We know, no one likes to read anything longer that blog post anymore. Mention “Jewish literature” and people’s eyes glaze over like a coupla Krispy Kremes. But should you find yourself away from your desk with nothing to do but thumb through a leftover copy of Watchtower, these books are better than a stick in the eye (or Jehovah’s Witnesses.)

For those whose attention spans are short but deep, News From The American Diaspora by Jay Neugeboren contains twelve stories about twelve very different kinds of Jews. Each is well-crafted along the theme that American Jews do not stand on solid ground spiritually or emotionally, and so must create identity from broken pieces of history, barely remembered prayers and the present plastic culture. We loved it, ’cause sometimes our Jewish life feels like a disaster out in the Diaspora; it will surely resonate with those who do not live in tight-knit shtetl-like communities and therefore must figure it out on our own.
The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide To Guilt showcases the talents of twenty-eight of the top Jewish women writers, who each profess how she cannot live up to the high standards of what they believe it means to be Jewish. Most of them are pretty hilarious. From not attending family events to getting a pedicure on Yom Kippur, we can relate.
The JGirl’s Guide: The Young Jewish Woman’s Handbook for Coming of Age by Penina Adelman, Ali Feldman and Shulamit Reinharz is more for your niece or bat-mitzvah-aged cousin, but Jews of all ages could benefit from the Talmudic wisdom within. While we dug all the “girl power” stuff, we were especially impressed with the way the authors specifically relate biblical and Jewish women with living as a teenage girl in modern times (Go Vashti!) An excellent gift for the “royal daughter” in your life.
These can certainly be ordered online, but we have an alternative sugggestion: Go buy one, two or all three from an independent bookstore and go read outside, under a tree. Maybe we’ll see ya there.