Library Corner

Beneath the Roman Arch

September 28, 2023

By Robin Jacobson.  Intimate Strangers: A History of Jews and Catholics in the City of Rome by Frederic Brandfon tells the epic story of Jews in Rome across more than …

Summoning the Family Ghosts

August 29, 2023

By Robin Jacobson.  The Postcard by French author Anne Berest is a remarkable true story of a Jewish family told in the form of a novel. It opens with the …

Jewish Dynasties

August 1, 2023

By Robin Jacobson.  Fans of multi-generational tales of Jewish families have three new non-fiction options, each fascinating: The Sassoons: The Great Global Merchants and the Making of an Empire by …

Martinis and Memories in a California Garden

June 6, 2023

By Robin Jacobson. Early in 2020, Julian Künstler receives an unexpected phone call from his 93-year-old grandmother, Salomea (“Mamie”) Künstler. Mamie invites Julian to stay with her in California for a few weeks while …

New Life from Ancient Seeds

June 6, 2023

By Robin Jacobson. “The righteous bloom like a date-palm . . .”  Psalm 92:13 Among the glories of ancient Israel were its flourishing Judean date palm trees, celebrated for their …

A Mysterious Murder in British Palestine

April 24, 2023

By Robin Jacobson. The Times of Israel calls it “the great whodunnit of Zionist lore.” In 1933, Chaim Arlosoroff was murdered in Tel Aviv. Only 34 years old, Arlosoroff was …

A Weird & Whimsical Inheritance from Ukraine

February 28, 2023

By Robin Jacobson.  Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott is a rollicking adventure story of magical realism, a spellbinding blend of old and new folklore. Comical yet profound, the novel explores serious …

Families, Love, and Renewal in New Fiction

February 1, 2023

By Robin Jacobson.  During an unwelcome visit from Covid-19, I dosed myself with soup, lemon drops (good for masking that metallic Paxlovid taste), and three novels: The Cost of Living …

Dinner with Felix Frankfurter

January 6, 2023

By Robin Jacobson.  Which three persons, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party? The New York Times Book Review regularly asks this question in interviews. After reading …

Rescuing Freud

November 30, 2022

By Robin Jacobson.  With 20/20 historical hindsight, it can be unbearable to read stories of European Jews in the 1930s who turned down opportunities to flee Europe.  If only we …