Dear Reader,

Did anyone actually believe Seinfeld's sidekick, George Constanza, was Italian rather than Jewish? Of course not.

These days, there are plenty of Jews on TV, from Ross and Monica on Friends to Krusty the Clown (real name: Herschel Krustofsky) of The Simpsons. But, as TV critic David Zurawick explains in The Jews of Prime Time, we began to see these characters only after Jewish TV moguls stopped running the big Hollywood studios. Why were the Jews in control so terrified of depicting themselves onscreen? And how has the way Jews have appeared changed over the years? Ed Crasnik, an Emmy-award-winning writer and performer, explores the tangled history of Jews in TV. 

Meanwhile, in Israel, publishers and book industry professionals recently got together for the Jerusalem International Book Fair, where Jewish-American playwright, Arthur Miller was honored with the Jerusalem Prize. Check out Judy Lash Balint's report on this event.

Other new reviews posted on JBooks.com include a look at Or Hadash, a new commentary on the Siddur Sim Shalom; my review of Daniel Stolar's excellent first collection of short stories; a review of two marvelous, award-winning children's books recently reissued; and an essay by young author Rachel Kadish on one of the true classic works of American-Jewish literature, Bernard Malamud's The Assistant.

Don't miss Steve Fried, author of The New Rabbi, reading from this important book. An in-depth study of how one synagogue searched for a new leader, Fried's book is a penetrating look into the way Jewish communities run.

At the same time, we've been busy at JBooks.com refining the look and functionality of our site. You might notice small changes in the way our pages look. Let us know if you like these changes or if you have any further suggestions for us.  Take a look at our discussion boards, as well, to share your views on topics ranging from Madonna's interest in the Kabbalah to book club suggestions. 

Enjoy your reading!

Josh Lambert

Editor, JBooks.com