Dear friends,
Welcome, new subscribers, and happy August, a few days late! After a few intense days, I was pretty much a puddle on Friday when I’d hope to get much of this done…throw in some jet lag, work changes, va’adat hesed responsibilities, a gazillion whatsapps related to my son’s wedding, and here we are, late at night on Aug 3. Anyway, I hope you’ve had a decent month and that you’re keeping cool. Scroll down for your monthly dose of book reviews, upcoming literary events, a story of the month, a resource for readers, and a recipe.
A few updates from a banner literary month:
In early July, I hosted what I was calling “Literary Barnard,” an evening that included a panel discussion and writing workshops with a few of my fellow alumnae - Debra Goldberg, Ilana Blumberg, Naomi Bloom-Wurtman and Hannah Wacholder Katsman - an impressive group, to say the least. Each of us represents a different perspective in the literary ecosystem. A fantastic night that could have gone on for many more hours. To be continued, I hope!
Scenes from Literary Barnard Mid-month, I met Ann Marie Sabath, the publisher of Soncata Press. We’re excited to launch my second book, LOVE IN ALL ITS FORMS, into the world next year!
My month finished with the award ceremony for the 2026 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. Mazal tov to winner Amir Tibon (THE GATES OF GAZA - see my brief review from Jan 2025), finalists Shaul Kelner (A COLD WAR EXODUS: HOW AMERICAN ACTIVISTS MOBILIZED TO FREE SOVIET JEWS), Jordan Salama (STRANGER IN THE DESERT), and Laura Hobson Faure (WHO WILL RESCUE US?). The enlightening discussion with Amir, Shaul and Rabbi David Wolpe was followed by a lovely reception, where I was thrilled see at least 15 authors who have appeared at Literary Modiin. Jewish literary heaven, for sure. A huge thank you to the children of Sami Rohr for this gift, a gift not only for the winners and finalists, but for all of us who care deeply about Jewish literature.
Shaul Kelner and Amir Tibon in conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe Brief writing / travel update: I was in the US for 2+ weeks, mostly for my day job, but I was fortunate to see family and a few friends in between. It’s not always easy to keep up while traveling, but I managed to get in a bit of writing most days. I’m currently working on a chapter for my novel-in-progress that takes place in 1930 in Paris, the “midpoint” for one of my three timelines. (PS It was a busy trip so please accept my apologies if I didn’t get to see you).
Recommended Reading
I’m up to 57 books for the year, which means I read 10 in July, five books ahead of schedule for my Goodreads challenge. Ergo, I have lots to recommend and my reviews may be shorter than usual:
The Life Before Us by Romain Gary: I picked up this delightful volume when I subscribed to Michael Lavigne’s new Substack, Salon Juif (see Resource of the Month below). The slim novel stars Momo, a Muslim boy abandoned by his parents to the care of Madame Rosa, a Jewish survivor of Auschwitz and former “lady of the night” who takes in stray children. Momo’s voice is the most refreshing I’ve read in some time. Give it a read and then head over to Michael’s Substack for his analysis.
Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney: For fans of Meir Shalev’s A Pigeon and a Boy, this World War I novel is told from the dual perspectives of Cher Ami, a carrier pigeon with the British forces, and Major Charles Whittlesey, a lawyer-turned-officer in the US Signal Corps whose battalion is cut off behind enemy lines, twice. Inspired by the true story of Cher Ami and the “Lost Battalion,” this inventive novel doesn’t shy away from the horrors faced by the soldiers in the Great War. For audiobook lovers, this was a great listen.
