Book week has started in Israel. The inevitable newspaper articles are starting to appear and I’ll post what I think is interesting when & if I see it. Jessica Steinberg writes in The Times of Israel about some of Israel’s bestselling authors who write children’s titles as well as adult literature. As always, Jessica offers a “top 5” – this time: the top five reasons these authors write children’s books.
“There’s that moment in the day, particularly for parents of small children, when the frenetic activity calms down and that small child, or sometimes more than one, cuddles up, resting head on shoulder for the bedtime story. It’s a nighttime ritual that’s repeated the world over — and, clearly, during the day as well. But it is that evening reading, the bedtime story that’s often handled by the parent returning home from work, that has impressed several generations of Israeli novelists.”
The annual book fest which sweeps Israel cities starts this year on June 5. Officially known as “book week”, thousands upon thousands of people crowd these outdoor book sales which are a celebration of reading and vivid proof that books are far from gone from modern society.
According to Wikipedia this annual tradition began as a one day event in 1926. This year it will be spread over 10 days which is appropriate since my last count shows at least 10 Israeli cities hosting fairs including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Beersheva and more.
Celebrating Israel through books makes perfect sense.
Books have played a huge role in the history and daily life of Israel. The founders of the modern state set out their ideologies in books, and people all over the world have fallen in love with the vision and reality of Israel while reading books.
Scores of people have nominated their favorite Israel books. The focus was on English language books (and translations from Hebrew). After compiling the votes in a sophisticated matrix algorithm which only big time social media gurus understand and which I am not at liberty to share, I am pleased to offer you:
65 Books for 65 Years: Celebrating Israel Through Books.
While living in Israel will make this book seem like the ultimate kitsch this book ignited the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Many credit the awakening of Soviet Jewry in the 1960’s to the risky, underground reading of Exodus by Jews in the USSR.
While Exodus may get the adrenaline going, readers want to know there is a clear reason behind all the drama and thus The Tanach was a clear second place winner.
3. O Jerusalem, by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre – This is a page turner telling the dramatic story of the establishment of Israel in 1947/48 while looking through the prism of events in Jerusalem.
4. Six Days of War, by Michael Oren – before he was Israel’s ambassador to the USA, Oren was a successful academic and author of one of the most popular accounts of the miraculous 1967 Six Day War. Readers experience the frayed nerves, doubt and fear of Israel’s leaders and people before the war as well as the exhilaration of victory. Hard to put down.
5. Adjusting Sights, by Haim Sabato – A translation of the huge Israeli bestseller “Tium Kavanot” A Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Sabato wrote a piece of fiction (closely matching the event of his experiences fighting in the Yom Kippur War) which sold thousands of copies and brought together Jewish tradition and literature in a fashion which mesmerized readers from every part of Israeli society (and the sales proved it!). Adjusting Sights was a game changer on the Israeli literary scene as it opened up the publishing world as a possibility for young religious writes such as Michael Sheinfeld. Rabbi Sabato has other books on the 65 for 65 list as well.
6. Start-up Nation, by Dan Senor and Saul Singer – This book has sold probably a million copies and has been translated into just as many languages. Looking at how a small, poor country surrounded by enemies became an engine for technology development and economic success this book presents a story and ideas which have become an article of Israeli faith and the envy of countries across the globe.
7. The Prime Ministers, by Yehuda Avner – A “tell all” about the inner workings of Israeli leadership from someone who worked closely with every prime minister in Israel for over 30 years. A huge bestseller soon to be a move, this book is filled with idealism, humor, drama and humanity.
8. Dawning of the Day, by Haim Sabato – another winner – the book that launched the writing career of this bestselling author.
9. Works by Yehuda Amichai – one of Israel’s most beloved poets.
10. The Revolt, by Menachem Begin – a personal account by the former prime minster of Israel, of the Jewish resistance to British rule in pre-state Israel.
11. My Life, by Golda Meir
12. Letters from Jerusalem 1947-1948, by Zipporah Porat – a junior year abroad which turns into participating and witnessing the War of Independence in 1947/48.
13. Tuvia in the Promised Land, by Tzvi Fishman
14. A Tale of Love & Darkness, by Amos Oz – Could this list have been complete without him?
15. The Zionist Idea, by Arthur Hertzberg
16. Raquela, by Ruth Gruber – mentioned by a number of voters, this book seems to have impacted many.
17.Eretz Yisrael in the Parsha by Moshe Lichtman – a bit of a pleasant surprise. The author was one of my first clients. Looking at each week’s Torah portion with an emphasis on the role the Land of Israel plays, this book is a unique educational tool for anyone.
