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Nice Jewish Books is a podcast focusing on adult Jewish fiction. On this podcast, we chat with authors about Jewish literature, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, mysteries, works in translation, and more. As long as a book has a Jewish theme, it’s a candidate for our show! This is a project of the Association of Jewish Libraries, the leading authority on Judaica Librarianship,
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RAS Award Winner: Early Jewish Cookbooks: Essays on Hungarian Jewish Gastronomical History
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Every year the Research, Archive, and Special libraries division of the Association of Jewish Libraries (otherwise known as RAS) gives awards for excellence in Reference and in Bibliography. Since these are obviously not fiction, they wouldn’t ordinarily be a candidate for this podcast. But I got an opportunity to share the interview with last year…
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Could we adjust Once We Were Home? a conversation with Jennifer Rosner
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During the Holocaust, desperate Jewish parents placed their children with Christian families and in convents in the hope that the children would survive the war. After the war, Jewish organizations went to reclaim these children to be raised in the Jewish community. But how did the children deal with yet another displacement. Join me for a conversa…
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Discovering the mysteries in Our Little Histories : a conversation with Janice Weizman
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We start in a familiar place, in contemporary Chicago, where Jennifer, a museum curator, is asked to go to Belarus to create a living installation of Jewish life there before the Holocaust. She invites a distant cousin to participate, and she brings with her an old Yiddish literary magazine to use as a prop in the installment. In each chapter we mo…
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Can a kid survive the turmoil of the 70s as well as his Bar Mitsvah? Adam Unrehearsed with Don Futterman
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Adam is a twelve year old boy preparing for his bar mitzvah in Flushing New York in the early 1970. In many ways, he is a typical kid, trying to fit in at school, but also trying to find himself and find ways to stand out. But his year is off to a difficult start when his parents decide to move the family to a different neighborhood and at the same…
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New Translations of Yiddish Literature
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While the body of Yiddish literature is vast, many people still think of Tevye the milkman, trudging along with his lame horse and arguing with God. But the many new translations of Yiddish fiction show the breadth and depth of the settings, characters, and topics covered as well as the many different voices of the authors. This past fall, Nice Jew…
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The Last Jewish Daughter of Kaifeng : a conversation with graphic novelist Fabrice Sapolsky
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Leah is not your typical Chinese-Jewish owner of a kosher Chinese restaurant. She is also a woman on the run from Yuk-Wong, a drug lord determined to marry her against her will. And if that wasn't enough drama in her life, she is also the host/recipient of the Spirit of Water with all the powers that entails. When Yuk-Wong's minions find her in New…
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Straddling Black & White: the travails of the Ethiopian Jews with author Kim Salzman
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When people think of Operation Moses, they usually think of a plane full of Ethiopian Jews, the Beta Israel, arriving in Israel. But their journey started long before the plane ride and continued for years after arriving. Kim Salzman follows a single family as they journey in three groups from Ethiopia to Sudan, to Israel, and into the Israeli abso…
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Irena Klepfisz discusses Her Birth and Later Years with guest host Yermiyahu Ahron Taub
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Lesbian, poet, activist, and Yiddishist Irena Klepfisz speaks about her lastest book, Her Birth and Later Years : New and Collected Poems, 1971-2021 with Yermiyahu Ahron Taub. Yermiyahu is a poet and Yiddishist in his own right. He and Irena have been friends for years. They speak about her process of writing and her use of Yiddish in her work as w…
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We are not Strangers: Friendship between the Jews & Japanese in WWII era Seattle, a conversation with Josh Tuininga
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During World War 11, Japanese citizens were rounded up and sent to internment camps. When they were finally released, the vast majority had lost their homes and businesses. In the upcoming episode of Nice Jewish Books, I speak with Josh Tuininga about one of the rare exceptions to this appalling situation. Josh focuses on the Sephardic Jewish commu…
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On the Run in a House with Chicken-feet: a discussion Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott
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If I told you that this episode was going to be about a house which ran around on chicken legs, you might assume that this should belong to an odd looking children’s book. But NO! This is a full-fledged intruiguing adult adventure. When the Yaga siblings inherit their grandmother’s house, they set off on a journey to hide from the mysterious man wh…
