX3AYjMSUikU_O3hTKA8xyrgH4EXvzQlKPHLt1vXYiFM8/s1600/IMG-20211006-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YuajRmur0TXoY0ozLgihlwxGpGq3CUe4iYhKeOqlxzEMwdMPbRjjWDWsCa3DnKnnnbDZgJMhmAyMDT8BWxc-dZatTLRj0VPAX3AYjMSUikU_O3hTKA8xyrgH4EXvzQlKPHLt1vXYiFM8/s320/IMG-20211006-WA0001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Happy Reading!<br /><p><br /></p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696547463976191129.post-63521536250369366922021-08-22T17:05:00.001+03:002021-09-17T11:47:00.546+03:00Elul 5781<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Wow! Again it is Elul and time to review the past year. Last year at this time, I decided to cut back significantly on book purchases and attack my TBR pile, which now takes up my office and my attic. I'm glad that I read a lot of these books. I did read some recently published books as well, and many of both the old and the new made it to this year's list of "Elul books" -- reading in the spirit of making positive changes in my life and in the world:</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqrauUKo5ViGNCr6wGcQPKVXoSr7XEiDdRVAyer3vuECHxTywxsJU105kuG1qCatRJFEoZEIOfYiowOSJgZJQaNnol7V3ZkumHcg4eS9TH0AuyDIul7eMbSX-5lzkXruKcugZBk4FjnDC/s960/40+day.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqrauUKo5ViGNCr6wGcQPKVXoSr7XEiDdRVAyer3vuECHxTywxsJU105kuG1qCatRJFEoZEIOfYiowOSJgZJQaNnol7V3ZkumHcg4eS9TH0AuyDIul7eMbSX-5lzkXruKcugZBk4FjnDC/w150-h200/40+day.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />We'll start with a new book, endorsed by rapper Nissim Black as one that "will thaw you out and heat you up," <i><b>The 40 Day Challenge</b></i> by Rabbi Mark Wildes (Kodesh Press, 2021). Rabbi Wildes is the Founder and Director of the Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE), a "Jewish outreach and educational program that engages and reconnects unaffiliated Jewish men and women in their 20s and 30s with Judaism and the Jewish community." During the pandemic, Rabbi Wildes started a WhatsApp challenge that became the basis for this book. There is an entry for each day from Rosh Chodesh Elul to the day after Yom Kippur, followed by a challenge question to help you apply what you've learned. Of particular note is the reading for Day 33, "Fasting after Feasting," which gives a great explanation for the Fast of Gedaliah. Rabbi Wildes hits the right combination for a wide audience -- quotes from Jewish sources and rabbis without being preachy; and quotes from popular culture without trying to be "too cool" or let the secular outweigh the Jewish content. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">With short chapters and substance - "Are we sufficiently using the gifts and resources we have at our disposal or do we allow our challenges to keep us from being are best selves?" -- use this book to get ready for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and life in general.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Matt Haig's blockbuster, best-seller, award-winning <i><b>The Midnight Library</b></i> (Viking, 2020) is the kind of popular, feel-good book that I normally would not pick up, opting for something literary and not so happy. But I love books about libraries, especially when the librarian is the hero. No spoilers, but this is a good one for Elul and Rosh Hashanah, as Nora Seed </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">"travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place." And, surprise, it's not being a rock star or an Olympic athlete.