18. The Source, by James Michener
19. Fear No Evil, by Natan Sharansky – who says there are no heroes today? A man who sat 9 years in jail for wanting to leave communist Russia for Israel. A classic, must read. I always find it surprising how many people I meet today who don’t know who Sharansky is.
20. Listen World Listen Jew, by Meir Kahane
21. The Best of Kishon, by Ephraim Kishon
22. Diary of Hannah Senesh, – this iconic poet parachuted behind enemy lines in a doomed effort to free Jews from the Nazi monster.
23. The Israelis, by Amos Elon
24. Letters to an American-Jewish Friend: A Zionist’s Polemic, by Hillel Halkin – many college students stayed up late at night reading this classic as they formed their own vision of the importance the land of Israel would play in their life. (at least I did.)
25. Heroes Hustlers Hard Hats and Holy Men, by Zeev Chafetz
26. The Battle for Jerusalem, by Abraham Rabinovich
27.The Letters of Yoni Netanyahu, by Benjamin and Ido Netanyahu – the brother of Israel’s current prime minister was a bona fide hero and is a part of Israeli history due to his role in the rescue of Jews from the hands of Palestinian terrorists who hijacked their plane to Uganda.
43. Battleground – Fact and Fantasy in Palestine, by Samuel Katz
44. The Pomegranate Pendant, by Dvora Waysman
45. The Blessing of a Broken Heart, by Sherri Mandell – a tragic story told by the mother of child killed by terrorists (his friend was also killed). Israel was stunned into silence by the brutality of the murder.
46. From Time Immemorial, by Joan Peters
47.The Nehalel Siddur– a new prayer book filled with gorgeous images of Israel. Eye candy for the soul.
48. Here and There in the Land of Israel, by Amos Oz
49. To The Skies – The El Al Story, by Arnold Sherman
50. The Pledge, by Leonard Slater
51. The Jewish State, by Yoram Hazony
52. For the Love of Israel and the Jewish People, by Nathan Lopes Cardozo
53. Our Man in Damascus, by Elie Ben Hanan – a classic story of Israeli heroism about the man who became part of the inner circles of Syrian upper ruling classes while he spied for Israel.
54. Operation Uranium Ship, by Dennis Eisenberg
55. Messianism, Zionism, and Jewish Religious Radicalism, by Aviezer Ravitzky
56. Pioneers in Palestine, by Hanna Barnett Trager (from 1923!)
64. A Tzaddik in Our Time, by Simcha Raz – the story of the “father of the prisoners” who looked out for the Jews jailed by the British mandatory authorities while fighting for Israeli independence in one way or another.
Israel marks 65 years next week. In celebration, I am compiling a list of the 65 best books connected to Israel – a book about Israel, a story that takes place in Israel, a book by an Israeli….fiction, non-fiction, a cookbook. You get the idea. You are invited to send in your best loved books. Tell us which books impacted you, which helped you fall in love with the land or the books that made you realize how complex things can be. Or the ones you just love.
The list will be published on or about Independence Day. Please post your choices here and include name of book and the author.
Looking forward to seeing your choices.
Small print: There is no guarantee that an entry will be included in the list.
“This is the only chocolate cake you will ever need to make” – this is how Levana Kirschenbaum introduces her Chocolate Cake recipe in her recent cookbook The Whole foods Kosher Kitchen. I am posting this picture to show that Levana is probably correct. I made the cake (it was fun). We served it to adults, to kids, to chocolate lovers and others (there are actually such people) and well…….the picture is the proof. This cake was (is) amazing. It is rich, moist and doesn’t have that overly sweet taste that so many chocolate cakes have.
Full disclosure – I did publicity for this book. And to be frank – I didn’t get to test every recipe as I was promoting the book. As time goes on and I get to know the book even better, I appreciate it more and more. This book is a keeper and a worthwhile investment for yourself and the food lovers in your life. Seriously.
As account executive for an eBook company I worked with publishing giant McGraw Hill for a few years. I enjoyed the work and the people as well as visiting their offices around the US. It was at their office in Iowa that I first saw a car started remotely…..Iowa is cold. So people start their cars from the office. By the time they get to the car it is toasty warm. But I digress….their new product launch grabbed my attention today.