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Coming out in Florida ... Can love triumph? A discussion with Jacob Gelman about Butterflies in the Endzone
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When Jamie's family moves from a liberal Jewish area of San Francisco to a conservative area of Florida, he decides to go back into the closet. But when he meets Alex, the football star, sparks fly between them which un-nerves both of the teens. Can they work out their feelings for each other while navigating homophobia? Join me for a conversation …
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What are the Shadows We Carry? A conversation with Meryl Ain
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Twins JoJo and Bronka are coming of age in the United States in the 1960s. Daughters of Orthodox Jewish parents, they both have dreams and ambitions; JoJo of becoming an actress and Bronka of becoming an journalist. But shadows follow them: their parents' holocaust experience, US politics, neo-Nazis, sexism, and an unplanned pregnancy. Join me for …
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Can this young Jewish Syrian woman find her way out of the Marriage Box? A conversation with Corie Adjmi
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Casey is a teenager living in New Orleans, when her parents decide that she is getting into too much trouble. They move the family back to Brooklyn to be closer to their Orthodox Jewish Syrian community. But will she end up trapped in the Marriage Box? Join me for a conversation with author Corie Adjmi. Follow along with the transcript. Connect wit…
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The Joys of Jewish sleepaway camp! Eric Glickman regales us with adventures a Camp Pock-a-Wockne
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We may not be able to live in the past, but it is nice to visit it sometimes. Join me for a nostalgic journey back to Jewish sleep-away-camp with Eric Glickman as we talk about his graphic novel Camp Pock-a-wocknee : dynomite summer '77. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here…
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Other Covenants, the ultimate "what ifs" of Jewish history and Jewish fan fiction
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What if David and Goliath were actually lovers and con artists? What if the Scotts turned about to be God's chosen people? What if Ilan Ramon had been on the Columbia ground crew instead of in the shuttle? Andrea Lobel and Mark Shainblum collect an intriguing collection of "what ifs" in Jewish history and modern midrash, or "Jewish fan fiction" of …
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Speaking with AJL Fiction Award winner Omer Friedlander about the Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land
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Scheherazade telling stories to spellbound soldiers, Sephardic kids "borrow' and old confused man off the street to pose as their Holocaust surviving grandfather, and the son of a shoemaker who delights in climbing construction cranes ... these are just a few of the characters who appear in Omer Friedlander's Association of Jewish Libraries' award …
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It's Always a Party with a Sephardi! from the Book of Life
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This episode of The Book of Life features Sarah Aroeste,a singer/songwriter of Ladino music and an author of board books featuring Sephardic culture and Ladino vocabulary andBridget Hodder, a Sephardic author of middle grade and picture books. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their boo…
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A Deathbed Confession reveals My Mother's Secret. A conversation with Alina Adams
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After her beloved father's death, Lena is stunned to learn that he was not her biological father. She had never felt as close to Regina, her Russian-born mother. But as Regina's story unfolds from her early life in Moscow to her early adulthood in Birobidzhan, the Jewish Autonomous Region, their relationship begins to heal. Alina Adams gives us an …
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The Surprisingly Modern Voice of Yiddish Author Fradl Shtok : a conversation with translators Jordan Finkin and Allison Schachter
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In a Nice Jewish Books first – I won’t be speaking with the author of the book From the Jewish Provinces, Fradl Shtok, but rather her translators, Jordan Finkin and Allison Schachter. Fradl Shtok was born in the Austro-Hungarian empire and started her writing career there. She later moved to New York and continued her writing career. Although bette…
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Almost Parallel Lives: The Thread Collectors by Shaunna Edwards and Alyson Goldman
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In this historical novel based on both their families’ histories, I speak with author's Shaunna Edwards and Alyson Richman. In the novel, we follow two couples. Jacob and Lilly are a Jewish couple living in New York while Stella and William are both slaves in New Orleans. Both men are fighting for the Union and they bond over their love of music. B…
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Justice or Revenge? Can Shanna Tell Them Apart and Prevent Another Murder?
