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Hello to all the esteemed members of the Jewish Book Club. As Jan mentioned in the newsletter this month, she is recovering from a minor surgery which prevents her from spending much time at the computer. I am filling in until she feels like she can be her fully effective self again. For the nominations-
With October being the month of Tishrei, we know that many of us are going to be busy with holiday prep. The days in between necessitate settling down with an uplifting book. In light of the world situation, Stacey and I thought about genre choices and decided upon this one:
Jews who inspire. This could be in the form of a biography or a historical fiction that focuses on a Jew from history who has inspired and given hope to our people. As an example, my choice would be Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy, if any of you would want to use it, feel free.
As usual, the rules for nominations are: we are looking for 6-7 books. Authors cannot nominate their own book. We will take nominations through this Sunday, August 18, followed by a week of voting.

Reserved for nominations

1. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy by Jane Leavy

2. The Mezuzah in the Madonna's Foot: Marranos and Other Secret Jews--A Woman Discovers Her Spiritual Heritage by Trudi Alexy

3. City of Thieves by David Benioff

4. The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland

5. Jonas Salk: A Life by Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs

6. The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel by Uri Bar-Joseph

7. Emma Lazarus by Esther Schor

I will nominate Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy :)

Thank you, Jazzy. I know this book is in most libraries and is currently available on Thrift Books for as low as $4.20. The timing is good too because this year Tishrei coincides with the baseball playoffs. I know the people here don’t know me as well as those in other groups do, so I’ll note that baseball is one of my life’s passions. Thank you again, Jazzy.

I thought you'd love it.

Jazzy wrote: "I thought you'd love it."
I have internet for one second, but...
Jazzy- lets bet Brina read it. :)

I will read it on Yom Kippur when I stay home because it’s too far for me to walk 1.3 miles when I’m fasting. If you know you know. I’d love to see what other nominations you have for us.

I nominate The Polio Pioneer : Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine Linda Elovitz Marshall.

Ann, I’m just making sure this is the book that you want to nominate. It is a picture book that is only 28 pages long. Members can read this on their own or with their kids, grandkids, et al. Is there another book that you had in mind?

I would like to nominate Mezzuah in the Madonna’s Foot.
Don’t see a specific way to nominate.

You did it correctly, Robin. The Mezuzah in the Madonna's Foot: Marranos and Other Secret Jews--A Woman Discovers Her Spiritual Heritage sounds fascinating. I have studied this subject because this is like my husband’s family. This book is not available at my library but available for under $5 at both Abe and Thrift Books. I am going to say yes because it is affordable and I haven’t given up on my state library system yet.

Brina wrote: "Hello to all the esteemed members of the Jewish Book Club. As Jan mentioned in the newsletter this month, she is recovering from a minor surgery which prevents her from spending much time at the co..."
Hello!
1) Refuah sheleimah to Jan! I hope you feel good.
2) Here's my nomination: Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar
She's a noted female Torah scholar of the modern era, and is perhaps even more famous than her fairly well-known brother.
She radically changed the way people study Torah in the modern era.
I'm very excited to read her story!

I’m going to wait for Stacey on this one, Perlie. Only because this one is not available in my statewide library system and costs $39.95 on Amazon and is out of stock. Her story sounds fascinating but I’m not sure how many people can obtain the book. Have a back up choice just in case.

The city of thieves by David Benioff

Yay, a book that’s actually at my library. I rarely read Holocaust fiction or nonfiction, Ella, but I checked the blurb and the character fits with our inspiration category. So that is nomination number 3.

Brina wrote: "I’m going to wait for Stacey on this one, Perlie. Only because this one is not available in my statewide library system and costs $39.95 on Amazon and is out of stock. Her story sounds fascinating ..."

OK, here's an alternate suggestion, and I see copies on Bookfinder for $4-5. My 15 Grandmothers

I nominate Our Man in Damascus: Story of Elie Cohen by Eli Ben-Hanan.

The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland - an incredible story about escape from Birkenau

You guys are lucky I couldn’t sleep well. Ok, first Perlie. I checked My Fifteen Grandmothers. It’s not in my library system or on Thrift or Abe Books. It is on book finder but the least expensive copy I could find was for $17.99. That might be out of some peoples� price range so I’ll have to say no for this one as well.

Hermien, Our Man in Damascus is a classic but it’s not in my state library system and it’s out of stock or out of print at most of the used book sites so sadly I will have to say no to this one as well. If any of you can find this book, I’d say read it because it’s only 143 pages.

Mark, The Escape Artist is from 2022 and readily available at libraries, Amazon, etc. It is another Holocaust book and I didn’t put that as a caveat. I know it’s just me not most people. So The Escape Artist is nomination #4.

Building off of Ann's suggestion, I'll nominate : "Jonas Salk: A Life" by Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs.

Thank you, Melissa. This one is available in libraries and is available on used sites as well for not that much. It says 559 pages but from experience a lot of that is notes so we’re probably looking at a 450 page book. This is nomination #5.

If anyone has a book about a woman in mind, we have 5 nominations that have been vetted and while 3 have women authors, only 1 book out of 5 is about a woman. Sometimes it just works out that way.

Hermien- this is the Israeli translation of your book and it is available in all forms and on used sites for relatively inexpensive. It’s also been translated back to English. The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel
Do you want this to be your nomination?

Brina wrote: "Hermien- this is the Israeli translation of your book and it is available in all forms and on used sites for relatively inexpensive. It’s also been translated back to English. [book:The Angel: The ..."

Yes please.

Perfect. That is nomination number 6.

We are holding one slot in case there is a change to a different book which would be the 7th nomination. In the meantime,
we would love to see another nomination..
This subject is easy as it is personal for everyone.
Don't be strangers :)

I'd like to nominate "Emma Lazarus" by Esther Schor. It sounds fascinating!

Thank you, Lee. This book won the National Book Award. It is available at library systems and is available on Thrift, Abe, etc for around $5. This is our last nomination and nominations are now closed. Thank you, all.

I suggest the the book the Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness (Newly Expanded Paperback Edition)

Richard wrote: "I suggest the the book the Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness (Newly Expanded Paperback Edition) "

Hi Richard,
Thank you for the nomination. "The Sunflower" was our September, 2022 read by the group. Powerful book.

Happy Monday!
Thank you to all who have nominated and and also tried.
Nominations are closed. We will be posting the poll shortly.

I’m actually not home. I will get the poll up at some point today just not sure when.

Poll is up. I figured out how to do it. It starts at 12:01 am eastern time and will run for a week.

/poll/show/3...