McGraw Hill just announced the launch of eBooks which use “adaptive learning” to adjust to a student’s knowledge and level. The press release describes this as ” a method of education that seeks to personalize learning by using sophisticated algorithmic technology to continually assess students’ knowledge, skill and confidence levels and design targeted study paths based on the resulting data to bolster students’ understanding in the areas where they need to improve the most.”
In a phrase that really caught my eye, we are told that one of the new products “represents a breakthrough achievement in reading, as it breaks the centuries-old tradition of books as linear experiences that presume to be read in their entirety, and in a pre-defined sequence, in order to be understood.”
I met many wonderful people at McGraw Hill who are deeply committed to reading and education, so I am confident that they are launching this because they have concluded it is needed for them to stay relevant and that it is a worthy series of products.
From working in the field I know that you really need to see a demo of the product to understand how it works. But I have the basic idea. So while the press release offers a number of promising educational developments, I also shuddered. Call me conservative but I still think “the centuries-old tradition of books as linear experiences that presume to be read in their entirety, and in a pre-defined sequence, in order to be understood” could be a GOOD thing!
I also think physically searching around a library to find a book and thus coming upon other good books (or not such good books) along the way is a positive experience.
When everything is so personalized and found with laser-like precision…..where is the room to discover anything different or unexpected?
One – Interesting that one of kids books (When the Hurricane Came) is a self published work. What does it mean? Not sure. It is not earth shattering news but worthy of attention. I did have a client win a National Jewish Book Award a number of years ago and I was shocked (the book was very good, but was far from confident a self published book would be considered). I was sure they were going to call me and say a mistake had been made.
Two – It seems so logical that the Koren Talmud would win something. How could it not?
As you might imagine, all year long, I am in touch with scores of people who live and breathe books. The recent end of the secular year is a convenient time marker for looking back at the last 12 months (and trust me, we will likely do it again at the end of the Jewish year as well!)
Ask publishing professionals how books sell and gain in popularity, and a likely popular answer to your question will be “word of mouth” (or it should be). Readers talk about books, tell their friends, their students, and their fellow readers. I decided to check in with some people I respect to see what their “word of mouth” is on Jewish books for 2012. These are just a few of the people who often write about books and who I enjoy reading and communicating with. I asked them which books did they read in 2012 that they found enjoyable or meaningful. Choices were not limited to books published in 2012 and simply needed be “Jewish”. I must admit I am also thrilled that a few titles are titles by current or former clients.
Thanks to the busy people who responded to my request. You will note that every one of the respondents is “busy”. And yet….they read! This is an optimistic, good lesson for all of us.
Please feel free to add your choices in the comments section. I’d appreciate hearing what you have been reading and enjoying.
I have divided the responses received into two posts segments. The first follows below……
Executive Director of The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA), writer of interesting articles and author of the recently published book The Men’s Section. I enjoy reading her writing. I find it hard to not read everything she writes even when I don’t agree because she addresses important issues so well. She seems to make sure every serious thought is considered. I know she is “just” a tad busy so I am excited to include Elana here.
“loved this book, about a haredi young woman in the early 20th century Jerusalem who is torn between art and religion, beautiful writing, captivating story about women learning to set their passions free, a story that still resonates today for a lot of women, not only religious women.”
“an acutely original analysis of Jewish life that opens up the idea that feminism is a vital concept essential to Judaism, especially feminism in Israel, and that this feminism has the ability to “liberate” Judaism and transform it into the compassion-filled expression of the divine spirit that it’s meant to be.”
Rabbi Eliyahu Fink currently serves as the Rabbi at the Pacific Jewish Center. That’s the Shul on the beach in Venice California. He is the author of the blog, FinkorSwim.com. His blog is super interesting and the debate it creates may be even more interesting. His writing is always worth the investment of reading. He is a prolific online thinker and writer and busy currently studying for the bar, so I appreciate Rabbi Fink sharing his choices here.
Director of Interfaith Affairs for the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a professor of Jewish Law and Ethics at Loyola Law School and the Founding Editor of renowned Cross-Currents.com which is one of the most worthwhile Jewish online efforts that exist. Their discussions consistently set off scores of debates and thoughtful responses around the Jewish world. His writing and commentary are respected and read by so many and it is exciting and an honor to host him here.
