1 Nov 2026 04:00
Jewish Civilization (Information & Inspiration, Part 1)
Today you'll meet Dara Horn (The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living) and Sarah Hurwitz (As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us), authors and friends who have a LOT to say about the nature of Jewish civilization.
This is Part 1 of "Information & Inspiration" — a podcast mini-arc that will light your brain on fire with fascinating information, and will hopefully inspire new Jewish kidlit to share our rich, complex, incredible history. Authors and publishers, please take this info and use it! Readers, please demand these topics from publishers and libraries, and help build a market for it!
Inspired by this conversation, I'm posting my Jewish Kidlit Wishlist, one idea per day on Instagram and Facebook during Jewish Book Month (Nov 3-Dec 3, 2026). This year's theme is: Our Story Continues. Read It. Share It. Keep It Alive. Absorbing and then sharing Dara's and Sarah's inspiring information is exactly how we do that.
FYI, I'll be posting Information & Inspiration Part 2 with Adam Louis-Klein, founder of The Movement Against Antizionism, on November 15, 2026.
NEWSMy "Jewish Joy" series continues on Multicultural Kid Blogs. Here's my interview with past Book of Life guest Richard Michelson. READ HERE
CALLS TO ACTIONWe've created a Jewish Book Month Gift Guide for you on The Jewish Book Garden, listing giftable new books for kids of all ages. READ HERE
Children's Book Writing for Poets: 3 workshops by acclaimed poet authors/past Book of Life guests Lesléa Newman, Sarah Sassoon, and Rich Michelson: November 8, 15, and 22, 12:30-1:30PM ET. REGISTER HERE
SHOW NOTESLibrarians — are you worried about censorship? Try this virtual choose-your-own-adventure that supports librarians facing intellectual freedom challenges through scenario-based gameplay. Play Imagine IF: The Game.
