The Five Books: Jewish Authors on the Books That Shaped Them

After publishing her essay collection People Love Dead Jews, Dara Horn found her inbox flooded with messages from readers about their own experiences of anti-semitism. She realized that her readers wanted her to come up with an answer to all the problems she had raised. Her response is in her latest book, The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living. In this conversation, Dara explains why reading Yiddish works are critical to understanding the Holocaust. We also discuss the internalized antisemitism that both she and Sarah Hurwitz explore in their latest works, what she’s learned from Natan Sharansky, and how we should teach about Judaism as an anti-tyrannical movement.  Dara Horn is the award-winning author of seven books, including the novels The World to Come, All Other Nights, the graphic novel One Little Goat and the essay collection People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present. Dara Horn is also the recipient of three National Jewish Book Awards, among many other honors.  Regular listeners might notice that this is Dara’s second time on the show! We were delighted to talk to Dara about her book One Little Goat  last April. If you haven’t yet heard it, you can go back to Dara’s first episode on the show and hear her talk about Tevye the Dairyman by Sholom Aleichem and Mr. Mani by A B Yehoshua.  Dara Horn’s Five Books: 1.A book that inspired, informed, or is in conversation with your latest work: As a Jew by Sarah Hurwitz2. A book you changed your mind about – one you once loved, misunderstood, or now see differently: See Under: Love by David Grossman  3. A line or passage from a book that you think about often or that changed your worldview: From Natan Sharansky's memoir Fear No Evil, "No one else can humiliate me. I can only humiliate myself." 4. The book you're reading now: Arrow in the Blue by Arthur Koestler 5. Your latest book: The Final Solution to the Jewish Question: A Love Story for the Living Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Dara Horn on Being the Lorax at Her Seder Table Sarah Hurwitz on Reclaiming Our Jewish Story Matti Friedman on the Stories that Built a People Sharon Brous on Working to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World Also Mentioned: Anti-Judaism by David Nirenberg Gentleman’s Agreement (film) Postwar Stories: How Books Made Judaism American by Rachel Gordan  “The Golden Age of American Jews is Ending” by Franklin Foer The Last Consolation Vanished by Zalmen Gradowski Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler Thieves in the Night by Arthur Koestler Blood Libel: On the Trail of an Antisemitic Myth by Magda Teter The Tell Institute  The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous, Sam Sussman, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Allegra Goodman. ⁠⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to get new episode reminders, authors’ five book picks, and more delivered straight to your inbox. Find us on at  ⁠www.fivebookspod.org, on Instagram ⁠@fivebookspod ⁠or on Facebook at The Five Books Podcast. For feedback or author recommendations please email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ The Five Books has the advisory and promotional support of the Jewish Book Council. Jewish Book Council is a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers. Stay up to date on the latest in Jewish literature! ⁠https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/events/celebrate⁠ The Five Books is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity.   As an Amazon Associate, The Five Books earns from qualifying purchases. Any commissions we receive help support our nonprofit mission and are reinvested in producing the podcast and related programming. Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen Produced by Odelia Rubin Editorial and website support by Aimee Fogel Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson Studio Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions

