Rabbi Cohen presented a three-part book discussion series in 2005/06 and another one in 2007/08.

Reading Table 2005/06

As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg

This historical novel is set in Roman Palestine. The protagonist, Elisha ben Abuyah, a Talmudic rabbi in the first half of the second century, was excommunicated for heresy. Drawing on Talmudic and historical sources, Steinberg portrays the clash between Judaism and a modern, secular society. In the novel you will meet some of the great sages of the Talmud, watch them at work in the Sanhedrin, hear them dispensing legal decisions, become immersed in their arguments about theology and Torah, agonize with them on whether to cooperate with or rebel against an increasingly oppressive Rome, and visit the centers of learning in ancient Palestine.

- Presented December 11, 2005

A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz

“Though set mostly during the author's childhood in Jerusalem of the 1940s and '50s, the tale is epic in scope, following his ancestors back to Odessa and to Rovno in 19th-century Ukraine, and describing the anti-Semitism and Zionist passions that drove them with their families to Palestine in the early 1930s.…Oz's personal trajectory is set against the background of an embattled Palestine during World War II, the jubilation after the U.N. vote to partition Palestine and create a Jewish state, the violence and deprivations of Israel's war of independence and the months-long Arab siege of Jerusalem. This is a powerful, nimbly constructed saga of a man, a family and a nation forged in the crucible of a difficult, painful history.” (Excerpted from Publishers Weekly)

- Presented February 19, 2006

The Cubs and the Kabbalist: How a Kabbalah Master Helped the Chicago Cubs Win Their First World Series Since 1908 by Byron Sherwin

Jay Loeb is the protagonist of the book who, like its author, is a rabbi and professor married to an attorney who suffers from a life-long obsession with the Chicago Cubs. For her and her fellow fans, each spring is a season of hope, and each autumn a time of despair. To address this situation, Jay Loeb successfully accomplishes a task that has eluded the author. He uses his knowledge of the Kabbalah to help the Cubs win the World Series.

- Presented April 16, 2006

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reading Table 2007/08

Rashi's Daughters by Maggie Anton

This work of historical fiction chronicles the lives and loves of Rashi's family in 11th century France, focusing on Rashi's three daughters - Joheved, Miriam and Rachel. Despite Rashi's fame as a great Jewish scholar and the many studies of his works in the generations succeeding him, little is know about his personal life. Set in the town of Troyes, Frances, this novel explores what his life might have been like over nine centuries ago.

The first volume in the trilogy focuses on Joheved. The eldest of Rashi's daughters, her mind and spirit are awakened by learning as her father teaches her and her sisters the intricacies of Mishna and Gemara. But she is forced to keep her passion for learning and prayer hidden even from her betrothed. Maggie Anton weaves her knowledge of history and Talmud with her rich imagination to create a captivating story of life, love and learning in an era when educating women in Jewish scholarship was unheard of. Learn more about Maggie Anton and Rashi's Daughters.

- Presented October 14, 2007

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

The starting premise of this novels rests on a single fact: On the eve of World War II, President Roosevelt proposes resettling European Jewish refugees in the Alaskan territory. For 60 years, the refugees and their descendants have prospered in this safe haven created in the wake of the Holocaust - a gritty, vibrant frontier that moves to the music of Yiddish. But that is about to end as the District is set to revert to Alaskan control.

Amidst this backdrop, homicide detective Meyer Landsman investigates the murder of his neighbor, a former chess prodigy. When the case is about to be dropped, Landsman finds himself struggling with the powerful forces of faith, hopefulness, evil and salvation. A gripping whodunit, love story and exploration of the mysteries of exile and redemption, The Yiddish Policement's Union is a tribute to the story-writing skills of this Pulitzer Prize winning novelist.

- Presented February 10, 2008

The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander

This long-awaited novel is a timeless tale of fathers and sons. From its unforgettable opening scene in a forgotten cemetery in Buenos Aires, The Ministry of Special Cases casts a powerful spell. In the heart of Argentina's Dirty War, Kaddish Poznan struggles with a son who won't accept him, strives for a wife who forever saves him and spends his nights protecting the good name of a community that denies his existence. When the nightmare of children who have disappeared brings the Poznan family to its knees, they are thrust into the Ministry of Special Cases as the refuge of last resort.

In a world turned upside down, one man fights to overcome his history and his name to make things right. Englander's wit, cosmic sense of the absurd and genius for balancing joyfulness and despair shine through. The Ministry of Special Cases is a celebration of our humanity - its weaknesses and hope.

- Presented April 27, 2008