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Journo (journalist) Shanna Regan was researching historical plaques for the town news magazine when she encounters fake plaques. Instead of praising a former residents, the plaques told of a person's malicious actions and a statement this if they don't repent, that they will never rest in peace. With a stalker, a murky family history, and new plaqu…
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Aviva Rosner is a rock star, committed to speaking about truth of her life, even if, or especially if, it makes other people uncomfortable. She has a happy marriage, and loyal fans. What she doesn’t have is a baby. In Human Blues, by Elisa Albert, we follow her through 9 months of her cycles of hope, grief and frustration. Follow along with the tra…
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What can poison do in a Gallery of Beauties? a conversation with Nina Wachsman
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17th century Venice is fascinating time and place in history; especially for Jews. Join me for a conversation with Nina Wachsman about her latest book, A Gallery of Beauties. Her protagonist, Diana, daughter of the chief rabbi of Venice, must decide if she wants her life to remain centered in the Jewish Ghetto, or to become a protege of a famous Ve…
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Finding your soul-mate, The Matchmaker's gift with Lynda Loigman
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Sarah can't help being a match-maker; she sees a mystical light between people who are meant for each other. But can she stand up to the local male matchmakers who are angry at her for taking their business? And what is her granddaughter Abby to make of her journals? Join me for my talk with author Lynda Loigman about love, soul-mates, and pickles …
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How to Find Your Way in the Dark with Derek Miller
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Join me for a wider ranging talk with Derek Miller about the mystery of Sheldon's father's death, Jewish life in rural America, and Yankee ingenuity. How to find your way in the Dark is the winner of the 2022 Association of Jewish Libraries' Jewish Fiction Award. Follow along with the transcript. Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores…
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A Play for the End of the World, by Jai Chakrabarti
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What connects a Warsaw Holocaust era orphanage and a 1970's West Bengal village? It is a play, the Post Office, written by Rabindranath Tagore, and performed in both places. Jai Chakrabarti skillfully weaves together 1940s Warsaw and 1970s New York and India and discusses the role of the arts in healing and inspiring people. Support the author, AJL…
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Love, Faith, and Talmud with Maggie Anton
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After reading Chaim Potok's early works, author Maggie Anton wondered, "where were the women?" In her latest novel, The Choice: Love, Faith, and Talmud, Maggie imagines what life might have been like for women living in Potok's world. To find out more about Maggie Anton and her work, check out her website. Read the transcript. Support the author, A…
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Preventing the Chernobyl meltdown? or saving her family? Atomic Anna with Rachel Barenbaum
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Mathemetician/nuclear physicist Anna, is briefly launched into the future when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant melts down. She sees her estranged daughter, Molly dying from a violent injury. Now Anna has to figure out a way to travel to the past to reconnect with her daughter and hopefully save her life. Join me for a fascinating talk with Rachel…
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Just who is stalking whom in Bruce Berger's latest book?
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Kayla is a piano prodigy. From a very young age, she has struggled to balance her musical life with family tensions and mental illness. Not to mention the mysterious stalker. Join me for a wide-ranging talk with Bruce Berger about music, mental illness, and family dynamics. Read the transcript Support the Young Musicians Foundation Support the auth…
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Talking about Peculiarities with David Liss
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It is the late1890's London and all is not well. A dense fog is creeping through the streets transforming people into other-worldly creatures and the "Elegents" walk the streets killing at will. Can a neer-do-well second son of a banker and a young Jewish woman solve these horrific mysteries and perhaps save the bank along the way? Join me for a co…
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Mirta Trupp and her persuasive Austen fan fiction
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Mirta Trupp writes "Jewish Historical Fiction : For those who like a little Yiddishkeit with their Period Drama." I had a great conversation about her latest book, Celestial Persuasion, a Jane Austen fan fiction as well as a great stand-alone work. Read the transcript Check out her site, https://mirtainestruppauthor.com/ Follow her on Goodreads and…
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Can secrets bring a family together? or tear them apart? In Rachel Beanland's novel, Florence Adler Swims Forever, Florence's family must figure out how to grieve her untimely death, while keeping it a secret from her bed-bound pregnant sister. Based on a true incident from her family history, Rachel imagines what life would have been like for the …
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Talia Carner is a longtime global activist on women's economic and health issues, and also a longtime multi award winning writer. I learned so much after speaking with her about Sholem Aleichem, The Third Daughter, and sex trafficking. We also get a sneak peek at her upcoming novel. You can support Talia, independent book stores, and AJL by buying …
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Mary Marks created the spunky, middle-aged, plump and curvy, quilting protagonist Martha Rose. Martha and her circle of quilting friends seem to bump into dead bodies with alarming frequency. Luckily, they are able use their observational skills, intuition, and persistence to "help" the police catch the killers. Join me for a far-reaching conversat…
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