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Things to do

07/23/2020 10:43:33 AM

Jul23

Aileen Grossberg, Librarian

The library can be a treasure trove of information and entertainment, whimsical and useful, frivolous and serious.

I’d like to share with you a variety of items to help you fill any extra time you or your family might have.

Looking for things to do with kids?  NJkidsonline.com will help you out.

Watch Stateless.  Based on a true story, this six-part series on Netflix is set largely in an Australian refugee camp. The story focuses on three characters, 2 detainees and one guard, with strong supporting characters. The series has short bursts of humanity but the dehumanization of both refugees and staff almost obliterates any moments of empathy. It yearns for a sequel.

Then on Thursday evening, July 24 at 5:30 pm, watch Losing Our Humanity: an evening with Cate Blanchett and the Stateless team presented by the Streicker Center at Temple Emanuel. The Streicker Center presents many quality lectures and discussions, many at no cost

Love jazz? Listen to a concert by Guy Mintus, Israeli jazz pianist and his trio. Recorded on Sunday, July 20, this two-hour concert is almost all Gershwin and features some stellar Israeli musicians and vocalists. (Scroll down to the Gershwin Global Concert.)

Amit Peled is a renowned Israeli cellist now living and teaching in the US. The Journey of My Jewishness, his concert presented by B’Yachad from American Jewish University, is available here.

Interested in books?  Join the Jewish Women’s Archive (JWA) for Thursday evening weekly Quarantine(ish) Book Club discussions led by Judith Rosenbaum, the organization CEO. Rosenbaum is articulate, smart and a delightful book club shepherd.

Hungering for some food ideas? Adeena  Sussman , author of the gorgeous Israeli cookbook Sababa, offers up some versatile, fairly simple recipes perfect for summer. Watch her here.

If you want to stretch your mind, on Wednesday, July 29, join Thomas Friedman as he interviews French public intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy, author of The Virus in the Age of Madness.

Or do you simply want some good books?

Daniel Silva’s latest The Order just came out. It’s chock full of intrigue, adventure, art, tender family scenes, current events, and a bit of information, too. Somehow, Silva always manages to tie his latest to what’s happening in the world around us.

Geraldine Brooks, whose The People of the Book made a big splash, has an earlier historical novel, Year of Wonders, set during the 17th central plague in England. While not a “Jewish” book, Jews are mentioned.

Kate Quinn takes us back to both World Wars in The Alice Network, based on a real-life spy network that sent young women into France. History, romance, chills, and thrills make this an exciting read.

Elyssa Friedland in The Floating Feldman shows the reader what a dream vacation shouldn’t be like. Grandma Annette celebrates her birthday with a multigenerational cruise. Family secrets, sibling rivalry, and teenage grandchildren change this dream of togetherness to something else.

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784