January 17, 2021 (2-3pm)
Snow in August by Pete Hamill
Discussion led by Margarete Feinstein, Clinical Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies @ LMU
In 1940s Brooklyn, friendship between an 11-year-old Irish Catholic boy and an elderly Jewish rabbi might seem as unlikely as, well, snow in August. But the relationship between young Michael Devlin and Rabbi Judah Hirsch is only one of the many miracles large and small contained in Pete Hamill's novel. Interlaced with Hamill's realistic descriptions of violence and fear are scenes of remarkable poignancy: the rabbi's first baseball game, where he sees Jackie Robinson play for the Dodgers; Michael's introduction into the mystical world of the Cabbala and the book's miraculous ending. Hamill is not a lyrical writer, but he is a heartfelt one, and this story of courage in the face of great odds is one of his best.
Find at Los Angeles Public Library!
Find at Los Angeles County Library!
Amazon.com (Kindle & Paperback)
February 28, 2021 (2-3pm)
Conversion of the Jews (Short Story from Philip Roth's Goodbye, Columbus)
Discussion led by Lisa Silverman
“The Conversion of the Jews” is about the struggles of Ozzie Freedman, a freethinking, thirteen-year-old boy in the midst of a serious crisis of faith that leads to trouble at Hebrew school. Ozzie, studying for his bar mitzvah, is beginning to have doubts about Jewish doctrine and organized religion in general.
Rhonda will send all attendees a copy of this short story
March 21, 2021 (2-3pm)
As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg
Discussion led by Rabbi Mark Diamond, Senior Lecturer of Jewish Studies @ LMU
The age of the Talmud is brought to life in a breathtaking saga. This masterpiece of modern fiction tells the gripping tale of renegade talmudic sage Elisha ben Abuyah's struggle to reconcile his faith with the allure of Hellenistic culture.
Set in Roman Palestine, As a Driven Leaf draws readers into the dramatic era of Rabbinic Judaism. Watch the great Talmudic sages at work in the Sanhedrin, eavesdrop on their arguments about theology and Torah, and agonize with them as they contemplate rebellion against an oppressive Roman rule. But Steinberg's classic novel also transcends its historical setting with its depiction of a timeless, perennial feature of the Jewish experience: the inevitable conflict between the call of tradition and the glamour of the surrounding culture.
Find at Los Angeles Public Library!
Find at Los Angeles County Library!
Amazon.com (Kindle & Paperback)
