Suddenly, Love
Suddenly, Love , Israeli author Aharon Appelfeld's latest novel, feels quiet and introspective. With little action, Appelfeld quickly draws readers into the inner lives of Ernst and Irena. The former - whose wife and daughter perished in the Holocaust - is divorced from his second wife and lives a lonely
Little Failure
The Yiddish phrase lachen mit yashtsherkes literally means "laughing with lizards" but is usually meant as "laughing through the tears." It's an idea that is prevalent throughout Gary Shteyngart's latest book, Little Failure, a memoir of his childhood as a Russian immigrant in America and his journey to becoming a
A Math Formula Can "Carry a Charge of Love"
Judaism is filled with ritualized counting. From the seven ordered days of creation, to the repetition of forty throughout the Tanach (Hebrew Bible), to God's exhortation to Abraham to "count the stars, if you can count them…" Currently, we are in the midst of counting the Omer, the days from Passover to Shavuot.
A Town of Empty Rooms
In an essay for the New York Times, author Karen Bender writes about how both writing and reading helped her develop her sense of compassion: It seemed a spectacular achievement to be able to step out of yourself to listen to someone else. Why was this? How did we end
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