Nice Jewish Books

Often we just want to connect with all the people around us and fix any problems we see. In the Hebrew Teacher, a collection of three novellas, people attempt to do this in very different situations. But sometimes, other people see the problem from a different perspective, or the problem is not what it seems. And to connect with someone else, they need to want to connect back with you. Join me for a conversation with Maya Arad about navigating life, jobs, and family. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

. Annamae lives in New York with her brother and linguist mother. She yearns for connection and feels that someone will show up to take her away to where she is supposed to be. In the meantime, she pours her thoughts and dreams into her diary. Ani lives on a homestead which is a safe place for misfits and homeless. One day, the Captain, one of the long time residents, hears a call and just walks away to follow it. When Ani realizes that he forgot his treasured journal, she attempts to follow him to him to return it. Each girl is growing into her identity and finding her place in her family, community, and world. Join me for a conversation with Leah Hager Cohen about her book (or books!) To and Fro. Follow along with the transcript and check out her website. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Every year the Research, Archive, and Special libraries division of the Association of Jewish Libraries (otherwise known as RAS) gives awards for excellence in Reference and in Bibliography. Since these are obviously not fiction, they wouldn’t ordinarily be a candidate for this podcast. But I got an opportunity to share the interview with last year’s bibliography winner that I found too delicious to pass up. The bibliography award focuses on books written about other books. In the case, the winner Adras Koerner won for this work Early Jewish Cookbooks: Essay on Hungarian Jewish Gastronomical History. Join me at Nice Jewish books to listen to RAS vice president Eitan Kensky and author Andras Koerner discuss Jewish food, cookbooks and culture. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

During the Holocaust, desperate Jewish parents placed their children with Christian families and in convents in the hope that the children would survive the war. After the war, Jewish organizations went to reclaim these children to be raised in the Jewish community. But how did the children deal with yet another displacement. Join me for a conversation with Jennifer Rosner. Follow along with the transcript. Find out more on the author's website Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

We start in a familiar place, in contemporary Chicago, where Jennifer, a museum curator, is asked to go to Belarus to create a living installation of Jewish life there before the Holocaust. She invites a distant cousin to participate, and she brings with her an old Yiddish literary magazine to use as a prop in the installment. In each chapter we move backward in time. As the settings become less familiar to us, we see the cousin relationships getting closer and see that there is a poem in the journal that is directed at three brothers in the family. The triplets had been separated at a young age. To find out why, and what the poem has to do with it, we must travel back further in time. Join me on this journey of Our Little Histories by Janice Weizman Check out her Jewish fiction website which focuses on literature from small presses. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Adam is a twelve year old boy preparing for his bar mitzvah in Flushing New York in the early 1970. In many ways, he is a typical kid, trying to fit in at school, but also trying to find himself and find ways to stand out. But his year is off to a difficult start when his parents decide to move the family to a different neighborhood and at the same time his best friend decides to ghost him. Can Adam make new friends, find his people, and survive his bar mitzvah? Join me for a conversation with author Don Futterman about Adam Unrehearsed. Find the author's website and podcast. Don supports the residents and rebuilding of Kfar Azza and the Israel Center for Educational Innovation. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

While the body of Yiddish literature is vast, many people still think of Tevye the milkman, trudging along with his lame horse and arguing with God. But the many new translations of Yiddish fiction show the breadth and depth of the settings, characters, and topics covered as well as the many different voices of the authors. This past fall, Nice Jewish Books in conjunction with AJL presents, gathered three amazing scholars to speak about the past, present, and future of Yiddish literature and especially Yiddish literature in translation. Yermiyahu Ahron Taub, poet, writer, and translater; translator Mindy Liberman, and Ellen Cassedy, a translator, author and activist, discussed the resurgence of interest in Yiddish literature and their own particular projects. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Links from the chat: Yermiyahu's website : https://yataubdotnet.wordpress.com/bio/ Ellen's website: https://ellencassedy.com/translations... Mindy in geveb: https://ingeveb.org/people/mindy-libe... https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/tra... https://yivo.org/Irena-Klepfisz Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Leah is not your typical Chinese-Jewish owner of a kosher Chinese restaurant. She is also a woman on the run from Yuk-Wong, a drug lord determined to marry her against her will. And if that wasn't enough drama in her life, she is also the host/recipient of the Spirit of Water with all the powers that entails. When Yuk-Wong's minions find her in New York, she decides to return to China and face her figurative and literal demons. Join me for a conversation with graphic artist Fabrice Sapolsky about this second story of the Intertwined universe, The Last Jewish Daughter of Kaifeng. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Check out these links from Fabrice Sapolsky: JewceFair Square ComicsBe'chol Lashon / Global Jews Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