</span><br /><br /><i style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Angels and Tahina</b></i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> by Tzippi Ross (Goat Path Publishing, 2020) was inspiring on many levels. As mentioned here previously (<a href="http://lifelibrary-ksp.blogspot.com/2021/07/angels-and-tahina.html" target="_blank"><b>Angels and Tahina</b></a>), Tzippi hiked the Israel Trail in 2009 to raise money for ALS research. So besides hiking over 600 miles, besides raising $40,00 for ALS research, and besides the challenge of being with family 24/7 (and not showering), or maybe because of this, it was also an experience of emotional and spiritual growth. As I started reading, I thought, "It would be so cool to hike the Trail. If I trained, I could probably this." After I finished the book, I realized I probably couldn't do it. Sleeping in a tent, finding food caches stolen, and carrying a backpack that allowed for only two pairs of underwear is not for me. But my admiration for Tzippi is infinite. The book is arranged by lessons, and my takeaway is that preparation and believing that there are good people in the world are two things I would like to work on in the coming year.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjyPucjo37VVg5mwPVna23A9T9sqOlPGfIGNE8GdfQEUmQjMVSCIDacFfa59DCh5HDJ26WVmrD9W3zZ1-fTG5KvI6wWdzAZUIfk37eCs4VQ6SAWJ6XJvVe0fCvRiibziMrXiCHWlivZgf/s408/eilat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="408" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjyPucjo37VVg5mwPVna23A9T9sqOlPGfIGNE8GdfQEUmQjMVSCIDacFfa59DCh5HDJ26WVmrD9W3zZ1-fTG5KvI6wWdzAZUIfk37eCs4VQ6SAWJ6XJvVe0fCvRiibziMrXiCHWlivZgf/w400-h300/eilat.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Eilat<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuajf-XQFqqNJOZzqhPBOX65nSSeP2i7zxuJ4q3CEqp3XbVO6_0795WKaB-Fh1qYrWQwvQx9hHFGw9ZpQ-xW9izMBPW2Di-60nrobOXSDxAopKKtzBzRiyHb4WBH5s6Xdp9Qlf1Lh6aiu/s500/smed.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">y<img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="500" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuajf-XQFqqNJOZzqhPBOX65nSSeP2i7zxuJ4q3CEqp3XbVO6_0795WKaB-Fh1qYrWQwvQx9hHFGw9ZpQ-xW9izMBPW2Di-60nrobOXSDxAopKKtzBzRiyHb4WBH5s6Xdp9Qlf1Lh6aiu/w200-h179/smed.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />We're big fans of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. This author and illustrator team has created such classics as <i>Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Snail and the Whale,</i> and <i>The Gruffalo. </i>But <i><b>The Smeds and The Smoos</b></i> (2019, Alison Green Books) is a book that everyone needs to read now. The red Smeds don't like the blue Smoos and vice versa. But when Janet and Bill look past the surface of color and food preference, they enjoy each other's company. With great rhyming nonsense words, and the eventual purple baby that everyone loves, it is a colorful, fun read, with, of course, a good lesson.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper, we say "Unetanneh Tokef," a prayer that is central to the themes of the High Holidays, and the second paragraph always makes me cry:</span></p><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: helvetica;">On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed – how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die after a long life, and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by upheaval, and who by plague, who by strangling and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be harried, who will enjoy tranquility and who will suffer, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted. But Repentance, Prayer, and Charity annul the severity of the Decree."