Bruce Feiler speaks to us about the relationship between storytelling and ritual — and why both are essential tools for navigating change, creating meaning and building connection. We also discuss the moments when life takes a difficult turn (“lifequakes” as Bruce calls them), his journey walking the Bible and how it stems from his “rootedness” as a Southern Jew, and the ongoing tension between innovation and tradition at the heart of Jewish life. Bruce is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Life Is In The Transitions, The Secrets Of Happy Families, and Council Of Dads. He is also the author of several nonfiction books about the bible, including Abraham, Where God Was Born, America’s Prophet, and The First Love Story. His book Walking the Bible describes his 10,000 mile journey retracing the Five Books of Moses, which spent a year and a half on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into fifteen languages. His three TED Talks have been viewed more than five million times; and he teaches the Webby Award-winning TED Course How To Master Life Transitions. In this episode, we discuss his latest book, A Time To Gather: How Ritual Created the World--and How It Can Save Us. Bruce Feiler’s Five Books: 1. Lech L’cha, Genesis 2. Understanding Genesis by Nahum Sarna 3. The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall 4. When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin 5. A Time To Gather: How Ritual Created the World--and How It Can Save Us by Bruce Feiler Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Nicholas Lemann on Being Jewish in the Shadow of the American South Jeremy Dauber on Jewish Literature, Pop Culture, and What The Horror Genre Reveals About America Toby Lloyd on Biblical Horror and being a Jewish Atheist Ilana Kurshan on Books as Blueprints for Life Also Mentioned: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant Mayyim Hayyim OneTable Ritualwell.org  Yiddish tkhines The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous, Sam Sussman, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Allegra Goodman. ⁠⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to get new episode reminders, authors’ five book picks, and more delivered straight to your inbox. Find us on at  ⁠www.fivebookspod.org, on Instagram ⁠@fivebookspod ⁠or on Facebook at The Five Books Podcast. For feedback or author recommendations please email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ The Five Books has the advisory and promotional support of the Jewish Book Council. Jewish Book Council is a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers. Stay up to date on the latest in Jewish literature! ⁠https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/events/celebrate⁠ The Five Books is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity.  Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen Produced by Odelia Rubin Editorial and website support by Aimee Fogel Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson Studio Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions

Today we’re sharing a special episode from the show Jewish Insights with Rabbi Justin Pines on JBS, the Jewish Broadcasting Service. Rabbi Justin and I sat down in the JBS studio for a deep dive conversation about Jewish storytelling, and of course his five book selections. If truth is one of the foundational pillars of any stable society, how do we navigate a world which often feels post-truth? They begin by exploring Tali’s own mission for The Five Books Podcast: the profound power of Jewish literature to foster empathy and a sense of shared purpose, especially during moments of crisis. Tali also shares her insights on the expanding landscape of Jewish storytelling in 2025, from the enduring resonance of Holocaust literature to the rise of stories exploring Sephardi, Mizrachi, and romantic Jewish experiences. Then, in a special twist, Tali turns the tables and interviews Justin about the five books that have shaped his Jewish journey. This conversation is a powerful celebration of reading, identity, and the spiritual journey that connects them both. Justin's Five Books 1. The Catcher in the Rye 2. The Jewish Way: Living the Jewish Holidays 3. The Story of Joseph and His Brothers 4. Living Emunah: Achieving a Life of Serenity Through Faith 5. Ohr Yisrael and Other Writings

Sam Sussman’s autobiographical novel Boy From North Country begins with the quest to determine whether Bob Dylan is in fact his father, but gives way to the deeper story of his love for his mother in her final days. In many ways it’s a testament to her having accomplished in its truest form what I think mothers all hope for, which is that their love travels forward and in some way inoculates their children against future pain. In this episode, Sam reflects on his unconventional Jewish upbringing in upstate New York, where Judaism lived in literature and in the spiritual teachings passed down by his mother. He shares how My Name Is Asher Lev gave him a vision of a future for himself where art was central and how A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz helped him sustain a relationship with his mother after her death, redefining for him the bond between the living and the dead. Sam Sussman is originally from the Hudson Valley, and he has lived in Jerusalem, Berlin, and England. He graduated with a B.A from Swarthmore and M.Phil from Oxford, and has taught writing and literature seminars around the world. His writing has been recognized by BAFTA and published in Harper’s Magazine. Boy from the North Country is his first novel. It debuted as a USA Today bestseller and was picked by our partners at the Jewish Book Council as the next Nu Reads selection, their new bi-monthly subscription series spotlighting remarkable Jewish literature. Sam Sussman’s Five Books: 1. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok 2. A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz 3. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust 4. Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst 5. Boy From the North Country by Sam Sussman Other Books Mentioned: - Tales of the Hasidim by Martin Buber - Existentialism is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre Other Episodes featuring Autofiction & Memoir: Nicole Graev Lipson on the Attention, Intention, and Complexity of Mothers Bonny Reichert on Food, Fear, and Finding Beauty Gila Pfeffer on Finding Meaning and Humor in the Darkest Times The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous (Senior Rabbi at IKAR, and author of The Amen Effect), Yael Van Der Wouden (author of The Safekeep), and Dara Horn (author of People Love Dead Jews.) ⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠ to get new episode reminders, authors’ five book picks, and more delivered straight to your inbox. Find us on Instagram @fivebookspod or on Facebook at The Five Books Podcast. For feedback or author recommendations please email us at [email protected] For transcripts and more find us online at www.fivebookspod.org The Five Books has the advisory and promotional support of the Jewish Book Council. Jewish Book Council is a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers. Stay up to date on the latest in Jewish literature! https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/events/celebrate The Five Books is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity. Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen Produced by Odelia Rubin Editorial and website support by Amelia Merrill Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson Studio Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions.

