March 2025: A bonanza of literary events, wildflower wonderland, and a complex time

Writing, reading, resources and recipes + an update from day 513

Dear friends,

I hope you’ve had a decent month on a personal level. If I had to pick one word of the month to describe my emotional state (and that of many Israelis) it would have to be מורכב - murkav - complex. More on that below, but for now, here’s your monthly dose of book reviews, upcoming literary events and classes, a story, a recipe, and an update from my corner of Israel.

Brief writing update: I continue to plug away at my new novel-in-progress. Sometimes I only have 30 minutes in the morning, sometimes a bit more, sometimes none at all. My process: I write - by hand - first drafts of different scenes, and then every few days I transcribe what I have written, occasionally making minor edits along the way. Some days I end up going down the research rabbit hole and only writing a few sentences. My current scene-in-progress takes place in January 1918 as my protagonist’s mother is dying of typhus. Fun!

I have ~25+ scenes thus far and at some point I will have to make an outline and figure out what I am doing…

Recommended Reading

I finished six books this month, and I’m still a bit behind in my self-imposed 2025 reading challenge, so hopefully I’ll catch up at some point. Here are this month’s recommendations:

Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari: Ayelet’s first novel is winning all the awards (National Jewish Book Award; the Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award) and they are well deserved!! The book opens in 1950 with Yaqub, a recent Yemeni immigrant to Israel, living in dismal conditions in an immigrant camp, but enchanted by Saida, a young woman who sings by the river. Forty-five years later, Saida’s daughter Zohara is living abroad, struggling with the aftermath of a divorce and a stalled dissertation when she learns of her mother’s death. Never close with her enigma of a mother or her older sister, Zohara returns to Israel, grieving and trying to make sense of her family and the (then) current realities in Israel. Cleaning her mother’s home, Zohara finds tapes Saida made of her own singing, leading Zohara on a journey that not only uncovers her mother’s secret but also forcing Zohara - after a lifetime of downplaying her Yemeni heritage - to seek her place in it. Ayelet deftly weaves in numerous themes and historical events (including the shameful missing Yemeni/Mizrahi/Balkan children affair and the radicalization of the right, leading to the Rabin assassination), but what I found most fascinating (and I think Zohara did too) was learning of the rich tradition of Yemini women’s songs, through which women in Yemen came together to express their joys and sorrows. This blurb, from the Jewish Book Council, says it well: “Songs for the Brokenhearted is immersive, distinguished by sharp and agile prose, a remarkable cast of fully realized characters, and spellbinding storytelling. And when it comes to bearing witness to the vibrant history and culture of generations of Israel’s marginalized groups, the novel is an unparalleled triumph.” Register to hear Ayelet speak at Literary Modiin’s March event on March 23.

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash: Audible kept recommending this one to me, and when I saw that the narrator was the same woman who narrated Hamnet (Ell Potter, who has a beautiful voice), I went for this debut novel, enjoying it very much. As German bombs fall over London in 1940, a working-class family takes the opportunity to send their only daughter, 11-year-old Bea, across the sea to live with a family in Boston for the duration of the war. Her foster family, the Gregorys, are more affluent than Bea’s parents (they even own an island in Maine), but she immediately becomes a beloved member of the family: adopted daughter to Mr. and Mrs. G and middle sister to their sons William and Gerald. When the war is over, Bea has no choice but to return to London, despite desperately wanting to stay with the Gregorys. It’s a beautiful, heartwarming, coming-of-age story, and I was immediately taken in by the characters. Ann Napolitano calls it “a lovely, addictive novel…filled with wonderful characters” and Publishers Weekly said “Readers will be riveted” - I agree wholeheartedly with both!

