This National Jewish Book Month, we've put together this list of books -- five novels and a memoir -- to help you celebrate the richness of Jewish literature and the joy of reading, all titles featured in One Book, One Hadassah events this year, in conjunction with Hadassah Magazine. With winter just around the corner, it's the perfect time to settle in with a good book (or two). Pick one for yourself -- or use this as a book-givers guide for Hanukkah. National Jewish Book Month was first created in 1925 to celebrate Jewish authors and stories, and lasted for one week. Now, we celebrate during the entire month leading up to Hanukkah. So check out these books -- and watch our One Book, One Hadassah events, which we've linked to below.
One Book, One Hadassah online programs take place every other month and bring you interviews with big name authors. The best way to keep informed about these programs is by being a Hadassah member. Join here.
- The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz
Hadassah Magazine Executive Editor Lisa Hostein interviews Jean Hanff Korelitz about her latest novel, The Latecomer: the story of the dysfunctional Oppenheimers, a wealthy New York Jewish family struggling under the weight of secrets. Witty and multifaceted, The Latecomer explores betrayal and sexuality, religion and art, sibling bonds and rivalry—but most of all it is an examination of what makes a family: genes, birth, cohabitation? Or is it love? Watch the One Book, One Hadassah recording. Watch the One Book, One Hadassah recording. - Shanda: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy by Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Hadassah Magazine Executive Editor Lisa Hostein interviews the feminist icon and one of the founding editors of Ms. Magazine. In her new memoir, Pogrebin reveals the fear of shame and stigma that indelibly marked her upbringing in an immigrant Jewish family in Queens, NY, capturing universal truths about families, truth-telling and the price of guilt. Watch the One Book, One Hadassah recording. - Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
Filled with heart, humor, romance and plenty of Borscht Belt schmaltz, the charming multigenerational caper is rooted in a deeply Jewish question: How can we preserve our legacies and traditions in the face of change? Watch the One Book, One Hadassah recording. - Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
This time-travel story, centered in the dilemmas of the atomic age, follows three generations of Jewish women as they attempt to prevent the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and save their own family. Exploring intergenerational trauma and Jewish identity in the former Soviet Union and 20th century America, Atomic Anna grapples with themes of love and responsibility and the bonds between mother and daughters. Watch the One Book, One Hadassah recording. - Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr
Part thriller and part historical fiction, with strong female characters and a well-researched look into the art world, Barr’s page-turner explores provenance and ownership of Nazi-looted art and explores how far one should go to reclaim a family treasure. Watch the One Book, One Hadassah recording. - The Rabbi Who Prayed with Fire by Rachel Sharona Lewis
Set in Providence, R.I., Lewis’s debut novel introduces a compelling new character in the clerical-sleuth genre. Vivian Green, the young, queer assistant rabbi at Congregation Beth Abraham, a Conservative congregation, investigates the strange happenings at her synagogue as she wrestles with Jewish tradition, contemporary issues — from antisemitism to racism to intergenerational conflicts — and local politics. Watch the One Book, One Hadassah recording.
One Book, One Hadassah online programs take place every other month and bring you interviews with big name authors. The best way to keep informed about these programs is by being a Hadassah member. Join here.