#Jewish Books

[nesyanast]

“Yentl—you have the soul of a man.”

“So why was I born a woman?”

“Even Heaven makes mistakes.”

Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy by Isaac Bashevis Singer

[pomegranateandhoney]

PJ Library sends free high-quality Jewish children’s books to families every month. These stories spark conversations that inspire the whole family to explore and celebrate what they love about Jewish life.

The program was created by the nonprofit Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) in keeping with its mission to help people connect to Jewish values, traditions, and culture while building vibrant Jewish communities. The HGF partners with local Jewish organizations to fund PJ Library and make it available in their community.

PJ Library programs are now offered in 40 countries. That’s over seven million children’s books a year being enjoyed by families around the globe. But PJ Library doesn’t just send books — it helps families to connect to, experience, and strengthen Jewish community.

See their international directory for information about PJ Library programs around the world.

[bandi-off]

Good jewish literature? Looking for recs 👀

EDIT:

Gosh, thank you EVERYONE for your contributions so far!! I didn't think for a second I'd get so much and so various recommendations, it is lovely to open the app and always have some new notes on this post of mine

As someone who's in his Very very first steps of conversion, I want to refreshen my reading experiences and leave behind the heavily Christian-influenced classics (which is not entirely wrong on its own!, it's just the same old, same old experience for me rn) and get in touch with more recent jewish literature, so I'm very thankful for helping me with this. I might pop up in later edits with my own recommendations!

[girlactionfigure]

[readsofawe]

It's that time again! Announcing the #readsofawe Readathon 2024!

FAQ

When is it? Sunset 10/2 to sunset 10/12, from the beginning of Rosh HaShanah to the end of Yom Kippur, also called the Days of Awe (hence the name)

Who can participate? Anyone! Jews, non-Jews, big readers, one-book-a-year types, and anyone in between.

How do I participate?

🍎 Read Jewish books! You don't even have to tell anyone about it :) 📚 Follow the prompts on the bingo card, and post how many squares you fill 🍎 Share your TBR, reviews, and book photos on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, and/or Twitter with the hashtag #readsofawe

What’s the deal with the bingo board? It’s a fun challenge to encourage people to read widely within Jewish literature! Download or screenshot the board and mark off squares when you get them. Feel free to use one book per square OR mark as many squares as apply to each book! Go for a single square, a bingo, a blackout, or just a random pattern! And don’t forget to post your marked-up board when the readathon is over.

[read-alert]

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month! Full titles under the cut!

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Just Shy of Ordinary by AJ Sass

Teacher of the Year by MA Wardell

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Ring of Solomon by Adrian Polydoros

Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen

Their Troublesome Crush by Xan West

How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

[beforeviolets]

unbelievably excited to share that these stickers I designed are officially part of the A Dark and Drowning Tide pre-order incentive!

this sapphic jewish rivals-to-lovers romantasy feels like it was written just for me, so I was beyond honored when Allison Saft so kindly asked me to contribute some art for it.

I love this book so much that i’ve already read it twice (as someone who doesn’t reread that often) and it hasn’t even come out yet!! so go get your hands on a copy and check out Allison’s instagram for more info on pre-orders so you can get these stickers (and more amazing art)!!

[arcadialedger]

Jewish SF/F books for Jewish Heritage Month

I highly recommend you check out these novels! This is just the tip of the iceberg.

[challahbeloved]

I went to the Jewish bookstore today. Here are some titles I didn’t buy, but if you’ve read them, I’d like to know whether you recommend them or not.

