Jewish Emotional Support Books: a conversation with Heidi Rabinowitz and AJL conference attendees
Release Date: 08/31/2024
Blood of Birds by Jay Bailey
Nice Jewish Books podcast
The newly crowned King David was making all kinds of radical reform in his kingdom. High on the list was establishing six cities of refuge where men accused on manslaughter would be safe from people seeking blood vengence. But with a new system in play; how long will it take for someone to figure out a way to pervert it? Join me for a conversation with author Jay Bailey about his book, Blood of Birds. Follow along with the and check out the author's Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi...
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Accidental friends with Susan Josephs
Nice Jewish Books podcast
What happens when two strangers are brought together by the same heartbreaking loss? Can friendship help heal the soul? After Rose’s husband, Maury, and Nina’s fiancé, Jeff, are killed in a tragic car accident, the two women form an unexpected bond. What begins in shared grief grows into something deeper—through memories, regrets, and the search for a way forward. Despite their decades of age difference—Rose at 93 and Nina in her thirties—they connect through their shared love of dance, Nina’s passion for yoga, and the complicated emotions that follow loss. Author Susan Josephs...
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AJL Fiction Award Winners 2026
Nice Jewish Books podcast
Every year, the Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award committee scours the literary world for books with significant Jewish content. They look for extra-ordinary writing, accurate depictions of Jewish life in all its diversity, and contributions to the field of Jewish literature. This month I am excited to speak with Rena Citrin about the 2026 award winners for the best Jewish fiction published in 2025. Follow along with the Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their books Thanks to: The Association of Jewish Libraries Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor Dee...
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Alive and Beating / a conversation with Rebecca Wolf
Nice Jewish Books podcast
Six lives. One city. A phone call that will change everything. In Alive and Beating, Rebecca Wolf brings us to Jerusalem just days before Passover, where six diverse characters balance family, work, and life-threatening illnesses. After a devastating bus bombing, an organ donation sets off a question that drives the novel: who will get the call that saves their life? Join me on Nice Jewish Books for a conversation with Rebecca Wolf about grief, grit, and the fragility of hope. Follow along with the Rebecca can be reached through email at her website: and on...
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Immortal Gifts : tales of a Jewish vampire with Katherine Villyard
Nice Jewish Books podcast
In this episode of Nice Jewish Books… Sheryl Stahl sits down with author Katherine Villyard to discuss Immortal Gifts, a historical fantasy starring Abraham, a Jewish vampire trying to balance immortal life, Jewish identity, and his love for his mortal wife, Destiny. But peace is hard to come by—Abraham is relentlessly hunted by Thomas, a radical Christian vampire, and must rely on his loyal friend and patron Ludwig to help him stay one step ahead with new identities and safe passage. Abraham and Destiny also have to deal with the humorous—and not-so-humorous—complications that arise...
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Will Hope Arrive in the Shape of Dog? a conversation with Yishay Ishi Ron
Nice Jewish Books podcast
Geller has hit rock bottom — homeless, addicted, and haunted by the horrors of war. His only goal is to forget. But when he rescues a dog from another addict, something shifts. After a brutal accident, a stranger named Doris steps in — and suddenly, there’s a spark of hope. Can a dog... and a kind stranger... help Geller find a life worth living? Join me for a powerful conversation with author Yishay "Ishy" Ron about his gripping novel Dog. We dive into the realities of PTSD, the struggle to seek help, and the unexpected paths to healing. Follow along with the ...
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Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation: a conversation with Sarah Yahm
Nice Jewish Books podcast
Louise isn’t juggling balls or flames — she’s juggling life: the emotional weight of being a daughter, a mother, a wife… and someone facing a terminal diagnosis. In her latest novel, Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation, author Sarah Yahm introduces us to a woman navigating the tangled mess of grief, love, honesty and humor. Join us for a deeply moving (and surprisingly funny) conversation about Louise, her snarky daughter, her desperate-to-hold-it-all-together husband Leon, and the beauty found in unfinished things. We also share some personal stories along the way. 🎧 Listen now at...
