Just in time for Chanukah, we are hosting a book fair at the temple this week. The social hall is packed with current, Jewish books for any age level and all genres. This is a great opportunity to build your Jewish library and make a family activity out of buying a few good picks. Here are a few recommendations from the adult fiction aisle:
Roz Reisner, temple librarian, recommends "The War of the Rosens" by Janice Eidus. She describes the book: "A great coming-of-age tale set in the Bronx in 1965. Emma Rosen, a budding poet, tries to understand the nature of good and evil as it plays out in her eccentric Jewish family."
I recommend "Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer and "The Yiddish Policeman's Union" by Michael Chabon. These two books represent some of the best of new American Jewish fiction. They are funny, well written, and engaged in many of the biggest issues of contemporary Jewish life.
For kids, the awarding winning book, "Hanukkah at Valley Forge" by Stephen Krensky with illustrations by Greg Harlin, is a great tale that weaves together American history and the story of the Maccabees.
If you are interested in traditional texts, be sure to pick up a copy of the JPS translation of the Tanakh, the Harvey J. Fields Torah Commentary set, or the new translation of the Torah by Robert Alter.
Also, be sure to join in one or more of the special events we are holding in connection with the book fair: a discussion of the book, "As a Driven Leaf" by Milton Steinberg on Thursday at noon, Roz Reisner's talk during services Friday night, our havdallah and story-teller event on Saturday night, or the chance to meet and hear from Israeli author Penina Moed-Kass about her book "Real Time" on Sunday at 11 AM. All events at the temple. Contact the office or check our website for more info.
Happy reading!
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