At Vassar College, Kitty Zeldis confronted what she calls a “WASP tsunami,” sparking lifelong questions about what it means to be Jewish in a wider, often unwelcoming world. In our conversation, she reflects on how that tension shaped her new novel One of Them, and shares the moments and stories that shaped her Jewish identity: from a German-Jewish poet who challenged her assumptions about culture and belonging, to her parents’ formative years in Israel, to the haunting family memory of a murdered great-grandfather in Russia. In One of Them, Anne Bishop seems like a typical Vassar sophomore—one of a popular group of privileged WASP friends. None of the girls in her circle has any idea that she’s Jewish, or that her real first name is Miriam. Pretending to be a Gentile has made life easier—as Anne, she no longer suffers the snubs, snide remarks, and daily restrictions Jews face. She enjoys her college life of teas, late-night conversations, and mixers. She turns a blind eye to the casual anti-Semitism that flourishes among her friends and classmates—after all, it's no longer directed at her. But her secret life is threatened when she becomes fascinated by a girl not in her crowd. Delia Goldhush is sophisticated, stylish, brilliant, and unashamedly Jewish—and seems not to care that she’s an outcast among the other students. Knowing that her growing closeness with Delia would be social suicide if it were discovered, Anne keeps their friendship quiet. Delia seems to understand—until a cruelty on Anne’s part drives them apart and sends them scattering to other corners of the world, alone and together. Kitty Zeldis is the pen name of Yona Zeldis McDonough, a Brooklyn based author of nine novels, numerous essays, articles and works of short fiction as well as forty books for children. She has worked for over twenty years as the Fiction editor for the Jewish feminist magazine Lilith. Kitty Zeldis’s Five Books: 1. Dark Soliloquy by Gertrude Kolmar 2. Goodbye Columbus by Philip Roth 3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 4. Empresses of Seventh Avenue by Nancy MacDonell 5. One of Them by Kitty Zeldis Other Books Mentioned: - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Other Episodes Featuring the Challenges of Young Adulthood - Yael van der Wouden on Rage, Desire, and Magic - Samantha Greene Woodruff on Blacklists and being a “Christmas Tree Jew’ - Toby Lloyd on Biblical Horror and being a Jewish Atheist - Jennifer Weiner on Pushing Back Against De-Jewified Last Names The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous (Senior Rabbi at IKAR, and author of The Amen Effect), Yael Van Der Wouden (author of The Safekeep), and Dara Horn (author of People Love Dead Jews.) ⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠ to get new episode reminders, authors’ five book picks, and more delivered straight to your inbox. Find us on Instagram @fivebookspod or on Facebook at The Five Books Podcast. For feedback or author recommendations please email us at [email protected] For transcripts and more find us online at www.fivebookspod.org The Five Books has the advisory and promotional support of the Jewish Book Council. Jewish Book Council is a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers. Stay up to date on the latest in Jewish literature! https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/events/celebrate The Five Books is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity. Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen Produced by Odelia Rubin Editorial and website support by Amelia Merrill Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson studio Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions.