So…

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Naomi

I could mention morality. I could talk about the danger in “us vs. them” dichotomies. I could warn us all that we should be very very scared about what is to come. But if you’re like me, you’ve already gotten 50 of those emails today. Plus comfort and reaffirmation that we will not be cowered into … blah, blah, blah.

Now that we know whose lives matter and whose do not, and now that we are sure that we can expect an indifferent, dominating, and cruel government for the foreseeable future, I think I’ll tune out the rest. 

I like my little corner of the world. I have beautiful and sincere friendships. I’m focused on learning right now because I want to help build a future that is better than today. I want to provide space for comfort and healing and connection. That is how we bring people together. I find comfort in the Bible and in the cycles of history that show that sometimes things have to collapse before they can be rebuilt in a new way.

I am disappointed. But I’m not shocked.  Mainly I feel a sense of bafflement that most of us do not seem to see what is happening before our eyes. They are so myopically focused on themselves that they cannot see a bigger picture. Or maybe they don’t care about anyone outside of their silo. Again, not shocked.

Meaning
Compassion
Purpose
Engagement
Connection
Gentleness
Strength
Resilience
Advocacy
Knowledge

These are what we need. Diversity is a strength. Women are valuable. Ideas and curiosity are crucial.

Our future prez is not a true leader and might actually be a reflection of the worst in our country: fear, hatred, power, violence, and more fear.

Something HUGE is shifting in many countries all around the world. Our systems are going to collapse, and soon, and hopefully something new and better will be born out of the chaos.

I am disillusioned but I do not give up hope that a decency and humanity will emerge eventually. I’ll be over here doing my thing and trying to bring a little authenticity and light wherever I go.

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October reading report

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Naomi

I had a nice break from school due to the Jewish holidays and got to spend a lot of time reading. I have met my 2024 goal of reading 110 books! I am again listing my favorites first.

Please do let me know if you’ve read something great!

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For Such a Time as This: On Being Jewish Today by Elliot Cosgrove — EXCELLENT exploration of being Jewish in America after October 7. Listened to Rabbi Cosgrove read it on audio.

The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands by Amir Tibon — Israeli journalist whose family lives in Kibbutz Natal Oz on the Gaza border. Very details account of October 7. Wow. This is my favorite so far of all the October 7 accounts. Many of the details from this book are included in other people’s stories. 

10/7: 100 Human Stories by Lee Yaron — A combination of journalism and humanism looking at the people on the margins of society, beyond political agendas, and how their lives and histories of their neighborhoods connect. Some of these stories have so many names involved that it’s hard to keep up with. Still, it’s a way of bearing witness. Excellent. 

The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik — This is historical fiction about the portrait/documentary photographer Dorothea Lang, who lived in a small area in San Francisco filled with writers, performers, and artists. I didn’t know some of the history about Chinatown, the Barbary Coast, etc. Great story with two excellent main characters.

Khirbet Khizeh by S. Yizhar — An account of one young soldier of the day that Israeli soldiers expelled Palestinian villagers. Hard to read, knowing what happened.

The Fifth Avenue Story Society by Rachel Hauck — Surprisingly good for a random group of characters brought together. There was a little emphasis on Jesus in there at the end that was odd.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney — First I just want to say that I’m so disappointed that Rooney refuses to have her novel translated into Hebrew and also signed a letter in The Times of Israel with over 1,000 other writers boycotting Israeli cultural institutions. So backwards. However, even MORE artists wrote a letter countering that letter. Her novel is a slow-moving but compelling story of two brothers following their father’s death. 

There Is No Messiah — And You’re It: The Stunning Transformation of Judaism’s Most Provocative Idea by Rabbi Robert N. Levine — Very compelling and easy read about taking personal responsibility for doing good in the world.

Elevator Pitches for God: 70 One-Page Essays by Thought Leaders on Why They Believe by Ron Kardos and Bruce Licht — I heard them on a podcast and was interested in hearing what people wrote about their beliefs. Pretty good!

