Jewish Review of Books
Awe and Shmutz
29 Sep
Steven J. Zipperstein's biography "Philip Roth: Stung by Life" provides a fresh and insightful exploration of the celebrated and controversial Jewish-America...
29 Sep
Jewish Review of Books
Life among the Readers
29 Sep
Ilana Kurshan's memoir, "Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together," offers a unique look into family life through the lens of reading. Kurshan, an ...
29 Sep
Jewish Review of Books
Shtetl Revenant
29 Sep
The new translation of Chaim Grade's novel "Sons and Daughters" by Rose Waldman offers a vivid exploration of a rabbinical family in a shtetl facing dissolut...
29 Sep
Forward
In Dan Brown’s chaotic tale of a rampaging Golem, a case of missing Judaism
27 Sep
Dan Brown's latest novel, "The Secret of Secrets," ventures into Jewish mythology with the enigmatic Golem of Prague but lacks depth in its portrayal of Jewi...
27 Sep
Kveller
10 Classic Jewish Comfort Reads
26 Sep
Fall is the perfect time to explore a list of Jewish comfort reads curated to uplift and perhaps deepen one's connection to Jewish culture and spirituality, ...
26 Sep
Hadassah
REVIEW: ‘Cammy Sitting Shiva’
26 Sep
Cary Gitter's debut novel, "Cammy Sitting Shiva," explores the nuanced and individualistic process of grieving through its protagonist, Cammy Adler. Although...
26 Sep
MomentMag
The Art of the Short Story with Joan Leegant
26 Sep
Joan Leegant, an acclaimed author and two-time winner of The Moment Magazine-Karma Foundation Short Fiction Contest, shares insights into her writing process...
26 Sep
Hadassah
REVIEW: ‘Autocorrect’
26 Sep
Etgar Keret's new collection, "Autocorrect," offers a series of surreal and speculative short stories that explore themes of human loneliness and the bizarre...
26 Sep
Forward
Cheating partners, antisemitic neighbors, and lost loves populate these Jewish worlds
26 Sep
Jennifer Moses' short story collection, "You've Told Me Before," explores intricate Jewish worlds filled with relational conflicts, ranging from infidelity t...
26 Sep
Forward
This Israeli dystopian novel is becoming the Jewish state's reality
26 Sep
Yishai Sarid's dystopian novel, "The Third Temple," offers a grim vision of an authoritarian Israel governed by a corrupt monarchy and religious fanatics, dr...
26 Sep
Forward
Sam Sussman fashions a mother-son love story with a side helping of Bob Dylan
21 Sep
Sam Sussman's novel, "Boy from the North Country," mixes fiction and potential autobiography as it navigates a mother-son relationship amid rumors of being t...
21 Sep
Forward
A discussion in Yiddish about the Israeli writer Etgar Keret
21 Sep
In a Yiddish-language discussion hosted by the Forverts, the focus is on the renowned Israeli writer Etgar Keret, known for his unique storytelling style. Ke...
21 Sep
The Beinart Notebook
"A Kingdom of Wickedness"
19 Sep
Avrum Burg, former Knesset speaker, explores the intersection of Jewish tradition and modern political activism by challenging the violence in Gaza through r...
19 Sep
Tablet
The Lady Rancher and the Grad Student
18 Sep
Dorit Rabinyan’s story follows Joe, a grad student who inherits a collection of stamps, coins, and other items from a distant uncle in Israel. Initially dism...
18 Sep
Jewish Action
Reviews in Brief – Fall 2025
15 Sep
"Reviews in Brief Fall 2025" features evaluations of three notable Jewish scholarly works. Rabbi Dr. Zvi Ron’s "Jewish Customs: Exploring Common and Uncommon...
15 Sep
18forty
A Fanatical Future Awaits Us. Do We Care?
14 Sep
In "The Third Temple," Yishai Sarid presents a dystopian vision where Israel, under a quasi-Messianic monarchy, is governed by Torah law while surrounded by ...
14 Sep
Jewish History Lectures
The Italian Earthquake of 1570 that Changed Jewish Intellectual History
11 Sep
Azariah da Rossi was a pivotal 16th-century Jewish intellectual whose experiences during the earthquake of 1570 in Italy prompted him to write the influentia...