“Let’s start with Torah:
I could never count how many wonderful Torah texts I use in the course of a year. I can point to three newer acquisitions that either left a large impression, or were game-changers:
Hamafteach, the index to Shas toiled at for many years by Daniel Retter (and recently translated into English), was the game-changer, making it much easier to retrieve information from the gemara.
For years, I have had a weakness for the works of a contemporary talmid chacham, R. Yechiel Mechel Dzimitrovsky, and his breathtaking commentaries on difficult works that are the bread and butter of serious lomdus. I wouldn’t think of learning the Ketzos HaChoshen or the Nesivos HaMishpat without his editions. This year, I picked up a work he didn’t do solo, but in collaboration with a team of talmidei chachamim. This new edition of Urim V’Tumim (by R Yonoson Eybeschutz) made that important work accessible to me while I had often shied away from it in the past.
My son-in-law sent me a sefer that blew me away for a solid month. Beis Shaar, by R Michoel Borenstein, gathered and elucidated the writings of the Ari and other mekubalim on the month of Tishrei. This is not easy material, but the author has a gift for taking apart difficult material (at least to those with some background in kabbalah-lite) step by step and making it comprehensible. It became a mainstay of my Tishrei presentations.
Now, lehavdil, for the non-Torah
I read three works on the history of the modern State of Israel. Two were classics that I had never read cover to cover before: O, Jerusalem, and Six Days of War. The third, The Prime Ministers by Yehuda Avner is a new work, the fascinating recollections of a religiously observant advisor to five Israeli prime ministers. What all three have in common is that they left me with an even more profound sense of awe regarding the Divine Providence that created and maintains the State of Israel.
For many years, Mitchell Bard’s Myths and Facts was the standard reference work for English speakers who were fighting the hasbara battles on their own. It was well organized, easy to use, and gave you the ammunition you needed to counter the fallacious arguments of the Dark Side. Bard recognized the need for an even simpler work that told the Israeli narrative from an unapologetically pro-Israel position without sacrificing accuracy. Israel Matters is written for young people, and it will quickly become the book that we hand out to friends to whom we wish to convey Israel’s story in short form. I believe that many adults will use it, at least those who will admit that they aren’t comfortable with their knowledge of the key figures and events in the past and present of Israel.
I am in the process of reading Rebels in the Holy Land by Sam Finkel, the fascinating story of an early agricultural settlement composed entirely of observant farmers. Their battle to uphold shemitah in its fullest designation presaged battles to come for the soul of the new yishuv. The graphic arrangement is beautiful, and the rich variety of photos and illustrations increase the interest of the reader.
It has been many years since the last time I read a novel. There just isn’t time for me to read fiction. I made an exception this year, and don’t regret it. I didn’t discover anything new in Hush by Judy Brown, but it packs an emotional wallop that makes it easy to justify the occasional inaccuracy. When so many of our communities are still dragging their feet rather than implementing strong measures to prevent abuse, this book strengthens a reader’s resolve to rid ourselves of a deadly plague.”
Nothing beats a good book. But a great movie can come close, no? Some recent movies from Israel, made by Orthodox Jews have been getting some real buzz (and probably some awards as well).
I came upon this thoughtful article about the portrayal of religion in Israeli movies recently. The author states: “it is already clear that 2012 will be remembered as the year in which Israeli movies finally found God.”
He makes a comparison to a similar recent trend in Israeli popular music “It is as likely to find a love song to The Lord topping the pop charts these days as it is to find a love song to a girl.”
Remember a book that you read which had serious impact on how you felt about something? Well….add Hush to your list.
When I asked some Jewish media thinkers & writers which books they really enjoyed reading in 2012 (this list to be postedhere soon), Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein wrote to me explaining that one of the books he read, Hush “packs an emotional wallop that makes it easy to justify the occasional inaccuracy. When so many of our communities are still dragging their feet rather than implementing strong measures to prevent abuse, this book strengthens a reader’s resolve to rid ourselves of a deadly plague.”
I came upon a video of Judy Brown, the author of Hush speaking at a conference of Orthodox Jewish mental health professionals. After watching it, I want to share it here. Her talk reminded me of the power of books and how they can affect the reader, the author and the world (yes, really).
5. 
17. 
21. The Best of Kishon, by Ephraim Kishon
33. 1948, by Benny Morris
45. 
60. Unbroken Spirit, by Yosef Mendelevich