The Marriage Box by Corie Adjmi — I think I heard of this one in the LIBBY book – it’s from the perspective of a teenager in a Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn, the pressure to marry at a young age, as well as the struggle to leave that stifling environment.

Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lessergrowth and healing. Lesser describes her first marriage and founding of the Omega Institute, then the dissolution of that marriage, and her second marriage… as well as her kids. I liked hearing stories of some of her retreat participants, and I also love the idea of working on our rough edges with a compassionate and forgiving heart. A little bit strange. 

Peggy by Rebecca Godfrey — The life of Peggy Guggenheim, from child to strong woman, through her relationships with family and men and art. She encountered sexism and antisemitism throughout her life. Peggy by Rebecca Godfrey — I did’t know ANY of this about Peggy Guggenheim! Her Jewish idenitty was esp int

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes — OMG this book had me sobbing. I don’t know how Jojo Moyes does it. I loved the characters – all 4 of them – and am still thinking about them.

The Seamstress of Sardinia by Bianca Pitzorno — Nothing special, but a good audiobook about a young seamstress trying to make a living in Sardinia.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty — A woman on a plane makes predictions of when and how other passengers will die… and the stories of those passengers. Kind of a different type of book but still good. 

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu — I don’t watch Marvel movies, so I had no clue who Simu is. Still, his telling of the struggles his parents endured to bring him to live in America are poignant. His upbringing was typically harsh, but he found his path and it was delightful to listen to him tell the reader what he loves.

Women Are The Fiercest Creatures by Andrea Dunlop — This novel tells of three different women’s romantic involvement with a manipulative man. The characters and their struggles are remarkably real, and how they eventually intermingle is compelling.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller — Only so so… it’s a cute and entertaining way to address common issues of racism, book banning, antisemitism, and misogyny. 

The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz — A sweet story about three generations of women who wear the same wedding dress. A little too predictable but still enjoyable.

The Cast by Amy Blumenfeld — I learned of this novel from Blumenfeld’s short essay in On Being Jewish Now. Her characters are real in that they are human and flawed, but trying their best to be true to themselves and those they care about. The story touches on mortality, friendships, marriage, and parenthood. I thought it apt that it doesn’t wrap everything up neatly at the end.

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt — A tour of human nature and history from the perspective of moral psychology (intuition v reason; morality v harm)

What This Comedian Said Will Shock You by Bill Maher — I realize this was recently published, but it was surprisingly the same as if I’d read it 5 years ago. 

Jumping in Puddles: A transformational memoir by Chana Margulies — This was another I discovered in Libby’s compilation. A young girl journals as she goes through cancer and becomes more religious. 

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September reading report

Posted on October 1, 2024 by Naomi

Hi friends! Life has smoothly rolled along for us and I can hardly believe it’s already October. I am patiently waiting for Houston to realize it does not need three-digit temps anymore. I’ve had four weeks of new classes that are going very well. And I have a break until the end of October due to the Jewish holidays.

There’s a heaviness in the air as we get ready for Rosh Hashanah, which begins on Wednesday evening, and Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah after that. (Simchat Torah, the 1-year anniversary of the October 7 massacre on the Jewish calendar, is October 24. I can hardly believe we still do not have the hostages home.) Besides unfounded hatred toward Jews in almost every nation, there has been a great deal of escalation in the way Jews have been thinking about one another, particularly because the stakes are so high. This is not a border skirmish — we are fighting for our existential future — we are fighting for the very existence of the state of Israel. And if Israel were to collapse, there is serious doubt that diaspora Jewry could continue. Because the stakes are so high, we need to we learn to build the resilience to connect to others who do not share our views, regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum. Maybe we can’t agree on anything, but we can agree to at least be in the conversation about Israel.

Last month, I wrote that my 2024 reading goal seemed unattainable. Well, I guess my subconscious got busy because now I am on track to meet this goal. 94 books completed, a few in progress, and soon I’ll be at 110 and beyond. (If you can’t see the photos in this post, click on the title above.)

Again, I’ve decided to list these in the order of outstanding to bleh, so if you only have a couple minutes, you can just glance at the first few.

