Dear Reader,

Contemporary Judaism is far from perfect, at least the way it is being lived by many of us. Jews of all ages are finding themselves alienated from Judaism in any number of ways, and we are already accustomed to hearing depressing demographic statistics about the future of our communities. Fortunately, there are a great number of creative leaders, educators, and thinkers working to revolutionize Judaism culturally, socially, religiously, and intellectually.

In the current issue of JBooks.com, Mark Oppenheimer, a young Yale-trained scholar of Jewish life and recent winner of the Koret Prize for a Young Writer on Jewish Themes, reviews two new books that explore the ways in which Judaism is being reinvigorated. One, Nothing Sacred, argues that we have lost sight of the important values of Judaism; the other, The Rebbe’s Army, documents the outreach work of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect of Hasidic Jews.

In a review of David Liss’s bestselling novel, The Coffee Trader, Daniel Septimus wonders whether the book is true to history, and whether that’s important. Kinky Friedman, an irreverent and outspoken Jewish Texan, country musician, and bestselling author, shares his thoughts on creativity, celebrity, and Jewish troublemakers. Mimi Schwartz reflects on growing up in Queens in the 40s and 50s in the first chapter of her memoir, Thoughts from a Queen-Sized Bed.

For children, Kathy Bloomfield has reviewed two wonderful books about Torah and the holiday of Shavuot. If you’re looking for adult reading on this topic, take a look at two of our classic reviews, of Bruce Feiler’s Walking the Bible and Simone Zelitch’s Louisa.

Subscribe to our e-letter—it’s free and a great way to find out about exciting, brand new Jewish books—and e-mail me if you have any questions, thoughts, or comments about the site. 

Enjoy your reading!

Josh Lambert

Editor, JBooks.com