Arts & Culture | Books

Can Science And Religion Just Get Along?

12/11/2012 | Steve Lipman | Staff Writer | Books

A figure of great stature, and sometimes the center of controversy in England, where he has served as chief rabbi and the public face of British Jewry for two decades, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is certain to add to both his stature and the controversy that surrounds him with the publication of his newest book.

Starting with his first words.

Am I A Jew?

11/06/2012 | Steve Lipman | Staff Writer | Books

At first glance, a children’s book about Crypto-Jews in the Southwest, which tells the story of descendants of Spanish Inquisition survivors who clandestinely pass along some Jewish traditions within the religious freedom of the United States, would seem to have little in common with the adult life of Theodore Ross, a Jewish New Yorker.

Airing A Life On The Air

10/23/2012 | Steve Lipman | Staff Writer | Books

During his five-plus decades as a radio talk-show host, Barry Farber has reigned as a leader of his profession and interviewed, by his own count, some 10,000 guests — how many questions has he asked on-air? You do the math — and met some of the best-known figures of the second half of the 20th century and served in the U.S.

Leonard Cohen’s Lyricism

09/27/2012 | David Koral | Special To The Jewish Week | Books

With the Days of Awe upon us, the sense of fear and trembling is almost palpable in the verses of the prayer U’Netana Tokef: “Who by fire, who by sword, who by beast.” Leonard Cohen’s whimsical take on these questions could come as light relief.

The Long Road To Forgiveness

09/11/2012 | Gideon Lewis-Kraus | Special To The Jewish Week | Books

For Rosh HaShanah, 5771, two years ago, I had dragged my father, a rabbi, and my younger brother to Uman, a blighted Ukrainian city halfway between Kiev and Odessa. We were ostensibly there for the purposes of a book I was working on: the book was about pilgrimage, more or less.

Chabon’s Vinyl Vision

09/04/2012 | Diane Cole | Special To The Jewish Week | Books

An achingly poignant vibe of sweet and soulful idealism makes itself heard throughout Michael Chabon’s latest novel, “Telegraph Avenue” (HarperCollins). While it’s set in Oakland, Calif., in 2004, the novel’s realistic backdrop belies the romanticized wistfulness that lies at the core of Chabon’s lively portrait of a community.