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People of the Book
Stories have the power to expand our understanding , deepen our empathy & bring us closer together.
Why “People of the Book”?
Judaism has always been rooted in books, stories, ideas, and conversation. Our sacred texts have traveled with us across generations, helping us understand who we are, where we come from, and how we might live with greater meaning and purpose.
This year, Temple Isaiah invites our entire community to explore what it means to be “People of the Book.” Through reading and conversation, we will encounter new perspectives, ask meaningful questions, and deepen our understanding of ourselves, one another, and the world around us.
Books do more than tell stories—they create opportunities for connection, reflection, and community.
How the Year Will Work
Each month will offer a new opportunity to read, learn, and participate.
Temple Isaiah clergy and staff have selected one or two books each month. Selections include fiction, nonfiction, memoir, Jewish thought, contemporary issues, and books that invite us into meaningful conversation.
Each featured book has its own pre-scheduled facilitated discussion led by a member of our clergy. Each discussion will be offered in hybrid format in our Sales Community Center (SCC) back room; you can participate either in person or virtually. Pre-registration is required and a Zoom link will be sent to all participants ahead of time.
More Ways to Participate
In addition to our monthly featured books, we will share recommended reading lists and additional titles connected to each theme.
Families and readers of all ages will find opportunities to participate through children’s books, family programs, and intergenerational experiences.
We will also explore books through food and gathering, including cookbook-inspired experiences and other creative programs.
Community members are encouraged to form their own Small Groups and continue the conversation in ways that feel meaningful to them.
“Here All Along” and “As A Jew” by Sarah Hurwitz
September 21 | 1:30 - 3pmThis will be part of the afternoon activity on Yom Kippur at Royce Hall. Discussion led by Rabbi Dara Frimmer.
“Heart of a Stranger” by Angela Buchdahl
October 25 | 11am - 12:30pmDiscussion led by Rabbi Jaclyn Cohen.
“People Love Dead Jews” by Dara Horn
November 15 | 1 - 2:30pmDiscussion led by Rabbi Adam Allenberg.
“The Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel
December 15 | 6:30 - 8pmDiscussion led by Cantor Randall Schloss.
“Drawing in the Dust” by Rabbi Zoe Klein Miles
January 12 | 6:30 - 8pmDiscussion led by Rabbi Zoe Klein Miles.
“Talking to God” by Naomi Levy
February 16 | 6:30 - 8pmDiscussion led by Rabbi Jaclyn Cohen.
“God Was in This Place and I, I Did Not Know” by Lawrence Kushner
March 17 | 6:30 - 8pmDiscussion led by Rabbi Dara Frimmer.
“Maus 1 & 2” by Art Spiegelman
April 25 | 11am - 12:30pmDiscussion led by Cantor Randall Schloss.
“When We See You Again” by Rachel Goldberg-Polin
May 18 | 6:30 - 8pmDiscussion led by Rabbi Jaclyn Cohen.
“The Future is Peace” by Maoz Anon and Aziz Abu Sarah
June 22 | 12 - 1:30pmDiscussion led by Rabbi Adam Allenberg.
Additional Book Recommendations from Clergy & Staff
Want to dive further into the People of the Book theme? Presented here are additional books recommended by our clergy and staff. While not all these books are explicitly Jewish, they contain narratives and lessons significant to our experience as American Jews.
