Staff Favorites: Recent Books That Reflect Diverse Jewish Experiences
One of the tenets of the Jewish faith,Tikkun Olam, is the concept of correcting and perfecting a broken world. As we reflect on the past year and the hardships we have faced—COVID-19, political divisiveness, and other social disparities—we often turn to our mentors, elders, and great authors to inspire us to find hope, vehicles for change, and tools for finding peace.
With that mission in mind, some library staff came together to compile this list of books, all written in the last few years, by Jewish authors which reflect the diversity of the Jewish faith and experience. It is our hope that whether you are Jewish, religious, spiritual, an avid reader, or none of the above, you will find something here to inspire, enlighten, and restore your vision of perfecting and correcting the world.
Kids
Catherine's War by Julia Billet
Grades 4–8
I love this book because it takes a different POV of the Holocaust than I’ve seen in a long time. Rather than be about horror and tragedy, it shows the strength and resilience of young Jewish children in France. —Sarah West, St. Agnes Library
Welcoming Elijah by Lesléa Newman
Grades Pre-K–2
This adorable Passover picture book brings together the story of Elijah, biblical figure, and a new kitten friend, also Elijah. It’s a cute story with a warm and fuzzy ending. —Sarah West, St. Agnes Library
Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!by Sarah Kapit
Grades 3–7
Because of her autism, Vivy’s parents and teachers constantly underestimate her. But Vivy knows she throws a mean knuckleball, and she wants to prove how well she can do on her local boys’ baseball team. This epistolary novel weaves Vivy’s Jewish identity into the storyline beautifully—and is also an amazing book about agency, intergenerational friendship, and how to stand up to ableism and discrimination— even when it comes from your own parents. —Hal Schrieve, Grand Central Library
Teens
Color Me In by Natasha Diaz
Heartfelt, jam-packed with observations about New York, this book engages anti-blackness, class, multiethnic American Jewish heritage and belonging, first love, and complicated family dynamics. —Hal Schrieve, Grand Central Library
The Photographer of Mauthausenby Salva Rubio
During WW II, the Nazis used their power and control to prevent the global community from knowing the full extent of the atrocities in their concentration camps. Ironically, part of the Final Solution was to document in photographs the murder of Jewish people in the camps. With all the stories from survivors that we now have, there’s very little documentation of daily accounts of the experiences of Jewish inmates prior to liberation. Through a dramatic retelling of the true story of Spanish photograher Francisco Boix who was imprisoned in the Mauthausen concentration camp and stole photographic negatives of the atrocities, Rubio connects readers with their imagination, getting closer to a realistic account of the brutality innocent Jews experienced at the hands of the Nazis.
—Je’jae Cleo Daniels, St. George Library Center
Recommended for You by Laura Silverman
What is not to love here? Enemies to lovers—check. Bookstore drama—check. Book snobs and a niche passionate competition—check and check. Shoshanna makes me feel so seen and not always in the best way. But I love it anyway. —Avigail Sharon, West Farms Library
The Way Back by Gavriel Savit
A Jewish sci-fi/fantasy YA novel shouldn’t be a surprising thing. Judaism is steeped in supernatural elements, practices, and mythologies. But I was not expecting this book. The exploration of the Jewish concepts of death and the supernatural world are so beautiful, well-researched, and refreshing despite being literally thousands of years old. I could not put it down. This book is also a National Book Award Finalist. —Avigail Sharon, West Farms Library
The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli
In a very short book, Eli unpacks very big and very personal subjects. He discusses his identity as a Jewish man and his identity as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and the point in which those two identities meet and where they sometimes clash. He also speaks on his experiences in Jewish and LGBTQIA+ activism and what the latter can learn from the former. Leaning on the Jewish principles of pikuach nefesh (which places human life—all human life— above other religious rules) and mutual responsibility, he says “if you mess with one of us, you mess with us all.” —Avigial Sharon, West Farms Library
We'll Soon Be Home Again by Jessica Bab Bonde
This book is a great visual historical entry to the lives of Jewish children who survived the Holocaust. With various perspectives, and countries of origins, Bab Bonde, finds a educational way to inform our younger audiences of the horrors of the Shoah, without triggering them, as I was in my former learning of the genocidal event. —Je’jae Cleo Daniels, St. George Library Center
Dancing at the Pity Party, A Dead Mom Graphic Memoir by Tyler Feder
I love this book because Tyler Feder perfectly captures the despair of loss without missing the moments of humor, awkwardness and surrealism that come along with death. It's a very culturally Jewish book with scenes and explanations of rituals, but most of all I loved that it's a tribute to her ordinary but phenomenal mom and how their connection goes on even after she is no longer alive. —Jeff Katz, Chatham Square
