By Babs Putzel

Due to the weather forecast for the weekend of January 25, the annual Temple Concord Sisterhood sponsored book talk, featuring Rabbi Rachel Esserman, will now be held on Sunday, February 8, in the social hall at Temple Concord, 9 Riverside Dr., Binghamton. An 11 am brunch will be served, followed by the book talk. A suggested donation of $5 will cover the brunch. The program is open to the community. Reservations should be made by contacting Phyllis Kellenberger at phylkellen@gmail.com or 607-727-8305.
Esserman, who will discuss three books, said, “I once again am looking forward to one of my favorite events of the year. It is always a pleasure to do this for Sisterhood.”
She will be discussing three books:

• “Children of the Book:  Memoir of Reading Together” by Iland Kurshan. The author writes about reading to her children and the way that can connect generations.
• “One of Them” by Kitty Zeldis. The novel deals with antisemitism on a college campus the years after World War II.
•  “Fagin the Thief,” is by Allision Epstein. The novel looks at the Jewish villain from Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” and offers a different view of his life.

Esserman, who is the executive editor of The Reporter Group, will retire after 24 years on December 25. She will continue to write book reviews and food columns for the paper. 
Esserman has won numerous American Jewish Press Club Rockower Awards and Syracuse Press Club Awards for her opinion columns and book reviews.
In addition to her work at The Reporter, she serves as a chaplain for the Broome Developmental Disabilities Service Office. Her writing has been published in “The Women’s Torah Commentary” and “The Women’s Haftarah Commentary,” both by Jewish Lights Publishing. Also she has had a book of poetry, “I Stand by The River,” published by Keshet Press of Temple Concord.
A Reconstructionist rabbi who says her first love is teaching, Esserman sees her position at The Reporter as an opportunity to educate the public about Judaism. She also serves as a freelance rabbi for lifecycle events, hospital visits and chaplaincy, and has been a rabbi-on-call when needed by local Reform and Conservative synagogues.  
Her education includes a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, and rabbinic ordination and a master of arts in Hebrew letters from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Wyncote, PA. In 2023, she was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College for 25 years of service.
Sisterhood’s co-chairwomen for the program are Kellenberger, Deb Daniels and Roz Antoun.