I’d love to hear about what YOU are reading and finding favor with.

Israel Alone by Bernard-Henri Lévy — Wow. Levy puts the facts together so succinctly and starkly that I read this in a couple hours but was amazed. It’s about the tragedy of October 7 and the loneliness of Israel. “For Israel, it was a dizzying moment. But for Jews in the rest of the world, it was a hellish plunge into an unknown abyss….. It is a breach, a tear—a severing of the very flow of days and things. And, for this reason, it breaks history in two.”

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb — This fantasy book came out a couple years ago and I can’t believe I’d not heard of it because it is fantastic! It’s the classic “good angel” and “bad angel” and they have been best friends for hundreds of years, but they head into the world to help find a missing immigrant. I laughed out loud at many of the clever references to Jewish texts.

James by Percival Everett — This is Huckelberry Finn told from Jim’s perspective. It is rich and humorous and very smart. I think Twain would approve.

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig — I’d been waiting for this for quite awhile and read it as soon as it was published. It’s a little bit fantasy, a lot of self-discovery. “The one good thing about having regrets is that I no longer judge others too harshly. Every single person on this planet is a context and the circumstances of that context can never be seen fully. We are all mysteries, even to ourselves.”

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore — It sounded sort of predictable, but the heart of the book is it’s deep characters and how they relate to one another. It’s incredibly inspiring. I like that it was told from each point of view.

Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words by Anne Curzan — LOVE!! I heard her read this on audio, which I recommend. I definitely have an inner grammarian, and this tempered it a little bit. It was funny as well as smart and taught me some history to current language rules.

The Mistress of Pennington’s by Rachel Brimble — This was surprisingly delightful! In a male-led society in 1910, one woman fights for the inheritance of her family’s department store. The world is moving forward quickly, times are changing, and the main character stands up for herself admirably, while showing all her vulnerability in private. The plot is fast-moving and all the characters are interesting.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary — Another surprise! Through little notes around the apartment, two roommates get to know one anther and create a deep bond. The other relationships in the novel are compelling and give depth to the story.

All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley — What starts as a short stint as a security guard to help him heal from his brother’s death turns into a ten-year learning experience. I enjoyed hearing about the art, the museum visitors, and Bringley’s own development.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey — I listened to him read this on audiobook and loved it. He tells stories of his life: upbringing, education, career, marriage, kids. It’s great!

How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Suprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book by Leil Leibovitz — I enjoyed how Leibovitz connected stories from the Talmud to modern day phenomena like Weight Watchers, the Dewey Decimal System, and C.S. Lewis. The Talmud is a 2000-year-old Jewish text about absolutely everything in life: communicating with your partner, dealing with grief, being a friend, what constitutes a boundary between properties, etc. This was just plain funny.

Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb — I guess I’m a sucker for romance and this was well-done and interesting. I truly cared for the two main characters.

One Good Thing by Alexandra Potter — I love a rags to riches story, though this one is about loneliness becoming an abundance of family/friends. This woman reinvented her life and filled herself up from the inside. Very inspiring.

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa — I just wanted to complete the loop here… but I think I liked this one more than the first!

The Wedding People by Alison Espach — Not sure what to say… just ok, though it gets rave reviews.

Tablets Shattered: The End of an American Jewish Century and the Future of Jewish Life by Joshua Leifer — “‘Destruction,’ the great scholar of Judaism Gershom Scholem once said, ‘is both liberation and risk.’ There may be opportunity in the collapse of an ossified and fatally obsolete consensus. Traditional Jewish sources teach us about the necessity of destruction for the sake of preserving the sacred community.” I am not quite sure what I think about this forecast. Rather depressing.

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout — I don’t know why I keep returning to these characters. I guess because they are familiar. People love them. This one was quieter than the others, though still a deep look into love and the deep connections between people.

Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman — Sort of an ordinary glance at life working at a big-box store, yet it’s real. I mean, the character’s struggles are real. I can imagine people spending 40 years in this kind of life.