Broken Chocolate by Rachel Miranda: Thanks to Judith Magazine for pointing me to this novel (an excerpt of which I shared as the story/excerpt of the month in July). When 15-year-old Zoey Sandor suffers a freak accident in East Rock Park (New Haven), her parents Liv, a pastry chef, Sam, a traumatic brain specialist at Yale New Haven Hospital, her twin brother Zev, and the rest of the family must learn to cope with a Zoey’s life-changing medical emergency. It’s an excellent depiction of a modern Jewish family in crisis with enough guilt, faith, creativity and love to go around. The multiple perspectives create a rich portrait of a family learning to adapt, support one another, and find hope in the midst of profound uncertainty.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: This compelling, well-researched historical novel takes place in Maine, shortly after the American Revolution. Inspired by a real-life heroine, local midwife Martha Ballard has delivered hundreds of babies when she is called to examine a body pulled from the frozen Kennebec River. The murdered man has recently been accused of rape, but danger still lurks. The author does an amazing job of painting a picture of the post-colonial period and the hardscrabble lives of Maine homesteaders while keeping up the suspense on every page. Highly recommend, especially for fans of historical fiction.
Freya the Deer by Meg Richman: In this debut novel, we meet Freya, a neurodivergent student who leaves her (clueless) professorial parents on the East Coast for a small liberal arts college in Washington. Her refreshing perspective (and her self-designed major examining the soul) captures the heart of Caleb, a handsome fellow student, and they quickly become a couple. As COVID and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder reshape campus life and Caleb becomes increasingly drawn to more dangerous forms of activism, Freya is forced to navigate the complicated intersection of relationships, identity, politics, and morality. I found myself rooting for Freya from beginning to end, and appreciated the chance to experience the world through her eyes. Watch a recording of our July Literary Modiin event to hear Meg speak about Freya.
The Very Unremarkable Life of Mrs. Etty Bloom by Talya Jankovits: Set in the Hasidic community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this debut novel follows Etty Bloom, an ambitious young woman whose dreams of status and success are upended by one impulsive mistake. Etty is a deeply human character, driven as much by her flaws as by her aspirations, and while I didn't always like her, I was invested in her journey. Above all, I appreciated the richly drawn portrait of a community whose customs, traditions, and social expectations shape every aspect of its members' lives, and came away with a much deeper understanding of that world. Watch a recording of our July Literary Modiin event to hear Talya speak about Etty.
Bullet Holes by Norrin M. Ripsman: Norrin Ripsman’s latest novel presents a 13-year-old boy in an impossible position: it’s Manny’s bar mitzvah weekend, but it’s been less than a year since his twin brother, Danny, was killed in a school shooting. The family has recently relocated to a Philadelphia suburb, hoping to move forward after the tragedy, but it’s clear that Manny’s mother is barely functioning under the weight of her grief, and the rest of the family is struggling to find its footing. Add politically divided grandparents and the ordinary pressures of a bar mitzvah weekend, and tensions are running high. The novel explores the devastating ripple effects of gun violence with compassion and sensitivity, and readers will be rooting for Manny - a well-drawn, likable protagonist - as he tries to hold it together. Come hear Norrin discuss Bullet Holes at Literary Modiin’s August event.
Upcoming Events
Join me for Literary Modiin’s August event, this coming Sunday, August 9 - on Zoom - featuring Sara Lippmann (HIDDEN RIVER), Agur Schiff (PROFESSOR SCHIFF’S GUILT) and Norrin M. Ripsman (BULLET HOLES). Register here.
Save the dates for upcoming Literary Modiin events, two in a row in October. I hope you’ll join me for both!
Sun Oct 11 - a special session of Literary Modiin commemorating three years since Oct 7
Sun Oct 18 - an in-person (and on Zoom) session at the Modiin Public Library, featuring Noa Yedlin and translator Shira Atik (HOUSE ARREST), Masha Zur-Glozman (LOVE AND OTHER ENCHANTMENTS), and Rachel Tzvia Back, editor (THIS LONGING CITY: Modern Hebrew Poems of Jerusalem).
More details to come!
Story of the Month: The Promise of Impossible Things
The Promise of Impossible Things by April Bradley (Cleaver Magazine): Read this powerful story about a mundane outing to the Connecticut shore than turns life-changing for a mother and her stepdaughter. A brilliant piece of flash - kudos, April!
Resource of the Month: Salon Juif
Even before I happened to meet Michael Lavigne last week, I’d subscribed to his new Substack, Salon Juif, a sort of book club for novels you may have missed from the Jewish literary canon, most of them written in a language other than English, now available in translation. In fact, of the 10 books he’s chosen for the year, I’d only read one. Each week he sends out an essay that discusses a different aspect of the novel of the month. Given that I LOVED his choice for the first month, Romain Gary’s brilliant The Life Before Us (see above), I’m excited to read and follow along with this project. (Michael himself is the author of several novels, with a new one coming out next year).
