By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
At first glance, it might seem as if the two novels in this review have almost nothing in common. After all, “Sisters of Fortune” by Esther Chehebar (Random House) features three sisters who belong to a contemporary Syrian-American Jewish community, while “Gir…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Religion can be a source of comfort for someone going through a traumatic experience. Religion can also be a source of pain for those who feel it doesn’t provide adequate answers to their questions and struggles. These two statements articulate the themes underlyi…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Reading “My Childhood in Pieces: A Stand-up Comedy, a Skokie Elegy” by Edward Hirsch (Alfred A. Knopf) and Rachel J. Lithgow’s “My Year of Bad Dates” (She Writes Press) for this review left me with a question to ponder: What’s the point of writing a memo…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Distance creates far better relationships with siblings and in-laws than does traveling or living together. At least, that’s the lesson that could be learned from two recent novels: “Serge” by Yasmina Reza (Restless Books) and “Good Grief” by Sara Goodma…
By Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Ancient Rome has gone down in Jewish history as the ultimate enemy of the Jewish people. Even the Babylonians, who destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem, were not considered as evil. Perhaps that’s because the Jewish population was able to rebuild the Temple abo…
