Book Group
Book Group
Beth Jacob's Contemporary Jewish Fiction, Memoir and History Reading Group meets bi-monthly at the synagogue on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
A light supper (salad, bread and cheese) plus pot luck dishes are served. Contact Michele Clark or Marcy Shaffer Hale for additional information.
Beth Jacob Book Group Selections for 2019-2020
October 10, 2019
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
by Dani Shapiro
A memoir about identity, paternity, and family secrets—a real-time exploration of the staggering discovery she recently made about her father, and her struggle to piece together the hidden story of her own life.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40364332-inheritance
December 12, 2019
I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity
by Izzeldin Abuelaish
Anuelaish is a Harvard-trained Palestinian doctor who was born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. He has been crossing the divide between Israelis and Palestinians for most of his life - as a physician who treats patients on both sides of the line, as a humanitarian who sees the need for improved health and education for women as the way forward in the Middle East, and as a father whose daughters were killed by Israeli soldiers on Jan 16, 2009. Instead of seeking revenge or sinking into hatred, Abuelaish called for the people in the region to start talking to each other.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8550813-i-shall-not-hate?ac=1&from_search=true
February 13, 2020
Sadness Is a White Bird
by Moriel Rothman-Zecher
In this lyrical and searing debut novel written by a rising literary star and MacDowell Fellow, a young man is preparing to serve in the Israeli army while also trying to reconcile his close relationship to two Palestinian siblings with his deeply ingrained loyalties to family and country.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297191-sadness-is-a-white-bird?ac=1&from_search=true
April 2, 2020
All the Rivers
by Dorit Rabinyan
A controversial, award-winning story about the passionate but untenable affair between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man, from one of Israel’s most acclaimed novelists. Banned from classrooms by Israel’s Ministry of Education, Dorit Rabinyan’s remarkable novel contains multitudes. A bold portrayal of the strains—and delights—of a forbidden relationship, All the Rivers (published in Israel as Borderlife) is a love story and a war story, a New York story and a Middle East story, an unflinching foray into the forces that bind us and divide us.
https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/all-the-rivers-a-novel
June 11, 2020
Memories of Eden: A Journey Through Jewish Baghdad
by Violette Shamash
As a privileged young woman growing up with her extended family in Baghdad, Violette Shamash relives the excitement of a vibrant society coming to terms with daily life, first under Ottoman, then British, and finally pro-Nazi rule, which ended in disaster for the Jews of Iraq.
https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/book/memories-of-eden-a-journey-through-jewish-baghdad
August 13, 2020
The Fruit of Her Hands: The Story of Shira of Ashkenaz
by Michelle Cameron
Based on the life of the author’s thirteenth-century ancestor, Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg, a renowned Jewish scholar of medieval Europe, this is the richly dramatic fictional story of Rabbi Meir’s wife, Shira, a devout but rebellious woman who preserves her religious traditions as she and her family witness the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6431998-the-fruit-of-her-hands?ac=1&from_search=true
Sun, December 10 2023
27 Kislev 5784
Upcoming Events
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Sunday ,
DecDecember 10 , 2023
Sunday, Dec 10th 10:30a to 12:00p
Join us at Beth Jacob for a recently offered opportunity! Professor Denis Charbit from the Political Science Department at the Open University of Israel and guest professor at UVM comes to give a talk on Zionism and the various complications behind the Israeli-Arab conflict. Refreshment to follow. -
Sunday ,
DecDecember 10 , 2023
Sunday, Dec 10th 3:00p to 5:00p
Join us at Beth Jacob for our annual Chanukah party! All ages are welcome to bring in the festival of lights! There will be music, dancing, crafts, and traditional food served potluck style. If you would like to bring a dish, please let Sarah know if you will need an outlet (for hot plates, slow cookers, etc). Vegetarian or dairy dishes only please! Time subject to change. Stay tuned! -
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 12 , 2023
Tuesday, Dec 12th 9:30a to 10:30a
Join us for a weekly opportunity to chat and do a NYT's crossword puzzle together on Zoom. -
Tuesday ,
DecDecember 12 , 2023
Tuesday, Dec 12th 7:00p to 8:00p
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Wednesday ,
DecDecember 13 , 2023
Wednesday, Dec 13th 2:00p to 3:30p
Beginners are invited to learn how to play Mah Jongg from beloved community member, Janet Starr!