Hillel
If Not Now, When?
This bold new look at an iconic religious leader—the first to cite the ethical concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world) as a basis for making modifications to Jewish law—is certain to generate passionate discussion and debate.
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Burnt Books
Coming in October 2010:
A dual biography of the venerated Hasidic storyteller and the iconic modern literary master that uncovers surprising parallels between two tragically abbreviated lives spent in search of spiritual meaning.
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Yehuda Halevi
A masterful biography of Yehuda Halevi, poet laureate of the Jewish people.
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What We Brought Back
Jewish Life After Birthright
Dozens of contributors share personal essays, poems, and photographs from their unique Jewish journeys. Some tales are eye-opening, others are heart-breaking. Couples fall in love, friendships fall apart. Profound adventures enlighten; hilarious misadventures do, too. Welcome to the liner notes for the latest album of Jewish life in America.
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Emma Lazarus
A pioneering biography of the iconoclastic nineteenth-century poet and activist whose verse gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty, but whose extraordinary life has remained a mystery until now.
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When Grant Expelled the Jews
Forthcoming from Nextbook Press.
Jonathan Sarna sheds new light on one of of our most enigmatic presidents, on the Jews of his day, and on America itself.
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Latest News and Reviews
Early word on What We Brought Back
"Whether you're looking for the complex, living Israel behind the headlines, or an antidote to facile stories about kabbalah and JDate, here's the volume for you." Continue reading
Paul Zakrzewski, editor of Lost Tribe: Jewish Fiction from the Edge
Burnt Books: ‘Deeply imagined and fastidiously researched’
“Two yearning souls face each other and touch in this remarkable encounter, both deeply imagined and fastidiously researched. And when, forever questing, Rodger Kamenetz adds his own journey to the mix, what he gives us is so fascinating I read it hungrily. Kamenetz makes a case for the kinship of these brother storytellers that is more than irresistible: it feels inevitable.” Continue reading
Rosellen Brown, author of Civil Wars
Praise for a Poet: Yehuda Halevi
“a thoroughly researched, carefully rendered biography that evokes the vanished world of golden age Spanish Jewry” Continue reading
Featured Events
A Life in the Theatre: Mamet on Broadway
Playwright and Nextbook Press author David Mamet (The Wicked Son) returns to Broadway this month when A Life at the Theatre starts previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Patrick Stewart stars in this backstage comedy as an older actor sharing his experiences with a young up-and-comer, played by T.R. Knight. Opening night is set for October 12. Continue reading
Hard Times: Kamenetz at Old Dominion
Burnt Books author Rodger Kamenetz will be speaking at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on October 6, as part of the school’s 33rd annual literary festival. This year’s theme is Hard Times in America.
Telushkin in Miami
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin will speak at the Jewish Book Festival in Miami on October 19, to promote his new book Hillel: If Not Now, When? Sponsored by the Dave and Mary Alper JCC.
Jewish Encounters Book Series
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