Adieu: A Memoir of Holocaust Survival by Alfred Lakritz: Hat tip to Aviya Kushner, whose review in the Forward alerted me to this new book. The author chronicles his early years - fleeing from Germany to Belgium and then to France, where, at the age of 8, in June 1942, he and his younger brother are sent off to summer camp run by a Jewish organization (OEuvre de Secours aux Enfants) to keep them out of harm’s way. It was the last time he saw his father, a leader in the local Jewish resistance who was later murdered at Majdanek. For over two years, Alfred and his brother were moved around in hiding. After France was liberated by the Allies, they were reunited with their mother, who miraculously survived. Eventually the family emigrated to the US, where the author went to school, thrived, became a lawyer, and raised a family. His memoir is a meticulously researched book in which he credits the righteous people who saved his family - from French farmers to an order of nuns - while taking to task those who collaborated with the Nazis. Given the many parallels between the author’s story and my own interest in hidden children in France, I immediately went out bought a few copies after reading Aviya’s review. I agree very much with this blurb, from Tina Kover, translator of Anne Berest’s The Postcard (another must read): “Alfred Lakritz recounts his family history with courage and beauty. Lakritz's recollections, along with the impressive amount of familial and historical research he has done, are nothing short of a gift to the rest of us. His writing of this book was an act of breathtaking strength, and we owe him our thanks.”

Events & Classes

Wow, there are A LOT of amazing literary events and classes happening around Israel this month, and I’m looking forward to participating in as many as I can.

Literary Modiin

Literary Modiin’s March event on Sunday March 23 will be in person and on Zoom! It’s another all-star lineup, featuring Avner Landes (THE DELEGATION), Ayelet Tsabari (SONGS FOR THE BROKENHEARTED), and Joan Leegant (DISPLACED PERSONS). Register here.

Get a head start on other upcoming Literary Modiin events:

• Sunday, April 27 - on Zoom - featuring Julie Brill (HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT), Brooke Randel (ALSO HERE), and Lisa Barr (THE GODDESS OF WARSAW). Register here.

• Sunday, May 18 - details to follow - save the date!

• Missed our Feb event with Zeeva Bukai, Ruth Franklin, and Lihi Lapid? It was terrific - I can’t do emojis here, but if I could, I would insert a bunch of fire emojis. Watch the recording here.

Other events and classes

1. Today - March 2 - at 20:00 Israel time / 1 pm Eastern on Zoom - the wonderful Joanna Chen is hosting at a special translation edition of the Yetzirah reading series featuring Maya Tevet Dayan & Jane Medved and Yakir Ben Moshe & Dan Alter. Learn more and register here.

2. Starting this Tuesday, March 4 - Jerusalism founder Lonnie Monka will run an in-person workshop (four sessions) on English-Language Poets of Jerusalem, focusing on poems by historic English-language poets in Jerusalem as both a window into the city's alternative literary history and potential models for contemporary writers. Learn more and register here.

3. Thursday, March 6 - Faults & Wayfarers: The Domestic Gone Awry - Poetry Place in Haifa is hosting Marcela Sulak and Jane Medved (two past Literary Modiin poets) to read from and discuss their recently published books. Free entry with advance registration.

4. Tuesday, March 25 - From Troy to Tel Aviv: A Poetry Symposium at Bar Ilan University, all day, starting at 9:30 am. The symposium will be conducted in Hebrew and English, with simultaneous translation, and is free and open to the public. The intensive day will focus “on all aspects of poetry, from the Greek poetic terms for meter and feet to the English expressions of Greek prosody. We move through Hebrew and we also learn to move like a Greek chorus.” See the full schedule here.

5. Tuesday, March 25 - on Zoom (22:00 Israel time / 20:00 UK / 4 pm Eastern / 1 pm Pacific) - I’ll be speaking about writing and The Book of Jeremiah to the Qesher Book Club…based out of Budapest! Qesher connects Jewish communities all over the world and they have lots of cool events online as well as Jewish heritage tours. Register here.

6. Thursday, March 27, 10 am - 3 pm - Turning Truth into Art: A writing workshop with Joan Leegant in Herzliya. Joan’s workshop will focus on getting at the truth of the story, including how to “tell it slant.” For more info on how to register and pay, contact me for Joan’s email address.

Story of the Month: Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait by Lauren Aliza Green (Image Journal): I enjoyed this coming-of-age story about a young art history student studying abroad whose babysitting stint for her professor’s son has lasting repercussions. Very well done.

Recipe of the Month: A Giant Reese’s PB Cup

Welcome to the near end of the newsletter, where you’re rewarded with a yummy recipe. My friend Erica was visiting from the States recently, and mentioned this gluten-free/Pesadic dessert recipe, which she called a giant Reese’s peanut butter cup. Always on the lookout for such recipes for my celiac daughter, I made it for this Shabbat and it was a big hit. For Passover, one can use almond butter instead of peanut butter (in fact, officially the recipe is called Chocolate Almond Butter Tart). Either way, it’s delish.

