BookBuffet Welcomes Lisa Silverman: Jewish Literature Specialist
As a synagogue librarian and book group leader, I have enjoyed many excellent novels with Jewish themes. I will be glad to share them with you here at BookBuffet as my groups read and discuss them.
February 01, 2005 —
Next week one group will be discussing The Outside World, by Tova Mirvis, the story of the courtship and marriage of two young Orthodox Jews from Brooklyn. I will be glad to share some of our discussion points and comments. A second group I lead is now reading, Speed of Light, by Elizabeth Rosner, a touching story of how children of Holocaust survivors learn about grief and forgiveness from their Latina housekeeper. Stay tuned for that discussion, too!
But for those of you new to the world of Jewish books, there are some excellent websites that can enlighten your reading.
Remember the children's book by Laura Numeroff entitled, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, where one thing always leads to another until you are back where you started? If you're Jewish, and you also love to read, you may find yourself in just such a situation. Let's say you just moved into a new neighborhood. Then you may want to join the local synagogue to meet new people. If you join the synagogue, you may want to go to the synagogue's library to look for a book. When you talk to the librarian, you may find out that the Sisterhood runs a book group or two that you can join for free.
Great Websites with Jewish Book Reviews
Women's League for Conservative Judaism, or the Union for Reformed Judaism for a great list of classics and other books recommended by the Reform movement.
If you feel like joining the largest Women's organization (of any religion) in the world, check out the great book group offered by Hadassah.
If you don't like any of these book choices, you can start your own group by perusing the following three excellent websites:
www.myjewishbooks.com is chock-full of hundreds of ideas --with links to award-winners, librarian's favorites, reviews, etc.
www.jbooks.com/ is a web magazine for Jewish book reviews, news, excerpts, and more
www.nextbook.com is a great, well-run, professional organization that sees itself as a gateway for Jewish literature, culture and ideas.
And after you read your first Jewish book, you may just want to read another. And you just might like a cookie and a glass of milk to go with it....
[Editor's Note: These links have been added to the BookBuffet LINKS & RESOURCES list, as well you will find all of Lisa's book selections in the BookBuffet BOOK ARCHIVE, with research links added to assist your discussion.]
Lisa Silverman, Library Director
Sinai Temple Blumenthal Library
10400 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-481-3215
lsilverman@sinaitemple.org
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