Dear Reader,

Not only a celebration of spring and of liberation, Passover is also the Jewish holiday of storytelling.  The centerpiece of the ritual meal, the Seder, is the Magid (or “telling”).   Throughout the Seder evenings we tell all sorts of stories in many genres: history, biography, poetry, spirituality, and even imaginative parables whose characters (the one little goat, the four sons) have over the years taken on all the vividness of the best fictional heroes.  What more could an inveterate book lover ask for but a holiday during which you are not only encouraged, but in fact required to bring books to the dinner table?  And what better model could there be for a Jewish book community than a Seder table, around which a group of diverse readers recline, gorge themselves on terrific food, and share their thoughts on a classic text?  You could go so far as to say that Passover Seders, reputed to be the oldest continually practiced ritual in the world, were the very first book group meetings. 

To celebrate this most literary of holidays, we have features on the year’s best Passover releases.  In Non-Fiction, Francine Klagsbrun reviews two exciting new books that explore and encourage the growing phenomenon of women’s Seders.  Ron Wolfson, author of Passover: The Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration, has contributed an audio reading in which he describes his childhood Seders in the Midwest and offers creative suggestions for spicing up your own holiday gathering.  Even more Seder suggestions can be found in an excerpt from Tastes of Jewish Tradition. And if you’re looking to do some last-minute Haggadah shopping, don’t forget our roundups of Haggadot for adults and children. 

We’re also featuring two new works of fiction.  If you like action, Daniel Silva’s The Confessor is a bestselling spy thriller that pits a Mossad agent against a religious conspiracy bent on world domination.  And if you’re more the literary type, you may enjoy a collection of short fiction from one of my favorite young Jewish writers, Aryeh Lev Stollman.  These beautiful and haunting stories explore the interplay between art, science, faith, and genius. 

In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day (April 29^th) we’re featuring an interview with Stuart E. Eizenstat, author of Imperfect Justice: Looted Assets, Slave Labor, and the Unfinished Business of World War II.  For children, we’re offering a review of a touching new book that shows how a Japanese museum curator tracked down the story of one young Holocaust victim.  

Our spring holidays challenge us to contemplate slavery, liberation, jubilation, exile, and destruction—themes that continually crop up in the best Jewish literature.  I hope that between cleaning out the kitchen and cooking for the Seders, you’ll have a chance to do some reading and discover a new story to bring to your Seder table this year. 

Don’t forget to sign up for our free e-letter. Chag kasher v’sameach—a joyous and kosher holiday to you,

Josh Lambert

Editor, JBooks.com