11 Sep
JTA
Sam Sussman’s novel is about his Jewish mom and the teasing possibility that Bob Dylan is his dad
10 Sep
Sam Sussman's debut novel, "Boy from the North Country," explores themes of identity, art, and Jewish heritage under the enigmatic shadow of Bob Dylan potent...
10 Sep
Hadassah
Guide to Jewish Literature – September/October 2025
9 Sep
The Guide to Jewish Literature for September/October 2025, as presented by Hadassah Magazine and authored by Randi O'Connor, offers an insightful overview of...
9 Sep
Forward
Kafka and Chicago taught him to love literature, Rodney Dangerfield taught him how to live it
9 Sep
Jason Diamond, a journalist and author, brings his wit and cultural insights into his debut novel, "Kaplan's Plot." Set between present-day Chicago and early...
9 Sep
Lilith
A Book for This Season: Liana Finck’s “Passing for Human”
8 Sep
Liana Finck's graphic memoir "Passing for Human" is a profound exploration of self-discovery and acceptance, framed within a Jewish context of teshuvah, or r...
8 Sep
Forward
A dizzying Kafka biopic that isn’t really Kafkaesque
5 Sep
Agnieszka Holland's biopic "Franz," premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, explores the life and legacy of Franz Kafka. The film employs styl...
5 Sep
Hadassah
REVIEW: ‘Happy New Years’
5 Sep
Maya Arad's novel "Happy New Years" explores the life and growth of Leah Moskovich Zuckerman through an engaging epistolary format. As Leah writes annual Ros...
5 Sep
Tablet
The Magic Mountain Is Still Magic
5 Sep
Jonah Raskin reflects on the enduring allure of Thomas Mann's novel "The Magic Mountain," coinciding with its recent translation for its upcoming centennial ...
5 Sep
Lilith
Fiction Contest 2025
3 Sep
Lilith magazine is calling for entries in its Annual Fiction Contest, inviting short stories up to 3,000 words from Jewish feminist writers. The contest seek...
3 Sep
Forward
He escaped the Holocaust and 'Matzoh Island,' but America was no promised land
1 Sep
Karen Bermann's book, "The Art of Being a Stranger," offers a unique fusion of memoir, art, and poetic reflection on her family history, focusing on her fath...
1 Sep
18forty
What Kafka Teaches Jews About Exile and Faith
29 Aug
Franz Kafka's works resonate deeply with Jewish readers by reflecting the perpetual challenges and uncertainties of Jewish identity, exile, and faith. Kafka'...
29 Aug
Hadassah
‘Happy New Years’ from Master of Israeli Fiction Maya Arad
28 Aug
Israeli-born author and playwright Maya Arad, acclaimed for her contributions to Hebrew literature, will discuss her latest book, "Happy New Years," during a...
28 Aug
JTA
Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish author Geraldine Brooks awarded Library of Congress American fiction award
27 Aug
Geraldine Brooks, renowned for her novels inspired by Jewish history, has been honored with the Library of Congress' 2025 Prize for American Fiction. Brooks,...
27 Aug
Forward
In the story of a trip to Auschwitz, family can be a real pain in the tuches
25 Aug
Yasmina Reza's novel "Serge," newly translated into English, delves into the complexities of family dynamics through the lens of a Holocaust memorial trip. T...
25 Aug
Lehrhaus
Daniel Deronda: George Eliot’s Book of Exodus
25 Aug
Eileen H. Watts explores George Eliot's novel "Daniel Deronda" as a reimagined Book of Exodus, emphasizing the novel's Zionist and philo-Semitic themes. The ...
25 Aug
JTA
Her Jewish grandfather’s shame inspired a prize-winning novel
24 Aug
Sasha Vasilyuk's debut novel, "Your Presence Is Mandatory," won the 2025 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, drawing from the hidden Jewish identity and w...
24 Aug
Sapir
Judaism Without Borders, Diaspora Without Tears
20 Aug
Allegra Goodman reflects on the evolution of Jewish-American literature beyond the prominent figures of Saul Bellow and Philip Roth. Despite the assertion by...
20 Aug
18forty
What the 18Forty Team is Reading This Month
17 Aug
This month's reading list from the 18Forty team showcases a diverse array of literary works across different genres and themes, reflecting the varied interes...
