by Jenn Ross
Reading is one of the ways I develop myself personally and professionally. The right selections also help uplift me and refocus. I can recommend some which have accomplished this.
Ryan Holiday’s Stillness is the Key was a great follow up to last summer’s read, An Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life by Marilyn Paul, particularly in the midst of this pandemic. Both authors highlight the importance of quiet, restful time as a tool for productivity and better health. Holiday’s website shares useful takeaways and quotes and provides insights into what you will learn if you read Stillness: https://dailystoic.com/stillness-is-the-key/.
My current meaningful read is Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times. Rabbi Sacks shared that he wrote this book because we focus too much on the market (all aspects of Capitalism) and the State but have forgotten about the shared sense of moral commitment to one another. It was tragic to learn about Hon. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing while I was reading this. She exemplified the positive qualities Sacks wrote about which help repair and restore our world. May her memory always be for a blessing.
If you are a reader, there are numerous opportunities to learn about great novels and works of nonfiction. We have begun promoting our partnership with the Book Festival of the MJCCA along with numerous colleague JCCs across the country. For a nominal fee, you can hear from talented authors in your home such as Harlen Coben, Gil Troy, Natan Sharansky, and more with events running through the Fall. Visit www.jewishharrisburg.org/bookfest2020 for more info.
Female donors (individually or as part of their household) to our Annual Campaign have received email invitations to participate in an exciting Women’s Philanthropy Book Review offered by JFNA at no charge which is running monthly starting October 21 with Hallie Ephron’s Careful What You Wish For and concluding with Elayne Klasson’s Love is a Rebellious Bird on June 16. If you haven’t received information, let me know and I’ll resend it to you.
Locally, our synagogues continue to offer book club discussions, many with the authors themselves. Two public ones which have been shared through our Tuesday emails are Beth El Temple’s monthly zoom with authors (October 6-July 6) and TOSS Rose Symons Book Review on November 5 featuring author Talia Carner’s The Third Daughter. Carner’s historical fiction exposes a troubling piece of Jewish history: human trafficking of young Jewish women into the brothels of Argentina in the late 1800s.
If you have any good book recommendations, feedback on any of the books offered through these programs, or just have any general questions or feedback, I can be reached at 717-236-9555 x3104 or j.ross@jewishfedhbg.org. According to my Goodreads list, Morality will be my 24th read for the year so I’m always seeking the next good book.
I hope you are enjoying the festival of Sukkot and the concluding High Holidays! Best wishes!