Library Corner
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 …
Scientist in the Shadows
October 21, 2022
By Robin Jacobson. My pharmacist dad reveled in books about epic breakthroughs in medicine and science. On my bookshelf, I found his copy of The Double Helix (1968), a memoir by …
Snapshots of Israel
October 12, 2022
By Robin Jacobson. Israeli author Omer Friedlander, only 28 years old, made a stunning entrance onto the literary stage this past spring. Big-name publisher Random House published his debut short …
While the Pope Stood Silent
October 1, 2022
By Robin Jacobson. Early Shabbat morning, October 16, 1943, Nazi soldiers stormed Jewish neighborhoods in Rome, rounding up terrified Jews. They imprisoned them for two days in a military college near …
When the Poet Went to War
September 1, 2022
By Robin Jacobson. On October 6, 1973, air raid sirens shattered the solemn quiet of Yom Kippur afternoon in Israel. Egypt and Syria had launched a two-front surprise attack. Within …
Remembering the Cold War
July 1, 2022
By Robin Jacobson. As I write this, Ukraine remains under siege. News programs feature a nightly parade of diplomats, retired generals, and political historians speculating about a new global world …