Hey, Reese: About that Book Club Selection…

Dear Reese (can I telephone you Reese?),

I precocious saw your #ReesesBookClub announcement wherever you revealed Kristin Hannah’s publication The Nightingale arsenic your March publication nine pick. Normally, I wouldn’t person adjacent fixed it a 2nd thought. But I watched the video due to the fact that a chap Rioter mentioned that the publication was ostensibly chosen successful effect to rising antisemitism (as you referenced successful the announcement). Oh, and conscionable a enactment for your captions: antisemitism is 1 word, and you tin work wherefore here.

But earlier we get into the publication choice, fto maine accidental this: arsenic a Jewish genitor raising a Jewish child, I admit you speaking up astir antisemitism. I admit you wanting to marque this applicable to readers, and to amusement them however unsafe antisemitism is, and that it is simply a precise existent and increasing occupation successful the US. It’s excessively casual to disregard if it doesn’t impact you oregon to brushwood it off, and you aren’t. So for that, I convey you and applaud you.

Which is wherefore it pains maine to ask: are determination immoderate Jews connected your publication nine team? Because I’m starting to deliberation there’s not. I’ll beryllium blunt: this is not the champion publication to take if you privation to code antisemitism. Let maine explicate why, and past I’ll stock immoderate of my favourite alternatives.

Kristin Hannah mightiness beryllium a delightful idiosyncratic and a fantastic writer. But she’s not Jewish, from what I’ve work and from everything I’ve gleaned from articles and societal media. She admits that she has no idiosyncratic experience oregon ties with WWII. She was drawn to the women who rescued Jewish children due to the fact that of her ain acquisition of being a mother. While I tin recognize that, it’s besides not rather the same. You would not take a achromatic writer if you were funny successful addressing racism, would you? Or an writer who is not Muslim if you wanted to code Islamophobia, right? Why, then, is choosing a non-Jewish writer good if you’re trying to rise consciousness of antisemitism? The precise slightest you could bash is take a Jewish writer.

In 1 interview, she says that being a hidden kid is inactive not talked astir a lot. Well, if you’re not successful Jewish circles, I conjecture it’s not. But I tin archer you that truthful galore of america person grown up with stories. Stories of hiding. Stories of rescuers. These are stories we perceive each twelvemonth during Yom Hashoah events astatine our synagogues, oregon stories we cognize of friends’ families. I grew up knowing that respective of my teachers escaped. I grew up spending hours astatine the houses of my friends’ grandparents, who had numbers connected their arms. Multiple classmates had grandparents who were survivors. This was commonplace. So I admit, it gave maine intermission erstwhile I work that.

Then determination are the main characters successful the book: Vianne and Isabelle, our heroes. There were many, galore Righteous Among the Nations – tens of thousands, successful fact, who saved countless lives. That is surely thing to honor. That’s what this publication honors. The publication centers non-Jewish rescuers, not Jewish individuals. So it’s an unusual prime if you’re trying to absorption connected antisemitism.

And the topic. WW2 and the Holocaust. Yes, it’s an important humanities event. Yes, determination is simply a shocking deficiency of Holocaust education. Yes, an alarming number of young radical don’t cognize overmuch astir the Holocaust astatine all. But bully lord, delight don’t trim america to 1 of the worst events successful our history. We are much than that. (I’ve written astir that here!). It’s truly important to admit that antisemitism doesn’t person to escalate to Third Reich proportions to beryllium truly shitty. Things aren’t large close present for us. Some Jewish radical don’t consciousness comfy wearing their Star of David oregon Chai necklace extracurricular their shirts, oregon are tense wearing a kippah. Orthodox Jews, who are much visibly Jewish than galore different Jews, person consistently been targeted for years, astir precocious erstwhile two men were shot successful abstracted incidents by the aforesaid person. A caller survey recovered that one successful 4 hiring managers admitted they’re little apt to determination guardant with a Jewish applicant for a job. It’s the mundane tiny cuts, the microaggressions, the comments radical marque without realizing who they’re talking to, the quality stories oregon videos radical nonstop with bully intentions – but you cognize what they accidental astir bully intentions, right? These things adhd up. It’s the sometimes overwhelming determination astir whether to spell to synagogue successful idiosyncratic oregon be via zoom. It’s the interest aft dropping my lad disconnected astatine Hebrew school.

But wherefore absorption connected our victimization? We are a vibrant people, with astonishing holidays, traditions, and a agelong bequest of survival. Acknowledging atrocity is important, but truthful is embracing joy, due to the fact that that successful itself tin beryllium an enactment of absorption and reclamation. Learning about, recognizing, and warring antisemitism doesn’t ever person to travel successful the signifier of Holocaust lit oregon Holocaust education.

Some Recommendations

If you inactive truly privation to work Holocaust lit, there’s plentifulness from which to choose. If you’re going to take WW2 lit, wherefore not spell with a memoir? There are stories that much radical request to perceive – existent stories, not novels, wherever it’s casual for radical who mightiness not cognize capable to brushwood things disconnected arsenic fiction. Why not take Michael Frank’s One Hundred Saturdays: Stella Levi and the Search for a Lost World, a nonfiction publication astir Levi, who is simply a Sephardic Jew and a Holocaust survivor. Another large option: Gerda Weissmann Klein’s All But My Life.

These stories situation america to carnivore witness. To admit what they survived. If you privation a WW2 story, successful my sentiment it’s much respectful to take a existent story, alternatively of what I spot arsenic voyeuristic WW2 lit.

But you’ve work plentifulness of nonfiction for your publication clubs before, truthful wherefore not bash that now? Dara Horn’s People Love Dead Jews: Reports From A Haunted Present is simply a superb and blistering look astatine antisemitism today. Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities by Emily Tamkin is an incisive look astatine Jewish individuality successful the US, entangled with this country’s long, agelong past of antisemitism.

If you inactive similar fiction, Rena Rossner’s The Light of the Midnight Stars illustrates the insidious quality of antisemitism, woven unneurotic with fairytales and Jewish folklore. Any of Naomi Ragen’s books are amazing, but what astir The Sisters Weiss oregon Jephte’s Daughter? Books that amusement Jewish tradition, Jewish lives, and Jewish joy.

(Just arsenic a broadside note, I cognize you typically take books that halfway women, but Michael W. Twitty’s Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew would besides beryllium an astonishing choice. His insights astir Jewish identity, his journey, and antisemitism are overmuch needed these days. For your YA publication club, wherefore not take Veera Hiranandani’s How to Find What You’re Not Looking For, a caller by a Jewish writer that discusses antisemitism without being astir the Holocaust?)

One past happening – The Nightingale has implicit 1 cardinal ratings connected Goodreads. It doesn’t request your endorsement. Perhaps your clout would beryllium amended served lifting up a lesser-known book/author.

I cognize you’ve made your publication nine choice, and I spot and applaud your enactment successful warring antisemitism – and convey you for your allyship. I conscionable privation our history, our stories, and our endurance weren’t perpetually reduced down to WW2. At the precise least, a publication by a Jewish author, centering Jewish characters, would person been a amended choice.

For those of you who really privation to work books by Jewish authors, centering Jewish characters, cheque retired Matzah Book Soup Book Club.

Reese, if you request publication suggestions, you cognize wherever to find me.

Jaime

If you’re looking for much books by Jewish authors, cheque retired these Jewish phantasy books, and this post astir 100 must-reads of Jewish fiction.