Shomrei Book Club
With all the Jewish holidays in October, we will meet next on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7:30pm to discuss “The Bridge Ladies: A Memoir” by Betsy Lerner. This is a charming intergenerational story based on a bridge club that is well into its 6th decade. The author’s mother is one of the stalwart members , all Jewish women. Naturally, there is some family tension revealed in the story. Each woman has chosen a conventional path for her time, but each also has a complicated past. (more…)
Shomrei Book Club
At the May 9 meeting, we discussed Washing the Dead by Michelle Brafman . The group felt this book was an intriguing story that combined many details of this sacred rite with a complicated tale of family estrangement from the Orthodox community, an illicit love affair, and a difficult mother-daughter relationship.
The June selection is Seven Good Years: A Memoir by Etgar Keret.
“The seven years between the birth of Etgar Keret’s son and the death of his father were good years, though still full of reasons to worry. (more…)
Shomrei Book Club
We had a fascinating discussion of The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit at our April Book Club meeting, with added input from Marc Chalom, whose family had a similar experience when life in Egypt became untenable for Jews.
The May selection is Washing the Dead by Michelle Brafman, a story about three generations of women who perform this sacred duty. The book also focuses on relationships between mothers and daughters as the generations accept this responsibility under different circumstances.
We will meet on Monday, May 9, 7:30pm at Congregation Shomrei Emunah
Look forward to seeing you then.
Josie Zeman
All are welcome to join us. Contact Josie Zeman at for more information if you are interested.
There was a lively discussion of the plight of the immigrant at the recent March meeting, when we talked about “A Backpack, a Bear, and 8 Crates of Vodka” by Lev Golinkin. His family left the former Soviet Union under great duress. They were assigned to the town of Bloomington, Indiana, a much different culture than that of their homeland. After he graduated from college, the author went back to Eastern Europe to meet the people who helped his family.
The next book we will read for the Shomrei Book Club is “The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: The Exodus of a Jewish Family from Cario to the New World” by Lucette Lagdano. We will meet on Monday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Each month we read a book with Jewish content and it’s always interesting to hear the reactions of our readers.
I hope you will join us!
Josie Zeman
All are welcome to join us. Contact Josie Zeman at for more information if you are interested.
Editor’s Note: Due to inclement weather, the Book Club meeting was rescheduled to Mon, Mar 14, 7:30pm.
The Shomrei Book Club had a stimulating discussion of “A Marriage of Opposites” at our January 11th meeting. Everyone enjoyed this novel by Alice Hoffman.
The next book is quite different. “A Backpack, A Bear, and 8 Crates of Vodka” by Lev Golinkin is a compelling story of two intertwined journeys: a Jewish refugee family fleeing persecution and a young man seeking to reclaim a shattered past. In the twilight of the Cold War (the late 1980s), nine-year old Lev Golinkin and his family cross the Soviet border with only ten suitcases, $600, and the vague promise of help awaiting in Vienna. Years later, Lev, now an American adult, sets out to retrace his family’s long trek, locate the strangers who fought for his freedom, and in the process, gain a future by understanding his past. We will meet on Monday, Feb. 8 to discuss this complicated adventure.
All are welcome to join us. Contact Josie Zeman at for more information if you are interested.
