By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
“Kaplan’s Plot”
At first, I wondered why such a fuss had been made about “Kaplan’s Plot” by Jason Diamond (Flatiron Books). The novel made several “most anticipated books of the year” lists, which is one of the reasons I asked for a review copy. How…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Rom-com
I am a ginormous fan of Jean Meltzer’s rom-coms. (Yes, I know some people don’t consider ginormous a real word, but it is listed as one in the Oxford Language and the Merriam-Webster dictionaries.) The fact that I’m using a fancy word, rather than jus…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
“Banana Menorah”
*Picture used with permission of Apple and Honey Press* The delightful picture book “Banana Menorah” by Lee Wind and illustrated by Karl West (Apple and Honey Press) portrays the creativity that makes Hanukkah such a fun holiday. The unnam…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
When I was talking to a non-Jewish friend this summer about a Jewish fantasy novel that I was reading, he expressed surprise that there was such a thing as Jewish fantasy. The elements of these works can be found as far back as talmudic times: the belief in demons, …
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
As part of my chaplaincy work, I often read or tell Jewish stories. They’re a great way to teach a lesson or get a point across without sounding pedantic. Many of them are also great fun and I have favorites that I tend to repeat. However, there are very few women …