When people think of Operation Moses, they usually think of a plane full of Ethiopian Jews, the Beta Israel, arriving in Israel. But their journey started long before the plane ride and continued for years after arriving. Kim Salzman follows a single family as they journey in three groups from Ethiopia to Sudan, to Israel, and into the Israeli absorption centers. They each endure a physically dangerous and emotional wrenching journey. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Lesbian, poet, activist, and Yiddishist Irena Klepfisz speaks about her lastest book, Her Birth and Later Years : New and Collected Poems, 1971-2021 with Yermiyahu Ahron Taub. Yermiyahu is a poet and Yiddishist in his own right. He and Irena have been friends for years. They speak about her process of writing and her use of Yiddish in her work as well as the legacy of her parents and extended family. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

During World War 11, Japanese citizens were rounded up and sent to internment camps. When they were finally released, the vast majority had lost their homes and businesses. In the upcoming episode of Nice Jewish Books, I speak with Josh Tuininga about one of the rare exceptions to this appalling situation. Josh focuses on the Sephardic Jewish community in Seattle, Washington where the friendship between Marco Calvo and members of the Japanese community rippled through the generations. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

If I told you that this episode was going to be about a house which ran around on chicken legs, you might assume that this should belong to an odd looking children’s book. But NO! This is a full-fledged intruiguing adult adventure. When the Yaga siblings inherit their grandmother’s house, they set off on a journey to hide from the mysterious man who is stalking the house, discover themselves, and oh yes, create puppet shows along the way. Listen in to Hannah Srour-Zackon’s interview of GennaRose Northcott about her AJL honor winning book, Thistlefoot. Follow along with the transcript. Follow GennaRose on Instagram #gennarosenethercott Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home)Donate If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

When Jamie's family moves from a liberal Jewish area of San Francisco to a conservative area of Florida, he decides to go back into the closet. But when he meets Alex, the football star, sparks fly between them which un-nerves both of the teens. Can they work out their feelings for each other while navigating homophobia? Join me for a conversation with Jacob Gelman. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Twins JoJo and Bronka are coming of age in the United States in the 1960s. Daughters of Orthodox Jewish parents, they both have dreams and ambitions; JoJo of becoming an actress and Bronka of becoming an journalist. But shadows follow them: their parents' holocaust experience, US politics, neo-Nazis, sexism, and an unplanned pregnancy. Join me for a conversation with Meryl Ain, author of the Shadows We Carry. Follow along with the transcript. Connect with Meryl through her website https://merylain.com/ and Facebook page and enjoy her podcast. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Casey is a teenager living in New Orleans, when her parents decide that she is getting into too much trouble. They move the family back to Brooklyn to be closer to their Orthodox Jewish Syrian community. But will she end up trapped in the Marriage Box? Join me for a conversation with author Corie Adjmi. Follow along with the transcript. Connect with Corie at https://corieadjmi.com/ Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

We may not be able to live in the past, but it is nice to visit it sometimes. Join me for a nostalgic journey back to Jewish sleep-away-camp with Eric Glickman as we talk about his graphic novel Camp Pock-a-wocknee : dynomite summer '77. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

What if David and Goliath were actually lovers and con artists? What if the Scotts turned about to be God's chosen people? What if Ilan Ramon had been on the Columbia ground crew instead of in the shuttle? Andrea Lobel and Mark Shainblum collect an intriguing collection of "what ifs" in Jewish history and modern midrash, or "Jewish fan fiction" of the Bible. I had a fascinating conversation with the editors and two of the collection's authors, Esther Alter and Eric Choi. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Scheherazade telling stories to spellbound soldiers, Sephardic kids "borrow' and old confused man off the street to pose as their Holocaust surviving grandfather, and the son of a shoemaker who delights in climbing construction cranes ... these are just a few of the characters who appear in Omer Friedlander's Association of Jewish Libraries' award winning collection, The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land. Contact the author at https://www.omerfriedlander.com/ Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: · The Association of Jewish Libraries · Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor · Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

This episode of The Book of Life features Sarah Aroeste,a singer/songwriter of Ladino music and an author of board books featuring Sephardic culture and Ladino vocabulary andBridget Hodder, a Sephardic author of middle grade and picture books. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

After her beloved father's death, Lena is stunned to learn that he was not her biological father. She had never felt as close to Regina, her Russian-born mother. But as Regina's story unfolds from her early life in Moscow to her early adulthood in Birobidzhan, the Jewish Autonomous Region, their relationship begins to heal. Alina Adams gives us an engaging story of hardship, love, impossible decisions, and reconciliation. Contact the author through her website AlinaAdams.com Support UJA/Federation Ukraine Crisis Relief Follow along with the transcript, Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here. Thanks to: https://freemusicarchive.org/home) If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.