In Forest Fields: a unique guide to personal prayer

Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought by David Biale

On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz: 25 Years of Pre-Dawn Car Trips, Mind-Blowing Encounters and Inspiring Conversations with a Man of Wisdom by Arthur Kurzweil

Stop Look Listen: Celebrating Shabbos Through a Spiritual Lens by Nehemia Polen

On Being Free by Adin Steinsaltz

My Grandmother’s Candlesticks: Judaism and Feminism, A Multigenerational Memoir by Diane Schulder Abrams

Festivals of Faith: CONNECT and GROW with the JEWISH YEAR by DISCOVERING Is ESSENCE by Rabbi Moshe Wolfson

Why We Tremble

Inside Teshuvah by Miriam Millhauser Castle

Opening the Gates of Teshuva: A Contemporary Commentary on Rabbeinu Yonah’s Shaarei Teshuva by Rabbi Asher Baruch Wegbreit

Knocking on the Gates of Teshuvah: Comments and Insights Rambam Hilchos Teshuvah by Rabbi A. Levin

Life After Teshuvah: Five, Ten, and Twenty Years Later

Vegetarianism, Ecology, and Business Ethics: Three Essays of Judaic Insights into Contemporary Concerns by Daniel Sperber

[shtetlshabbos]

so excited for our jewitch book club to commence this sunday, at 2:00 pm est!

pssst.. do you know what book we're reading? its “dybbuks and jewish women” by rachel elior! we're starting with the opening essay! we hope to see many of you there!!!

[yvesdot]

Psst—I'll be live on KZSC's "Kosher Noise" radio segment from 4-5 PM PDT today, October 6th, 2023! Click here to listen live when it airs and hear about ethical vampwriting, why extra credit. says "for rabbi greenberg" on it, and how Something's Not Right sneaks Jewish tradition into queer monster lit.

[nesyanast]

"Jewish law teaches that the person harmed is certainly not obligated to forgive a perpetrator who has not done the work of repentance. And even if repentance is wholehearted and demonstrable, if apologies have been offered and amends made, how and when forgiveness factors in is not always straightforward. Is forgiveness something the victim can choose to do at any point? Definitely. Can it sometimes be a useful part of the healing process? For sure. Is a victim obligated to forgive? Well, as we rabbis are fond of saying, that’s a whole other conversation. It’s worth mentioning that forgiveness isn’t the same as reconciliation—returning to some sort of relationship that will continue into the future. Regardless, I want to spell out that, in Judaism, a person can do real, profound, comprehensive repentance work and even get right with God—experience atonement—even if their victim never forgives them. Repentance and forgiveness are separate processes." On Repentance and Repair by Danya Ruttenberg

[pomegranateandhoney]

today in Cute Jewish Stuff on my Baby Registry:

"Baby Loves Angular Momentum on Hanukkah!" by Ruth Spiro:

"Baby discovers the science behind spinning a dreidel on Hanukkah! Accurate enough to satisfy an expert, yet simple enough for baby, this clever board book explores angular momentum, torque, friction, and gravity. Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate language to encourage baby’s sense of wonder. Parents and caregivers may learn a thing or two as well."

[magnetothemagnificent]

Do you have any favorite books written by jews that you think are really cool/worth reccomending?

Just a few of my favourite off the top of my head, in no particular order:

"Up Up and Oy Vey" - by Simcha Weinstein. Non-fiction.

"Wrestling with God and Man"- by Rabbi Steven Greenberg. Non-fiction.

"The Red Tent"- by Anita Diamant. Biblical fiction.

"The Chosen"- by Chaim Potok. Novel.

"My Name is Asher Lev"- by Chaim Potok. Novel.

"The Secret Chord"- by Geraldine Brooks. Biblical fiction.

"Where the Wild Things Are"- by Maurice Sendak. Children's book. Holds a special place in my heart because my Grandmama used to read it to me all the time as a kid and she would do different voices for the different characters and it always makes me think of her.

"Man's Search for Meaning"- by Viktor Frankl. Memoir.

"The Fixer"- by Bernard Malamud. Novel.

"Ecclesiastes"- by King Solomon. Book in the Tanakh.

[shiraglassman]

I will write a real post about When the Angels Left the Old Country later but here is a text I just sent my friend and you should all go read or listen to the book now 🤓

(i didn't mention the lesbians to this particular friend but there are happy lesbians too)

[readsofawe]

The great thing about a Jewish readathon is you have SO much to choose from!