Literature | JLDR

Alice Hoffman Won’t Let Anne Frank Be Forgotten

Rahel Musleah in Hadassah · 31 Oct

Alice Hoffman's novel "When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary" explores Anne Frank's life before her family went into hiding, shedding light on the increasing pressures they faced under Nazi occupation.

0 Culture Politics

A new McCarthyism is attacking Israeli artists — and risks making all of us dumber

Sharon Rosen Leib in Forward · 31 Oct

Sharon Rosen Leib critiques the burgeoning boycott of Israeli cultural institutions by a group of notable writers and artists in response to the Gaza conflict.

0 Literature Culture

'The Shirt' (a Yiddish poem based on a true story)

אַסף קירשנער in Forward · 29 Oct

Asaf Kirshner's Yiddish poem 'The Shirt' takes inspiration from a true story and encapsulates themes of resilience and cultural identity.

0 Culture Literature

16 Jewish Romances You’ll Want to Read If You Loved Netflix’s ‘Nobody Wants This’

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller · 22 Oct

Fans of the Netflix show "Nobody Wants This" may find themselves yearning for more Jewish romance, whether centered around intriguing "hot rabbis," dynamic Jewish women and their non-Jewish partners, or other culturally rich narratives.

0 Literature Culture

‘Yidishland’ magazine prints first chapter of a new adventure novel

פֿאָרווערטס־רעדאַקציע in Forward · 29 Sep

Yidishland, an influential Yiddish magazine, has recently published the first chapter of a new adventure novel.

0 Culture Politics

An Invitation to the Anti-Zionists

Elisa Albert in Tablet · 26 Sep

Elisa Albert writes a reflective essay on the cancellation of a literary panel due to anti-Zionist sentiment from fellow authors.

1 Culture Antisemitism

University Cancels Panel Because Author Is a ‘Zionist’

Joe Nocera in The Free Press · 24 Sep

The cancellation of a panel at the New York State Writers Institute's annual book festival highlights growing antisemitic and anti-Zionist sentiments in literary circles.

0 Culture Literature

A Cancellation Trilogy

Sheluyang Peng in Tablet · 23 Sep

Censorship, particularly through cancel culture, is a significant theme in contemporary literature, especially among Jewish authors who have a historical awareness of scapegoating.

0 Culture History

‘It was a paradise of security’: 2 writers reflect on growing up Jewish in Queens in the 1970s

Risa Doherty in JTA · 16 Sep

Jewish authors Shira Dicker and Don Futterman share nostalgic reflections on their childhoods in Queens during the 1970s, highlighting both shared and distinct experiences within New York's diverse Jewish communities.

0 Culture Gender/Identity

A Modern Orthodox Mother Joins a Wife Swap in This Steamy New Novel

Bonnie Azoulay in Kveller · 6 Sep

Jessica Elisheva Emerson's novel, "Olive Days," presents a captivating exploration of the tension between duty and desire within the framework of a Modern Orthodox Jewish life.

0 Education Philosophy

The Grand Conversation: Bringing Jewish Ideas to the Literature Classroom

Nancy Edelman and Gillian Steinberg in Lehrhaus · 1 Sep

This article explores how Jewish day schools, particularly within the Modern Orthodox tradition, strive to blend Jewish and secular studies, with a focus on the literary classroom.

0 Philosophy Literature

Gary Saul Morson on Alexander Solzhenitsyn and His Warning to America

Tikvah · 30 Aug

In this episode, Jonathan Silver discusses Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Harvard commencement address with Gary Saul Morson, examining Solzhenitsyn's critique of both the Soviet and Western systems.

0 Literature Culture

An Absence of Cousins review: ‘it does Segal a disservice’

Jewish Chronicle · 29 Aug

"An Absence of Cousins" by Lore Segal, reviewed by Jennifer Lipman, is a collection of interlinked short stories originally published in The New Yorker, featuring Viennese expat Ilka Weisz as she navigates academia and social life on America’s East Coast during the 1960s and 70s.

0 Culture Communities

To Be Hungarian

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha · 27 Aug

The article reflects on a poignant encounter between the author and another individual of Hungarian descent, juxtaposing their shared backgrounds with personal differences.

0 Literature Gender/Identity

Two Hours by Alba Arikha review: ‘I read it twice’

Jewish Chronicle · 1 Aug

"Two Hours" by Alba Arikha recounts the transformative encounter between Clara and Alexander in New York, shaping Clara's life for the next 35 years.

0 Literature Antisemitism

Nabokov’s Love Affair

Shalom Goldman in Tablet · 25 Jul

Vladimir Nabokov, a prominent Russian-born author, led a life marked by tragedy and an enduring connection to Jewish heritage.

0 Literature Culture

Danila Botha's new book of short fiction wants to break the mold of Jewish Orthodoxy

Culturally Jewish · 25 Jun

Danila Botha discusses her new book, "Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness," which explores diverse Jewish identities and challenges traditional narratives through fictional stories.

0 Television/Film Literature

‘Kafka’ Is One of the Most Delightfully Jewish Shows of the Year

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller · 11 Jun

"Kafka," a limited series now streaming on ChaiFlicks, offers a fresh and deeply Jewish perspective on writer Franz Kafka, exploring his Jewish identity, relationships, and influences.

0 Antisemitism Literature

What’s it like being an Irish Jew?

Jewish Chronicle · 7 May

"Winter Sun" by Miki Lentin delves into the complex identity of being both Irish and Jewish, inspired by the author's father, Louis Lentin, who grappled with this dual heritage throughout his life in Dublin.

0 Literature Gender/Identity

Jewish Life Stories: A pioneering women comic book artist, a British children’s book author who raised three Israeli sons

Andrew Silow-Carroll in JTA · 23 Apr

The article highlights the life stories of several individuals who made remarkable contributions.

0 Politics Literature

Literary lemmings now coalesce around Hamas

Jewish Chronicle · 18 Apr

The text discusses how some in the literary world are shifting from promoting freedom of expression to supporting propaganda by Hamas and Palestinian activism, often targeting individuals associated with Israel, particularly Jews, for bullying, banning, and boycotting.

0 Literature Gender/Identity

Meet the Cuban-Italian Simone de Beauvoir

Jewish Chronicle · 17 Apr

Alba de Cespedes, a Cuban-Italian writer born in 1911, challenged the norm of male-dominated storytelling through her work, emphasizing women's perspectives and struggles.

0 Israel Culture

Join the Club: Ep. 406

Unorthodox · 4 Apr

Lihi Lapid discusses her novel "On Her Own," which explores the struggles of two marginalized Israeli families, reflecting broader societal issues in Israel.

0 Culture Politics

Shaken, Not Schnorred: Ep. 405

Unorthodox · 28 Mar

Unorthodox unpacks current Jewish cultural moments with lively discussions about Purim festivities, anti-Semitic book reviews, and a new potential Jewish James Bond.

0 Literature Holocaust

A new Orthodox horror novel blends Kabbalah, family drama and memories of the Holocaust

Not That Kind of Rabbi · 19 Mar

British Jewish author Toby Lloyd discusses his debut novel, Fervour, which interweaves Kabbalistic themes, family dynamics, and Holocaust trauma.

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Tag: Literature