Book of the Every-Other Month Club
As the name suggests, we gather every other month to discuss a work of literature with a Jewish reference or theme. Join us at our next meeting!
In February 2023 our book was The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan. It focused on a 40-year relationship between a Palestinian, Bashir, and an Israeli, Dalia. Some found that there was a great deal of background that added much understanding and depth to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In April, we discussed The Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean by Edward Kritzler. For most of us, this non-fiction account of Jews from the 17th and 18th centuries provided new information. Many survived inquisitions and expulsions by using their intelligence and connections to sign on as sailors, as many ships were owned by conversos. They drew maps, established trade routes, and even attacked Spanish ships to gather goods to develop their own trade!
The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper was our June selection. This book was lighter, but for most of us, it was too light. It was the first fictional work for Tapper, an accomplished journalist with several non-fiction books to his credit. The book's topics led us to an interesting discussion of Communism and the perceived threat to our democratic government (or perhaps just a threat to the businesses unwilling to pay a fair wage to their workers).
Our August selection was The Prison Minyan by Jonathan Stone.
We met on November 6, 2023 to discuss Once We Were Slaves: The Extraordinary Journey of a Multi-Racial Jewish Family by Laura Leibman.
The Book Club met on April 8, 2024 and discussed the book Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein Halevi.
We welcome newcomers as well as our regulars to join us for upcoming Book Club meetings. The discussions are interesting and informative, even for those who may not have finished reading the book. It is a pleasant way to meet fellow congregants and to have an engaging, worthwhile evening. If you are interested, please contact office@thesms.org or call 310-453-4276.