By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
The Oxford Dictionary defines the term dystopia as “an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.” That term describes two recent novels – “The Third Temple” by Yishai S…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
“Songs for the Brokenhearted”
Israel from a Yemenite Jewish point of view: that describes Ayelet Tsabari’s short stories and memoir. While those works were excellent, they may leave readers unprepared for her moving and powerful first novel, “Songs for the …
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
“Goyhood, he thought – the state of rebounding from one travesty to the next.” – Mayer Belkin in “Goyhood”
What happens when you discover everything you thought about your life was based on a lie? At age 12, twins Marty and David Belkin learn from Ida Ma…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Romantic comedies: that is the longer term for what are frequently referred to as rom-coms. The shorter term suggests these novels are light and fluffy with no real substance. However, the best of these works offer a wider view of women’s lives. For example, two n…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
If you have ever adored a novel, you sometimes approach the author’s next work with trepidation. After all, is it possible for them to succeed in enchanting you a second time? That was particularly true in the case of Sacha Lamb, whose first book “When the Angel…