Recipe of the Month: Seed Cracker Schnitzel
Welcome to the near end of the newsletter, where you’re rewarded with a yummy recipe. Props to my husband for dreaming this one up. Each week for the last year, I’ve been making at least one batch, if not two, of seed crackers (featured recipe in the July 2025 newsletter), which have earned praise from plenty of people who aren’t eating them for keto/GF diet reasons. At any rate, the other month, instead of coating my schnitzel with breadcrumbs, he mashed up the seed crackers as the coating and I enjoyed some delicious schnitzel, which were also gluten-free.
For the seed crackers:
1/3 cup almond flour
1/3 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup flaxseed or chia seeds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 TBSP ground psyllium husk powder (okay, I’d never heard of this before, but it seems readily available in health food stores or the dietary supplements section of a regular supermarket or pharmacy)
1 tsp salt or to taste
3/4 tsp dried rosemary or to taste
1 tsp garlic powder or to taste
1/4 cup of melted coconut oil OR olive oil (I used olive oil but I may try the coconut oil in the future)
1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 300 F / 150 C. Mix all dry ingredients in a boil, then add the boiling water and oil. Keep working the dough until it has a gel-like consistency. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add another sheet of parchment paper on top and either flatten with your fingers or use a rolling pin. Bake on lower rack for 40-45 minutes, then leave the crackers to dry in the oven for quite a bit longer.
For the schnitzel:
Package of schnitzel
1-3 eggs
Mashed up seed crackers
Olive oil
Set up two bowls, one with egg, and the other with the seed crackers (mashed up). Dip each individual schnitzel in egg, then coat it with the seed crackers. Sautee in olive oil until done! For toppings, I recommend either squeezing lemon over it, or whipping up a little mayo-garlic-lemon sauce. Enjoy!
I’ll leave you with a few pictures from my month. Stay cool and wishing you a month of happiness, health, healing, peace, security, and good reading.
A small way to support my work: Since June 2019, I’ve hosted the monthly Literary Modiin author series, and since April 2020, I’ve been putting out this monthly newsletter. Both represent a significant amount of effort for me, but I love talking about books and promoting other authors, and I’m committed to keeping both of these things FREE for all. I do incur some expenses to keep these up, however, so if you have enjoyed the Literary Modiin events and/or if you enjoy the newsletter or both, and you’d like to support my work in some small, tangible way, I’d be grateful if you’d click on the “Buy Me a Coffee” link below. (If you can’t, that’s fine too)! I appreciate your continued support for these events, book recommendations and my literary musings.
Request: If you’ve read (and liked) The Book of Jeremiah, please help me out by writing a brief review on Amazon or wherever you purchase books online. It can be as simple as one or two lines. Thank you!
Julie Zuckerman’s debut novel-in-stories, The Book of Jeremiah, was published in May 2019 by Press 53 and her second book, Love in All Its Forms, is forthcoming from Soncata Press in 2027. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in CRAFT, Jewish Women’s Archives, Crab Orchard Review, The Coil, The SFWP Quarterly, Sixfold, and The MacGuffin, among others. She is the founder and host of Literary Modiin, a monthly author series celebrating fiction, memoir and poetry with Jewish content. A native of Connecticut, she lives in Israel with her husband and four children. www.juliezuckerman.com
I am also going to follow along with Salon Juif. I have read 3 of the books, including the first one so I pulled a copy of Michael Lavigne's Not Me off my shelf where it had been sitting since the paperback was released. I thought it was really good. I forget, have you read Homebound by Portia Elan? I really enjoyed that as well.
Thank you for those very intriguing book suggestions. More for my endless TBR pile. I'd like to suggest a book that I previously reviewed: Next Year in Paterson, Tales of the Great Assimilation by Ron Goldberg. It's a cycle of stories set in the former Jewish community of Paterson, NJ. Very poignant and moving.