ROSH HODESH BOOK GROUP

Shir Tikvah women are invited to be part of the Rosh Hodesh Book Group.  Please contact Anne Whitaker if you would like to be on the e-mail list.  Otherwise check the Week’s Worth and website.

Upcoming Events–all at 1 PM on a Sunday, unless noted

Our February meeting will be on February 3 at 1 pm at Anne’s home.  We will read Deborah, Golda and Me by Letty Cottin Pogrebin. Robbie will lead the discussion.

From Library Journal
Pogrebin, a founding editor of Ms. magazine whose books on feminist thinking include How To Make It in a Man’s World ( LJ 4/1/70), here reconciles her Jewish background, which she rejected for almost 20 years, with her feminist ideology. Scenes from her faith-observant home are described poignantly. The break from observance came at the time Pogrebin’s mother died and she was not allowed by the patriarchal structure to recite the kaddish , a prayer for the dead. She learns in time to embrace both feminism and a reexamined Judaism, describing how she celebrates Jewish holidays, and which rituals have special meaning to her as a woman. Chapters on the secular sphere include a feminist perspective on Jewish and black women, the treatment of women in Israel, Palestinians, and feminist attitudes toward South Africa. This well-written, vigorous, and challenging look at Jewish traditions and values from the worldview of a leading feminist thinker is recommended for most libraries.
- Molly Abramowitz, Silver Springs, Md.

Our March meeting will be on February 24.  (Date change to accommodate Day of Service) Location: Judith’s home. The book is Zlateh the Goat by Isaac Bachevis Singer.  Our discussion leader will be Sima.  She has a video of about 30 minutes based on the book.

ThriftBooks.com Customer Review
Zlateh the Goat and other stories really tells you from the very beginning that the town, Chelm, is a village of fools. There are many stories in here, complete with lovely pencil drawings with great detail to go along with it. He finishes off the book with the story: Zlateh the Goat, just to leave you looking at the book after it’s done, and wanting another copy. You might just hug this book to your chest when you’re done, and since it has won a medal, that does not only symbolize that it is a great book. It also tells you that the very book you are looking at, about to hold in your hands, will teach you valuable lessons and charming stories.
Try it!!!!!! (And a great read aloud, too).

April 7 at 1 PM at Robbie’s.  Our book is Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman.  Discussion leader – _______________?

Book Description
As a member of the strictly religious Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism, Deborah Feldman grew up under a code of relentlessly enforced customs governing everything from what she could wear and to whom she could speak to what she was allowed to read. It was stolen moments spent with the empowered literary characters of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott that helped her to imagine an alternative way of life. Trapped as a teenager in a sexually and emotionally dysfunctional marriage to a man she barely knew, the tension between Deborah’s desires and her responsibilities as a good Satmar girl grew more explosive until she gave birth a son….

“Imagine Frank McCourt as a Jewish virgin, and you’ve got Unorthodox in a nutshell . . . a sensitive and memorable coming-of-age story.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   Just couldn’t leave this out!

May 5th, we tentatively planned for the Monty Python movie Life of Brian, location and discussion leader TBA.  Again, maybe skip the lunch and begin the movie at 1 pm, nosh to follow.  I definitely think we should begin the movie at (or as near as possible) to 1 PM.  I would like us to nosh as we wish throughout the movie, because most of us don’t eat lunch before we arrive.  We can talk about this…..

Books read in 2013

January 6th–Movie: Defending Your Life.

Books read in 2012

January 22-Walking Israel by Martin Fletcher

February 19 – The Septembers of Shiraz

March 18-The Left Hand of God: Healing America’s Political and Spiritual Crisis by Michael Lerner

April 29–My Father’s Paradise by Ariel Sabar

May 20– Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle

June 24– Foreskin’s Lament by Shalom Auslander

July 29 –Moses: A Stranger Among Us by Maurice D. Harris

October 7– Kosher Chinese: Living, Teaching, and Eating with China’s Other Billion by Michael Levy

November 4–The Trial by Franz Kafka

December 9–Man Seeks God by Eric Weiner

Books Read in 2011

January 9-The Jew in the Lotus by Rodger Kamenetz
February 13- The Sacrifice of Tamar by Naomi Ragen
March 27-The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew — Three women Search for Understanding by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner
April 24-Kaballah: A Love Story by Lawrence Kushner
May 22-The Sabbath World by Judith Shulevitz
June 26-Destiny Disrupted by Tamim Ansary
July 31-The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis
September 25-The Evolution of God by Robert Wright
October 30 – Away by Amy Bloom
November 11 – By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan
December 4 – American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Books Read in 2010

January 10-The Bible Unearthed by Israel Finklestein and Neil Asher Silberman
February 21-The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick
April 4-Sarah the Priestess by Savina Teubal
May 16-All Other Nights by Dara Horn
July 11- The Color of Water by James McBride
August- The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan
Sept/Oct. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
November-The Butcher’s Theater by Jonathan Kellerman

Books Read in 2009

February 1 – As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg
March 22 – Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
May 3 – Women’s Minyan by Naomi Ragen
June 14 – The Saturday Morning Murder by Batya Gur
July 19 - The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit by Lucette Lagnano
September 13 – A Double Thread: Growing up English and Jewish in London by John Gross
October 25 – A Life Worth Living by Byron Sherwin
November 22 – Miriam’s Kitchen by Elizabeth Erlich

Books Read in 2008

May 31 – The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks – Our initial meeting
August 13 – Rashi’s Daughters: Joheved by Maggie Anton
September 24 – Rachel Calof’s Story by Rachel Calof
November 12 – The Mezuzah in the Madonna’s Foot by Trudi Alexy

ONLINE BOOK CLUB

Ask about participating in our online Book Club at GoodReads. Send an e-mail to Leah Hershey.