Beth Tikvah Book Club – Food for Thought
While the monthly meetings of the Beth Tikvah Book Club have occasional included snacks, our August gathering was the first one to feature an entire meal, expertly prepared by Steve Lesht. All the participants declared it “The Best Meeting Yet”, which is more that the group consensus was for the month’s book, Sacred Trash - The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza. Some members reported learning quite a lot about Cairo and recent Jewish history, but most found it a tough read.
Next up on September 12th is a discussion of Wherever You Go. In a sweeping, beautifully written story, Joan Leegant, winner of the PEN New England Book Award and a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, weaves together three lives caught in the grip of a volatile and demanding faith. Emotionally wrenching and unmistakably timely, Wherever You Go shines a light on one of the most disturbing elements in Israeli society: Jewish extremist groups and their threat to the modern, democratic state. This is a stunningly prescient novel. Get a copy, read it, and then just join us at the Temple at 7:00 PM to discuss.
Then on October 10th at 7:00 PM, we once again combine books and food with Kosher Chinese. That is both the book will we be reading and the theme of the meal. In September of 2005, the Peace Corps sent Michael Levy to teach English in the heart of China's heartland. His hosts in the city of Guiyang found additional uses for him: resident expert on Judaism, romantic adviser, and provincial basketball star, to name a few. His account of overcoming vast cultural differences to befriend his students and fellow teachers is by turns poignant and laugh-out-loud funny.
Contact Steven Kleinman (SKleinman@beth-tikvah.org) if you want to place an order for the October book ($10.00) or to RSVP for the dinner.