Adults
Modern Kosher: Global Flavors, New Traditions by Michael Aaron Gardiner
Whether you keep kosher or not, or are trying to find ways to make traditions with a modern appeal, this fun and exciting cookbook is open for all chefs to explore cuisines to fill the appetites of their Jewish neighbors, far, and close by. —Je’jae Cleo Daniels, St. George Library Center
Eating Out Loud: Bold Middle Eastern Flavors for All Day, Every Day by Eden Grinshpan, with Rachel Holtzman
This cookbook is like going home to me. The recipes are quintessentially Jewish-Israeli—a little bit of everything from everywhere Jews exist. I want to make everything in it, starting with the Sabich, a sandwich originating in the Iraqi-Jewish kitchen—my favorite. —Avigail Sharon, West Farms Library
The Book of Vby Anna Solomon
A sweeping historical fiction novel that weaves together the lives of three strong Jewish women—the Biblical Queen Esther of Persia, an American senator’s wife in the 1970s, and a Brooklyn mother in 2016. It’s a beautiful illustration of how we are all connected through our shared history and how that history can and will repeat itself. —Avigail Sharon, West Farms Library
The Dairy Restaurant by Ben Katchor
Combining cultural and culinary history, this graphic novel explores the Hebrew beginnings, taboos, and foods that make up the dairy restaurant. This book is a perfect ode to a beloved New York staple that is rapidly disappearing. —Rachel Kahn, Sedgwick Library
Lot Sixby David Adjmi
I was already a fan of Adjmi’s playwriting, so it was a pleasure to better understand his life as he describes the many identities he explores as a way to both understand and distance himself from his upbringing. I loved the memoir’s theatricality and its unique but personal examination of Syrian Jewish life in the United States. —Gabriella Steinberg, Grand Central Library
All My Mother's Lovers by Ilana Masad
Masad writes the story of grief through the lens of her interesting and flawed protagonist saddled with the expectation to carry out the numerous Jewish rituals relating to death. At face value, this novel about grief is an unwelcome addition to the literary menu of COVID-era 2020, but watching Maggie move through the motions of the logistics of Jewish grief to discover powerful truths about her mother was actually a deeply cathartic experience.
—Gabriella Steinberg, Grand Central Library
On Division by Goldie Goldbloom
On Division is a powerful story that teeters on the edge of a fairytale, only to bring the reader through the very real trials of outcasts within a misunderstood community. I love following Surie through her journey of self-actualization, and felt exquisitely connected to her while she bore her secret—as if I was her confidant. —Gabriella Steinberg, Grand Central Library
Fly Already by Etger Keret
Keret, an Israeli short story writer, graphic novelist and screenwriter, has a talent for capturing contemporary urban life through concise vignettes. In his latest collection, he describes connections forged under unusual circumstances between surprising combinations of characters. Keret etches the impact of ephemeral yet deeply moving conversations between strangers, sometimes propelling his characters into unexpected new trajectories. Enduring a crowded bus ride, a spontaneous decision to take a walk on the beach, or mustering the courage to talk to that barista that you see everyday are some of the backdrops to Kerets’ small-big moments. Fans of Jim Jarmusch films will enjoy his style of storytelling. —Sherri Machlin, Mulberry Street
The Château by Paul Goldberg
Something is rotten in the state of Florida... Set in Trump-era Miami Beach, Bill Katzenelenbogen, an out of work reporter for the Washington Post heads South after his former college roommate, a plastic surgeon known as the “Butt God” of Miami Beach, mysteriously falls to his death. He pairs up with his estranged father, Melsor Yakovlevich, eager to solve this crime, and revive his career. Meanwhile, Melsor is angling for control of the condo board at his residence, The Château, currently populated by Trump-loving Russian émigrés. Nikolai Gogol meets Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Inherent Vicein this mystery-satire set on a tarnished Gold Coast. —Sherri Machlin, Mulberry Street
Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy by Talia Lavin
Part memoir, part historical exploration, Culture Warlords is not just an anthropological examination of today's far right online culture. The book centers Lavin as a protagonist reflecting on her experiences deep diving into this hateful online—and very real—world. It is a remarkable look at the insidious nature of modern antisemitism and racism, and a deeply personal inside look at the nature of bigotry. —Gabriella Steinberg, Grand Central
How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less by Sarah Glidden
Glidden takes us in the seat of a Jewish-American expat who thought she knew it all when it came to the Israel-Palestine conflict. In 60 Days we receive a visual summary of an apolitical standpoint on two sides of the tiny Middle East region that claims national attention. With the right amount of culture, history, and some religious insight, absorbing this complex area has never been more graphically entertaining. —Je’jae Cleo Daniels, St. George Library Center
Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!