At that was September! Very satisfying. Here is what I’m currently in the middle of:

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August update

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Naomi

For some reason, I finished no books in all of July. It was pretty much full of travel. I also got very behind on my emails and would read those before sleep at night. 

In August, I definitely made up for it with 20 books! I thought that instead of listing them alphabetically, I’d list them in order of my favorites, so if you have limited time, you can just glance at the top of the list. You’re welcome! According to my Goodreads tracker, I’ve read 74 of 110, my 2024 reading challenge goal. So I’ll need 9 or 10/month going forward, which I don’t think I’ll be able to do. We’ll see.

In August, we got a long list of small house repairs done. I sealed, trimmed, and mounted (almost) all my diamond painting projects. I have over 50 of them! I plan to offer them to a retirement home to brighten up people’s rooms. I put a bunch of things away and my art room is organized again into a bright, airy space to enjoy. I also cleared out and organized a bunch of closets.

I wrote my Symposium speech for October. I wrote an essay for The Mussar Institute’s Elul program about this time of year (approaching the High Holidays) as a prompt for growth and change. I’m also finishing a scrapbook of all our summer adventures.

And this week, the fall trimester begins! I’ll be taking Intro to Mishnah, Shabbat Liturgy, and Hebrew. Always more Hebrew! This will be the 4th in a series of 6 required courses. I’m a bit nervous because I haven’t thought about Hebrew for a month, and I usually start on the first day of class sounding like I know nothing, but it quickly comes back.  The Mishnah class is the first in a 4-part series of Talmud courses.

I had a prayer published in a school publication, which I’ll share here soon. Happy reading to you!

On to the books…

How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth by Meg Bowles – 5 stars. This is full of practical advice and anecdotes about crafting and delivering a compelling story. 

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama – 5 stars. Very different kind of book. Stories of a few people who change and grow as a result of a random encounter with a librarian.

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster – 5 stars. Tara shares her personal experience of a less-than-ideal childhood and how she took charge of things at age 25 to create a life of purpose and satisfaction. Her advice includes doing one nice thing a day for yourself , learning how to be comfortable in your body, taking yourself seriously (I’m working on this one!), and moving toward creating the life you want to live.

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain – 4 stars. I had no memory of reading this in 2015 and writing a review here about how charming I found it. I enjoyed it just as much this time.

The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe – 4 stars. I love historical fiction. This was a well-crafted story that I didn’t want to end.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods – 4 stars. Quick, fun read and extra interesting because it’s semi-literary.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa – 4 stars. I bought this in Amsterdam at a lovely English-language bookshop and read it on the plane home. Very sweet coming-of-age story. I want to read the sequel.

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult – 4 stars. Besides knowing a lot about the supposed authorship of Shakespeare works already, I thought this was a compelling story. I appreciated the double plot lines. I would give it 5 stars if it had a quicker tempo and smarter, subtler references to plays.

Did I Ever Tell You? By Genevieve Kingston – 4 stars. The author lost her mother to cancer at age 12, but she had put together gifts and letters for each birthday and milestone of her life, up to age 30 and her first child. Very poignant.

Enough by Cassidy Huchinson – 4 stars. Cassidy was Mark Meadows’ chief of staff, and I enjoyed learning all about the workings of the Trump White House. He may actually be more knowledgeable than I gave him credit for. I love behind-the-scenes peeks into the workings of politics. Cassidy was incredibly naive, but still a good storyteller.

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl – 4 stars. Reading this slowed my heart rate way down. It’s as much about nature’s stages as it is about changes in life.

The Journey Home: Discovering the Deep Spiritual Wisdom of the Jewish Tradition by Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman – 4 stars. This was a suggestion to prepare for a webinar I’m speaking at about “connecting the dots” to find meaning in life. I loved this book! I have so many astericks and underlined parts!

It Ends with Us and It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover – 3 stars. Great stories. Book is better than the movie, of course.

Inciting Joy: Essays by Ross Gay – 3 stars. I do like Ross Gay’s point of view, but this one got annoying for me and I didn’t read the last few essays.

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah – 3 stars. My daughter had to read this for school, so we read it together. It’s not particularly compelling, though I’m glad we read it, if only to know a little background about growing up in South Africa when he did.

Death Valley by Melissa Broder – 3 stars. Odd. Woman seems to be hallucinating with visions of people in her life from other time periods. Alternating between present tense and this, she heals her relationships.

You Are Here by David Nicholls – 3 stars. Actually similar to The Burnout for some reason, but with a theme of walking. Two people, similar stories, LACK of communication, resolution.

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew by Emmanuel Acho, Noa Tishby – 3 stars. I think I am not the target audience of this book, obviously, but I was curious. I listened to the audiobook and was quite disappointed to hear Noa Tishby not be able to pronounce any common Hebrew words. I know she has a lot of interviews coming up and that worries me too. She clearly worked hard to learn from someone in order to present correct information.

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella – 2 stars. I got this free from the library, started listening to the audiobook, and thought it was annoying, but then I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I did listen to all of it. It was a cute story, but nothing great. Two people, similar stories, attraction, MIScommunication, resolution.

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July update

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Naomi

In July, I…

  • Wrote a prayer for AJR’s High Holiday supplement
  • Went to Paris and Amsterdam with my family (Sweet Girl’s first overseas trip!)
  • Returned home to a hurricane that left us without power for 6 days, so spent those in Austin
  • Then went directly to Washington DC to visit a dear friend and took the train to New York
  • Saw Noah Kahan (twice!) at Madison Square Garden, plus some other NYC fun
  • Was given the honor of speaking to my temple at our Yom Kippur Symposium this October
  • Finished Summer Trimester courses and final papers and exams

August will be my catchup time. After my Hebrew exam tomorrow morning, I plan to enjoy a long exhale, clear off my office desk, take a nap, and then assess my projects. I’ve got some spiritual introspection to do for the Symposium talk, and I’ll also be writing an essay for The Mussar Institute’s Elul program. This year’s high holidays will be very different, given the situation in Israel. I am tapping into my feelings of hope and strength.

I’m in the middle of a bunch of books, which I will report on next month, but I don’t think I finished one complete book this month. I hope to finish reading How to Tell a Story by the storytellers at The Moth, which will help with the Symposium speech. I’m going to get back to diamond painting too while I listen to the many recordings of webinars and Mussar classes that I’ve had to miss while being away from home for 20 days. We have some doctor appointments before SG begins tenth grade on August 12. We are also doing some driving instruction. And today, we are getting our air conditioner fixed so we can sleep in our bedrooms again. It’s always something.

Maybe there will be time remaining to clean some closets…

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June reading and update

Posted on July 15, 2024 by Naomi

Huge apologies for the short book reviews here! I am looking forward to telling you about my current read soon, How to Tell a Story from The Moth.

In June, I …

  • Gave two successful Mussar webinars to a Twin Cities group
  • Won a volunteer spirit award at our temple annual meeting – a total surprise
  • Took my grandparents out to dinner
  • Completed one of six classes for a palliative care certification
  • Completed a successful Omer program and set of webinars with The Mussar Institute
  • Enjoyed family time in Grand Cayman, even though rained the entire time!
  • Had the honor or witnessing a friend’s conversion to Judaism
  • SG completed freshman year of high school
  • Started teaching SG how to drive – eek!
  • Registered for fall trimester at AJR
  • Had a blast with the fam in Paris and Amsterdam

Sipsworth by Simon Ban Booy – HIGHLY recommend this a a sweet and quick read. It truly is a feel-good little novel.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley – I’m probably selling this one short, but I thought it was choppy and unrelatable, even though I know it’s SciFi. You can read the plot summary at the link.

All Fours by Miranda July – very odd; terrible really.

Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood – sort of strange; mom totally losing it but rediscovering her priorities.

Little Earthquakes: A Memoir by Sarah Mandel – HIGHLY recommend this one. I read it because she just passed away, losing her battle with cancer that she wrote about. Such beautiful words.

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading by James Patterson – Kudos to Patterson for collecting these snippets in people’s own voices. Must listen on audio, of course.

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