Crust

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup potato starch (I used a different GF flour)

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 TBSP canola oil

Almond or Peanut Butter Filling

3/4 cup almond or peanut butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBSP canola oil

Chocolate Fudge Topping

9 oz. chocolate chips or pareve chocolate

1/3 cup almond or peanut butter

1/4 cup suagar

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Prepare the crust by mixing the ingredients gently to form a dough. Do not overmix, dough is ready when crumbly but sticking together. Press dough into bottom of greased pan (I used a square 9x9” pan, but it can be any kind). Poke holes with a fork in the dough and bake for 18-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mixing to fom a dough-like consistency. Once the crust has cooled, press the peanut/almond butter mixture into the tart crust to form a thin layer over the entire surface. Then - to prepare the topping - melt the chocolate, and then add all the other ingredients until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate over the peanut/almond butter layer and place in the fridge until set. Enjoy!

Israel Update

As I mentioned above, it’s been an incredibly complex month here in Israel. We are overjoyed to see the reunion videos of the 25 hostages who have returned alive from captivity, broken-hearted over the eight hostages whose bodies were returned after being taken alive, sickened by Hamas’ depraved handovers, and feeling extreme, extreme anxiety over what’s next. I am hoping and praying that we will soon be able to welcome the remaining 24 living hostages home alive, and that the families of the hostages who are no longer alive will soon be able to buried their loved ones.

I can’t really bear to read the headlines as things swing back and forth on an hourly basis, but depending on who you talk to, some people are of the opinion that phase 2 definitely won’t happen (to quote many of my co-workers), whereas others refuse to give in to despair and continue to work/pray/demonstrate in order to ensure that phase 2 does happen. Many of the recently returned hostages are already out there speaking to the hostage gatherings, making videos addressing the politicians, giving in-depth interviews - all for the sole purpose of getting the other hostages out as soon as possible.

One interview I must call your attention to is Eli Sharabi being interviewed by Ilana Dayan on Uvda, a very well-respected investigative and current affair show. Just wow. What a hero and a mensch. Eli was released on February 8, having lost 40% of his body weight, and only learned then that his wife Lianne and two daughters had been murdered on October 7th. He was held for much of the time with three other men, including Alon Ohel, who is still in captivity. In the interview, he recounts being shackled by chains for the entire time, the extreme hunger he faced, the strategies he employed to stay alive. It is a must watch - here is a recap of the hour-long interview, but I hope someone translates the entire thing into English. (Someone must have translated parts of it, because I understand that Trump has invited him to the White House, and he is leaving tomorrow).

A few videos I saw today brought me joy - seeing Omer Shem Tov return to his home in Herzliya and seeing Sagui Dekel Chen sing קרן שמש / Keren Shemesh (“Sunbeam”) to his daughters, the song by Benaia Barabi that kept his hope alive.

Last night, together with my husband and daughters and a few hundred other people in Modiin, went to hear the cousin of Gali and Ziv Berman speak at our local hostage rally. We will keep waiting and praying and showing up to support the families until the last hostage is home.

How are we keeping sane throughout everything? The other day I saw this post - I don’t know this person but it struck me as wise.

And so, I continue to distract myself with things that are in my control and that bring me joy - getting out and seeing the wildflower wonderland that is all around us, picking oranges to help the farmers, taking my kids to see an awesome production of Dear Evan Hansen in Tel Aviv, and, in a few days, heading out for a much needed vacation with my husband. I’ll leave you with a few images from my month.

In case you haven’t seen these posts, I also recommend:

Ruth Franklin’s “The Lottery” in Khan Younis

Vivian Cohen-Leisorek’s Day 509: Center of Gravity

Jessica Steinberg’s It’s week 6 and we’re rattled

Until next time, b’sorot tovot. May we hear good news soon. Am Yisrael Chai.

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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.

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Julie Zuckerman's debut novel-in-stories, The Book of Jeremiah, was published in May 2019 by Press 53. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in CRAFT, Tikkun, Jewish Women’s Archives, Crab Orchard Review, The Coil, The SFWP Quarterly, Ellipsis, MoonPark Review, 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