On Being Jewish...in November

Important events. Updates. Joy. Sorrow. Humor. All of it. Let's connect.

and

Nov 26, 2024

Hi everyone!

Happy early Thanksgiving! We are so thankful to all of you for helping make our anthology On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates a USA Today Bestseller three weeks in a row, plus #7 on the IndieReader Bestseller list and a Heather’s Pick at Indigo in Canada — and for making our community right here so vibrant.

Let’s keep this going! Start ordering Hannukah gifts! Buy from your local indie if possible. (For example, Shakespeare & Co on 69th and Lex in NYC has a stack of signed copies on sale. Go snatch them up!)

By the way, did you see Zibby’s new gift guide with many Jewish-themed gifts over on Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Substack?!?!

We are trying to bring joy to an otherwise terrifying time. If you haven’t read or watched Bari Weiss’s speech, you must. (Well, after you finish reading this important newsletter.) Click here. Despite all of it, we are speaking out, creating connections, and hopefully serving as a helpful resource to our community. None of this is okay.

Thank you for a FANTASTIC month of events

We had a jam-packed month of events for On Being Jewish Now. Zibby and the rest of our 75 contributing authors had an incredible time interacting with everyone. You all make this community so special and we’re excited to continue building it!

Here are some images from a few of our featured events. Thank you to everyone who attended! Please keep an eye on our Substack and Instagram so that you can attend one of our many December events across the country, either virtually or in-person! DETAILS BELOW!

November Highlights — not too late!

Watch the Miami Book Fair panel here with
Rochelle Weinstein
, Lisa Barr, Keren Blankfeld and
Dara Levan
. (Thanks,
Lisa Niver ✈️
, for the video!)
Watch the Hadassah Magazine panel here with Zibby, Naomi Firestone-Teeter of the Jewish Book Council, Lisa Barr, and Lisa Hostein of Hadassah.
Listen to the Streicker Center panel with Lihi Lapid, Annabelle Gurwitch, Talia Carner, Nicola Kraus and Zibby on Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books in two weeks! Stay tuned.
Watch the 92nd Street Y’s video tribute to Zibby with Anna Quindlen and others and watch the hour-long event celebrating Zibby with the Champions Award as a 2024 Extraordinary Woman of the 9nd Street. Y!
Watch the 70 Faces Media conversation with Zibby and Deborah Kolben.
Bottom row, from left: Anna Ephron Harari, Shirin Yadegar, Zibby Owens, Abby Stern, Elizabeth Silver. Top row, from left: David Israel, Amy Ephron, Dara Kurtz, Joanna Rakoff, Beth Ricanati, Rabbi Steve Leder, Rebecca Raphael, Alli Frank

Plus: The Bedford Playhouse hosted Amy Blumenfeld,

Rachel Levy Lesser

, Jane Rosen, Zibby, and

Barri Leiner Grant

; Temple Israel NYC hosted

Samantha Ettus

Rachel Levy Lesser

, Zibby, and Courtney Sheinmel; The Yale Club hosted Zibby in conversation with Lauren Willig; The Jewish Book Council Jewish Writers' Conference hosted

Aliza Licht

Samantha Ettus

, Alison Hammer, Jill Santopolo and Zibby; Zibby’s Bookshop hosted a Challah Bake Online with Beth Ricanati, Zibby,

Brenda Janowitz

and Rabbi Vanessa Harper, plus Whitney Wright from Une Femme; Sue Shapiro’s Publishing Panel featured Zibby; Caffe Aronne hosted a book signing with Zibby and Corie Adjmi; the Katz JCC Arts and Culture Festival hosted Zibby, Rochelle Weinstein and others; Zibby’s Bookshop hosted a launch party with 20+ contributors;

Joanna Rakoff

did an event with Jennifer Lang and Jodie Sadowsky in Hartford… and MORE!!!!

Bottom row, from left: Harper Kincaid, Courtney Sheinmel, Talia Carner, Zibby Owens, Ali Rosen, Rabbi Rebecca Keren Jablonski Eisenstadt, Samantha Greene Woodruff. Middle row: Alison Hammer, Aliza Licht. Top row: Lihi Lapid, David Israel, Alix Strauss, Beth Ricanati, Amy Blumenfeld, Stacy Igel, Annabelle Gurwitch, Eleanor Reissa, Nicola Kraus, Rachel Levy Lesser

DECEMBER EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS!

Wednesday, December 4th at 7 pm: Kaplan JCC Palisades will host Lisa Kogan, Jonathan Santlofer, Daphne Merkin and Zibby. Tickets here.

Thursday, December 5th at 1 pm: UJA event in NYC with Elyssa Friedland, Corie Adjmi, Jane L. Rosen and Zibby.

Sunday, December 8th at 1:15 pm: The New York Jewish Book Festival at the Museum of Jewish Heritage with Zibby,

Bradley Tusk

, Ali Rosen, and

Samantha Ettus

. Register here.

Sunday, December 8th: Private — school book fair.

Monday, December 9th at 12:30 pm: Park East Day School Book Fair with Zibby.

Monday, December 9th at 2:00 pm: AJU Open interview with Rabbi Sherre Hirsch and Zibby. Virtual. Info here.

Monday, December 9th at 7 pm: Sutton Place Synagogue with Zibby and Marjorie Shuster. Info here.

Tuesday, December 10th at 1 pm: Hillel Global Assembly with Zibby in Boston.

Wednesday, December 11th at 10:30 am: Sid Jacobson JCC Event with

Brenda Janowitz

, Amy Blumenfeld, and Jane L. Rosen. Register here.

Wednesday, December 11th at 7:00 pm: Zibby with Heather Reisman of Indigo in Toronto. Private location. On Being Jewish Now is a Heather’s Pick at Indigo! Email here for details.

Thursday, December 12th at 6:00 pm PT: Los Altos, CA - private home through JCF. Email here for details.

Friday, December 13th at 11:30 am: JCF event in Sausalito, CA with Zibby,

Tiffany Shlain

and

Julie Fingersh

. Email here for details.

Saturday, December 14th at 10 am: Happy Women’s Dinner BRUNCH organized by Jill Daniel. Contact Jill to book a spot for brunch.

Sunday, December 15th at 1 pm ET: Panelist signing at the Tablet Hannukah Bazaar, NY.

Sunday, December 15th at 5 pm: Zibby’s Bookshop with Zibby in a live podcast with Elisa Albert in Santa Monica, CA. Sign up here.

Monday, December 16th at 6 pm: Zibby’s Bookshop with Abby Stern, Beth Ricanati, and

Samantha Ettus

. Sign up here.

Thank you for 1,000 subscribers!

We are so grateful to each and every one of you. This community would not be what it is without you. This idea started as a way to build unity and find strength within each other and it continues to evolve every single day. We can’t wait to see how we grow next.

This week on our On Being Jewish Now podcast

NEW EPISODE WEEKLY: Listen to Natalie Shushan share “Reclaiming My Israeli Identity”, her beautiful essay on being Israeli in a world where that is not always the safest thing to be, inspired by On Being Jewish Now: Reflections of Authors and Advocates.

Listen

Jewish Notables Featured on Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books

This week, Zibby was joined by French writer, philosopher, filmmaker, and humanitarian activist Bernard-Heri Lévy to discuss Israel Alone, a powerful analysis of the global response to October 7, the new virulent waves of antisemitism, and why Israel is waging an existential war against barbarism alone.

Other recent Jewish-themed podcast with Jewish authors:

Make sure to subscribe to Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books for more content!

Listen