The Yellow Bird Sings: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

I seem to have become our esteemed editor’s go-to guy when he needs someone to crit books about the Holocaust. Read more

A Universe of Sufficient Size: a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

At the first Limmud-Oz I gave a presentation on Holocaust Novels: Fact from Fiction. It posed the possibility that some holocaust novels appear so real and some true stories seem to be pieces of fiction. Read more

Present Tense by Natalie Conyer: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

In Bereishit, the first reading of the Torah, Eve picks a fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, despite the Almighty’s specific prohibition. Read more

Mengele: Unmasking the Angel of Death – a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

In receiving this book, it brought back to me two issues. Read more

Kaddish.com: book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

The publisher introduces the novel by “Larry is the secular son in a family of Orthodox Brooklyn Jews. Read more

Lux: a book review by Aviva Kipen

For millennia unembroidered biblical and post-biblical stories were elaborated and embellished in the oral tradition that was finally committed to writing following the destruction of the Second Temple. Read more

“The Collaborator” by Diane Armstrong: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

In The Collaborator, her first book in almost a decade, noted Australian writer Diane Armstrong weaves together two interconnected tales. One is her interpretation of a true story, a reworking of an extremely controversial and still unresolved episode from the Holocaust. Read more

“God Versus Gods: Judaism In The Age Of Idolatry”: a book review by Rabbi Raymond Apple

The Bible is punctuated by the tussle between the Almighty and the false gods. Read more

My Sack Full of Memories: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

People are motivated to bare their lives in public for different reasons. Read more

The Relational Judaism Handbook: a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

A couple of years ago Ron Wolfson, a professor at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles published Relational Judaism (Jewish Lights, 2013). Read more

All On A Thursday Morning: a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

The subtitle for this book is appropriate being an ‘easy to use’ collection of Rabbi Gourarie’s weekly articles on personal growth. Read more

‘Invented Lives’ by Andrea Goldsmith: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

The Western world today is a place where victimhood is a badge of honour, one where people compete in public arenas to be among the elite of those who suffer. Read more

Bright Swallow by Vivian Bi: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier

Among the major threats to our planet’s wellbeing is tribalism. Read more

The New RCA Siddur [Ashkenazi tradition]: a siddur review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

Traditionally J-Wire does not review obvious religious publications such as prayer books and bibles. Read more

Einstein and the Rabbi: Searching for the Soul – a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

Having read and used Naomi Levy’s writings before I was fascinated to find out the connection between Einstein and Rabbi Levy. Read more

Monash University publishes three new books of Jewish interest

Australian universities have become prolific publishers of a wide range of academic and other works…writes Geoffrey Zygier. Read more

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

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