17 Aug
Forward
Steeped in the horrors of post-war Hungary, these are not ordinary Holocaust stories
15 Aug
Aviya Kushner reviews Gabor T. Szanto's collection, "1945 and Other Stories," which explores life in post-Holocaust Hungary through deeply moving narratives....
15 Aug
Forward
Entering motherhood — and an obsession with the works of an Italian Jewish literary hero
14 Aug
Emily Tamkin reflects on her personal journey of reading the works of Italian Jewish writer Primo Levi as she prepares for motherhood. Enamored by Levi's exp...
14 Aug
Mishpacha
Zelda in Poetry and Pathos (feat. Baila Olidort) pt. 1 of 2
12 Aug
Zelda Schneersohn Mishkovsky, a highly regarded Hebrew poet, is the subject of an insightful discussion between Tzipora and Baila Olidort. Although celebrate...
12 Aug
Future of Jewish
The Thing That Broke the Sabbath
12 Aug
Francisco J. Bernal's essay "The Thing That Broke the Sabbath" creatively explores the tragic events of October 7, 2023, through a literary style inspired by...
12 Aug
Sapir
Prophetic Fervor and the Jewish Writer
12 Aug
Saul Bellow's reflection on the role of Jewish writers evokes the ancient tradition of Jewish prophecy as a means of grappling with societal decline and mora...
12 Aug
Sapir
Jewish Masterpiece: The Chosen
11 Aug
Chaim Potok's "The Chosen" is a seminal Jewish novel that explores the complexities of friendship across religious divides, set in 1940s Williamsburg. The st...
11 Aug
Forward
Amid the terror of war in Ukraine, a stirring debut novel demonstrates the power of love and art
6 Aug
Sam Wachman's debut novel, "The Sunflower Boys," unfolds amidst the turmoil of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, offering a poignant narrative centered arou...
6 Aug
Hadassah
REVIEW: ‘Fervor’
6 Aug
Toby Lloyd's novel 'Fervor' is a multifaceted exploration of a Jewish family's disintegration, blending elements of a coming-of-age story, mystery, and horro...
6 Aug
18forty
Forget Everything About This Israeli Poet Except Her Poems
6 Aug
The legacy of Israeli poet Dahlia Ravikovitch is profoundly explored, emphasizing her wish that her life experiences be overshadowed by the enduring resonanc...
6 Aug
Hadassah
‘Happy New Years’ from Master of Israeli Fiction Maya Arad
5 Aug
In an upcoming event by Hadassah Magazine, esteemed Israeli author Maya Arad will discuss her new book, "Happy New Years," in a conversation with Executive E...
5 Aug
Forward
Why a little-known Jewish writer from Belgium went viral — and why you should read her too
5 Aug
Jacqueline Harpman, a Holocaust survivor and Belgian author, has gained posthumous fame as her novels garnered viral attention on TikTok. Born in 1929 and ha...
5 Aug
People of the Pod
headphones
War and Poetry: Owen Lewis on Being a Jewish Poet in a Time of Crisis
1 Aug
Acclaimed poet and professor Owen Lewis delves into the role of poetry in addressing trauma and grief following significant events such as the October 7th at...
1 Aug
Forward
A story of a child who fought the Nazis his own way
1 Aug
During the Holocaust, Yiddish children's literature captured the spirit of resistance among young Jews facing Nazi oppression. A story from the anthology 'Ki...
1 Aug
Unpacked
The most controversial Jewish author of his generation #author #books #literature
29 Jul
Philip Roth is arguably one of the most controversial figures in modern Jewish literature, recognized for his provocative exploration of Jewish identity with...
29 Jul
Forward
Commemorating the Yiddish writers and artists murdered on Aug. 12, 1952
28 Jul
August 12 marks the anniversary of the Night of the Murdered Poets, when in 1952, the Soviet regime executed 13 prominent Jewish intellectuals, including Yid...
28 Jul
18forty
Books 18Forty Recommends You Read About Loss
27 Jul
18Forty's Rivka Bennun Kay curates a poignant list of books that explore the theme of grief and loss from various perspectives. This thoughtful selection fea...
27 Jul