The Lives of Brian: a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

I must begin this review with a caveat. Over the years Brian Sherman and my own life have occasionally crossed. Sometimes it was at an opening of an exhibition at Sherman Galleries (established by his wife Gene); once it was at a screening of a movie made by his son Emil (who later won an Oscar); and often just hearing about him. Read more

The Dead Still Cry Out: The Story of a Combat Cameraman: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

As a young girl playing in her home in England one day, Helen Lewis opened an old, apparently hidden suitcase. Read more

Zbaraz: a community extinguished…a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

Once there was a land called Galicia, which straddled the modern-day border between Poland and Ukraine. Read more

People of the Boot: the triumphs and tragedies of Australian Jews in Sport…a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

‘People of the Boot’ is a neat pun as the title of a book about Australian Jews’ contribution to their country’s – and international – sporting life. Read more

Eliyahu’s Mistress: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

Melbourne lawyer Roger Mendelson has chosen a demanding subject for his debut novel ‘Eliyahu’s Mistress’. Read more

Unlocking the Past: Stories from my Mother’s Diary – book review by Jeffrey Cohen

This book, for it is a little larger than a monograph, tells the story of Shira’s mum and her journey in Jerusalem (and getting there and back) as she pursues her PhD at the Hebrew University. Read more

Symphony of Seduction: A book review by Fraser Beath McEwing

Celebrity love affairs have always attracted public interest, especially when the participants are in the creative arts. It is in this light that we look for pre and post bed (or elsewhere) techniques that might be interpreted as extensions of the artistic pursuit. Read more

Thou Shalt Innovate: a book review by Elana Bowman

It has been debated and argued that Jews are G-d’s chosen people for two reasons. One is that they honour G-d and the other is Tikkun Olam, an obligation, a duty to help heal or repair the world. Read more

On Borrowed Time: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

Morry Schwartz’s Black Inc recently published On Borrowed Time, the latest work by Robert Manne, Emeritus Professor of Politics at Melbourne’s La Trobe University. Read more

The Librarian of Auschwitz – a book review by Elena Bowman

“Dita caressed the books. They were broken and scratched, worn with reddish-brown patches of mildew; some were mutilated. But without them, the wisdom of centuries of civilisation might be lost – geography, literature, mathematics, history, language. They were precious. She would protect them with her life.” Read more

From matzo balls to footballs

Yvette Wroby has written a love story about family and footy, a story which involves both matzo balls and footballs. Read more

A history of Jews in the military

Mark Dapin’s new book Jewish Anzacs: Jews in the Australian Military will be released next month. Read more

“Smitten by Catherine”: A book review by Ron Jontof-Hutter

Henry Lew has written a colourful book about Catherine da Costa bringing to life the times in which she lived and describing her world in interesting and compelling detail. Read more

The Trombone Man: Tales of a Misogynist…a book review by Jasmin Albert

Ron J. Hutter has written a provocative, entertaining and thoughtful novel that explores the problem of antisemitism in a very original way. Read more

Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories…a book review by Alan Gold

Some books are ‘must-read’. Others are ‘should read’. And a lot are ‘toss away without reading so you don’t let the facts bother you.’ Read more

Monica Goldberg at the SWF

Work by Sydney Jewish writer Monica Goldberg will feature in the Sydney Writers’ Festival later this month. Read more

Jewels and Ashes – A 25th Anniversary Edition: a book review by Alan Gold

Virginia Woolf once said that every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works. Perhaps the finest example in Australia today of the elemental truth of Woolf’s words is in the body of work produced over the past quarter of a century by Arnold Zable. Read more

Frank Lowy, A Second Life…a book review by Alan Gold

There are two lights which shine most brilliantly out of Jill Margo’s exceptional second volume of Frank Lowy’s biography. Read more

A new look at the Australia-Israel relationship

Australia and Israel’s complex relationship has received a fresh public examination with the release of the new academic collection, Australia and Israel: A Diasporic, Political and Relationship. Read more

I Gave a Gonski…selected speeches by David Gonski. A book review by Alan Gold

In his chapter on ‘Being a Chairman’, David Gonski says it’s easier to define a non-executive chairman by what he’s not, rather than by what he or she is. Which made me think of what the American astronomer, Clifford Stoll once said the internet age, “Data is not information, information is not knowledge, knowledge is not understanding, understanding is not wisdom.”
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Adam Exx Exodus…a book review by Alan Gold

There is a class of books being published these days which are best described as ‘metabooks’. Read more

Book Review: LaKol Z’man

Katja Grynberg reviews LaKol Z’man   – A Time For Everything by Yossi Huttler. This tiny book of tiny poems takes the reader through the year, month by month, on a journey of changing emotions and spirituality. Read more

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