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Fagin, the Jew; Fagin the Thief; Fagin the Man: a conversation with Allison Epstein
Nice Jewish Books podcast
When Allison Epstein first saw the musical Oliver!, one character stood out—Fagin. He was the only Jewish character she’d ever seen on stage. But when she later read Dickens' Oliver Twist, her excitement turned to dismay. The Fagin in the novel was a far cry from what she’d hoped: he was a cruel caricature with no backstory, no first name, and no humanity. So, Allison did what writers do best—she rewrote the story. In her novel Fagin the Thief, Allison breathes life into the man Dickens left in the shadows, giving him depth, history, and a voice of his own. Join me on Nice Jewish Books...
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Who Killed the Rabbi's Wife: a conversation with Saul Golubcow
Nice Jewish Books podcast
Step into the world of mystery, memory, and meaning with author Saul Golubcow. In this compelling interview, Golubcow discusses his gripping works, The Cost of Living and Who Killed the Rabbi’s Wife?—this collection of three novellas and a novel feature Frank Wolf, a Holocaust survivor turned private investigator. Once a philosophy professor, Frank now solves crimes within the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods of 1970s New York City. Joined by his inquisitive grandson Joel and later his sharp daughter-in-law Aliya, Frank navigates a complex world where Jewish tradition, trauma, and truth...
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2nd grader Mike learns his way around the American Playground: a conversation with Mike Shokrian
Nice Jewish Books podcast
Michel may not be the big man on campus, but he definitely rules his 2nd grade classroom in Tehran and all is well in his world. That is, until his family decides to uproot him and brother Saeed and move the family to Los Angeles. Newly minted as "Mike" he struggles to navigate a new language, new customs, new foods, and most importantly new heirarchies on the playground. Join me for a conversation with Michael Shokrian about his new book American Playground. Follow along with the . Check out his Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book Thanks to: The...
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Heidi Rabinowitz and I both saw a cartoon from the New Yorker in which one spouse was trying to move a pile of tottering books off the other spouses night-stand. The other spouse yelled in alarm (something like) "don't move those - they are my emotional support books!" We were inspired to ask our fellow attendees at the 2024 Association of Jewish Libraries conference to speak about their emotional support books!
Follow along with the transcript.
Enter the drawing for your own personal emotional support book bag! Share a review on social media (such as Facebook or Instagram) or post a review on your podcast platform (such as Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, etc.) Take a screen shot of the review and email it to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com by Oct. 24 2024 (the ultimate Jewish reading holiday, Simchat Torah)
If you can't wait for the drawing or you want to buy one for your friends and family you can get one (or many) at our Zazzle shop.
OUR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BOOKS
Sheryl Stahl: He, She, and It by Marge Piercy
Heidi Rabinowitz: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
Heidi Rabinowitz: Joyful Song: A Naming Story by Lesléa Newman
Dara Henry: On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration in 14 Stories ed. by Chris Baron, Joshua Levy, and Naomi Milliner
A.R. Vishny: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
David Schlitt: Teitelbaum's Window by Wallace Markfield
Sally Weiner Grotta: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Sally Weiner Grotta: The Golden Dreidel by Ellen Kushner
Lies Meerboom: The Promise by Chaim Potok
Aden Polydoros: A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
Rifka Yerushalmi: What a Beautiful Morning by Arthur A. Levine
Sidura Ludwig: Starry Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume
Elysa Keshen: All Rivers Run to the Sea by Elie Wiesel
Susan Dubin: Sisters at Sinai by Jill Hammer and other books about women in the Bible
Richard Ho: Happy Hanukkah, Curious George by H.A. Rey
Shoshana Traum: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Shoshana Traum: Jewish Futures: Stories from the World's Oldest Diaspora by Michael A. Burstein
Henry Woodall: Maimonides' Commentary on the Mishnah
Dina Herbert: The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann. M. Martin
Olga Potap: the works of Sholem Aleichem
Daniel Scheide: the works of William Morris
Jane Rothstein: All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
Sally Stieglitz: Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Michal Babay: the works of Harlan Coban
Xandra O'Neill: Golemcrafters by Emi Watanabe Cohen
Bette Stahl: Jewish Cookbooks
David Stahl: A Torah Commentary for Our Times by Harvey J. Fields
Thanks to:
- The Association of Jewish Libraries
- Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
- Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
- Donate to support the podcast
If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.