</span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As I age, death is striking me particularly hard. It reminds me of my own mortality, about all the things people want to do and places they want to go, how much more they had to give to the world, and how much they will be missed. Some people I knew very well and lost touch with over the years; some people I knew by reputation, and others I had met once or twice, but they definitely had an impact on me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, to all of you, may you rest in peace, and may you continue to be strong advocates in the heavens for us:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My cousin, Salome Klein, the last of my mother's generation, <a href="https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/293008">Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld </a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_J._Twerski">Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski </a>, <a href="https://hamodia.com/2020/12/26/bde-harav-shalom-povarsky-ztl/" target="_blank">Rabbi Shalom Povarsky</a>, <a href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=janet-pollack&pid=198495947&fhid=27162&__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=87ca59a390bf84860f94e392174a83e01ffb50d1-1622178701-0-Ac_QQbKg9RhIdj8WXh1dSmgstRF4P2APXEj2CeKvh7xwcnyDWcXeDF0fEgyi7cKpoj45w8U_fROqoCjFLwcGrBykNmTRdh9K3cNb_K25p7p07aXA7Pw8-VN52BwT0Ry7C56Ta8A9XvWVs3x0BDVc2DXkQIhTfA-u7epuepdP0gsL7Gj1WT0cogJfHcGRfnHj5Me1WBujORNaEGHWpgQq7TVXv2PlCGoMM1GjvFWHGUq5gmOjVzxGF9aFEiMhhWBFLdwdZAEq4TDZF9oQikWksi5-YQZ0CHUiCvwg_48ZYcbgNb5WtLtJdiZKsKpmxTt7MFGNQWbdlHnmVg_DRzI8lRAZtBL3IvHomOpgINhmX4xleesW8NX7yQXpOa9Hy1e01EwmPnzUMtntxYe7Ke0qw0Kxy8C1rM7bjS6Dn-LEIKf7_VlehC9PaxUBHfIh447-TT0vEVJB8YgwU5hDrQbsgUEEWkWmDtt67Uap84b6caGDK0TsITon4Y72KM95EGdbKr7cS5iHamE8Uah55DKsJHDhY2o5TwblqvZn874UCJrd3xlhnLUrPC87CteMLZZ7aBkkTiEAkE67FxxZAW36PkNS5eMw72DbwXfZFBdxVEh178tN15g-wyjRJwJeoK9u0R3PoFU7_VIyFnwuZpo3bG9xmRRVM7ghH9lQggszl_J0wiZ2wBtd9A5xCy_Dmnx2IBtOJ4sP3R-CUVLQvavZObsvQxQKiHf0Wa6CGNX9hOUmlj4qihpgSOf08RolnWa4kBSCsdOlfQtODwMno7BLjgI" target="_blank">Janet Pollack </a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/lawrence-otis-graham-dead/2021/03/02/1da88118-7aa7-11eb-a976-c028a4215c78_story.html" target="_blank">Lawrence Otis Graham </a>, <a href="https://nachumsegal.com/tribute-to-nsn-jm-in-the-am-family-member-and-host-meir-weingarten-obm/" target="_blank">Meir Weingarten </a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Carle" target="_blank">Eric Carle</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh" target="_blank">Rush Limbaugh</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Plummer" target="_blank">Christopher Plummer</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicely_Tyson">Cicely Tyson</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloris_Leachman" target="_blank">Cloris Leachman</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Aaron" target="_blank">Hank Aaron</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flory_Jagoda" target="_blank">Flory Jagoda</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And finally, what a difference a year makes with the Real Cats from Israel. We met Socks II earlier in the year</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVu4kzX616qleJKUHCAhB6oWXHieeXWn8D6Qu8RlrlQjFVCHhXe-RDUD_pSfkoYTO_ABI4-55obXUwBLqcL1H_WMqR5wOMW2mORNZUi3wWOfVWuYEUngtCN9C4VluZWIawB8w3rJ1e1coo/s2048/Socks+as+a+kitten+9-10-2020+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVu4kzX616qleJKUHCAhB6oWXHieeXWn8D6Qu8RlrlQjFVCHhXe-RDUD_pSfkoYTO_ABI4-55obXUwBLqcL1H_WMqR5wOMW2mORNZUi3wWOfVWuYEUngtCN9C4VluZWIawB8w3rJ1e1coo/s320/Socks+as+a+kitten+9-10-2020+%25282%2529.jpg" width="236" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And here she is with her kittens - Yuki, Stormy and Clawdia:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKJLXq9BsFEuE3P7bgvbh0DssewAQYdfj3wRV0_MGfMU5mBLjPMgobiFyoelm_-dd4TX5OL4lJzx60vnKZoxJTxzmfiI3kXbZHK6O4Ymbv4Puf-1RPJeZVk5qBqerh9LGIVs9XanJyzny/s2048/20210726_190106+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKJLXq9BsFEuE3P7bgvbh0DssewAQYdfj3wRV0_MGfMU5mBLjPMgobiFyoelm_-dd4TX5OL4lJzx60vnKZoxJTxzmfiI3kXbZHK6O4Ymbv4Puf-1RPJeZVk5qBqerh9LGIVs9XanJyzny/s320/20210726_190106+%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p>Happy Reading!</p>KSPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17957757741780083150noreply@blogger.com0