Grief and Brokenness:
Finding the Words, Colin Campbell
Night, Elie Wiesel
The Trial of God, Elie Wiesel
Living with Our Dead: On Loss and Consolation, Delphine Horvilleur and Lisa Appignanesi
When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Harold Kushner
Parenting:
The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Raising Self-Reliant Children, Wendy Mogel
Nurture the Wow, Danya Ruttenberg
Jewish Spiritual Parenting, Paul Kipnes and Michelle November
How to Raise a Jewish Child: A Practical Handbook for Family Life, Anita Diamant and Karen Kushner
Poetry and Short Stories:
Candle, Feather, Wooden Spoon, Zoe Klein
The Art of Blessing the Day, Marge Piercy
Open Closed Open, Yehuda Amichai
Hovering at a Low Altitude, Dahlia Ravikovitch
Devotions, Mary Oliver
Jewish / Religious Identity:
Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, Kristen Kobes du Mez (Dara)
The Chosen, Chaim Potok
The Amen Effect, Sharon Brous
My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew, Abby Pogrebin
The Jewish Way, Irving Greenberg
The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary, Michael Strassfeld
Finding Your Moral Compass, John Rosove
On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates, Zibby Owens
The New Jewish Wedding, Anita Diamant
Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life, Joshua Leifer
Israel / Middle East:
Can We Talk About Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted, Daniel Sokatch
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning, Peter Beinart
A Tale of Love and Darkness, Amos Oz
My Michael, Amos Oz
To the End of the Land, David Grossman
Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, Noa Tishby
Torah / TaNaKh / Jewish Learning:
Who Wrote the Bible, Richard Elliot Friedman
The Bedside Torah, Bradley Shavit Artson
With All My Heart: Torah for Our Times, Sharon Kleinbaum
Jewish Literacy, Joseph Telushkin
Queering the Text, Andrew Ramer
Unscrolled: 54 Writers and Artists Wrestle with the Torah, Roger Bennett (editor)
The Book of Legends (Sefer Ha Agadah): Legends from The Talmud and Midrash, Chayim Nachman Bialik and Yehoshua Hana Ravnitsky
Fiction & Creative Writing:
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon
The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, Michael Chabon
The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
The Golem and the Jinni, Helene Weckler
Long Island Compromise, Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Everything is Illuminated, Jonathan Safran-Foer
The Book of Lost Names, Kristin Harmel
As a Driven Leaf, Milton Steinberg
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me, Bess Kalb
Made It Out of Clay, Beth Kander
The World to Come, Dara Horn
Jewish Cookbooks & Jewish Eating:
The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic, Mary Zamore
Eat Jewish, Melinda Strauss
The Gefilteria Cookbook, Liz Alpern and Jeffrey Yoskowitz
The Settlement Cookbook, Lizzie Black Kander
Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi
Shabbat, Adeena Sussman
Sababa, Adeena Sussman
I Could Nosh, Jake Cohen
Jew-ish: A Cookbook, Jake Cohen
Sephardi: Cooking the History, Hélène Jawhara Piñer
Matzah and Flour: Recipes from the History of Sephardic Jews, Hélène Jawhara Piñer
Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, Michael Solomonov
Books by Isaians:
Bonnie Priever – “Cece in Wonderland”
Idelle Davidson – “Your Brain After Chemo”
Abigail Saguy – “Gender Flashpoints: The Power of Dialogue”
Michael Cowan – “John B. Peoples”
Ryan Gorcey – “In the Name of the King: The Arthurian Roots of Modern Super Heroes”
Julie Grass -“The Queen of MORE: Poem by her Sidekick”
Faithe Raphael Haimer – “The Rock Stars of Neuroscience: How a Groupie in Crisis Emerged as the Heroine of her Family’s Victory over Mental Illness”
Mark Rogo – “23 Hours,” and others
Janet Afary – “Sexual Politics in Modern Iran,” and others
Risa Green – “Notes From the Underbelly”
Phyllis Rothman – memoir
David Rothman z”l – “California Judicial Conduct Handbook”
Peter Studner z”l – “Super Job Search IV: The Complete Manual for Job Seekers & Career Changers” and French books of fiction for adults and children
Sandra Bernstein z”l – book on education
Sherri Morr z”l – “75 and Fabulous: Reflections”
Madeline Wolf – “Bits and Pieces”
Is there a book you love that you believe belongs on this list? Or a book by an Isaiah congregant we missed? Let us know! Email [email protected]