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Maggie Anton Bashert art exhibit at Miami JCC

My last speaking event in Miami was at the JCC in Davie, and having arrived early, I looked around for something to occupy myself. Turned out this was easy, since there was an art exhibit going on, not an uncommon occurrence at JCC's. I decided to check it out, especially after learning that this was opening night, so there would be a nice little reception. The artist, Jackie Olenick, was there as well. Most of her new work appeared to be… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on November 8, 2009 at 11:55pm — No Comments

Deborah Rey They Blow My Horn...

*This is a superb novel which should be receiving literary awards, not harassment from jealous and small-minded detractors. It is harrowing, passionate and unforgettable. I can see that Deborah is rightfully determined that it shall not be suppressed, by anybody. May it at last receive the recognition that it so richly deserves. David Gardiner (UK) *Last night, after everyone was in bed, I started to read RACHEL SARAI’S VINEYARD and couldn’t stop… it was already 1 o’clock in the morning when I… Continue

Added by Deborah Rey on November 8, 2009 at 7:57am — No Comments

Maggie Anton Rashi's "feminist" commentary on Genesis 3

[continuation of previous post] It is in the third chapter of Genesis, where Eve succumbs to the snake's temptation and eats the forbidden fruit, that Rashi goes against the near universal tradition of blaming Eve. He knows these very well, because in Gen 3:8 he states that he's aware of many midrash about this, including Genesis Rabbah, but he's not concerned with them - only with peshat, the plain meaning of the text. Yet Rashi regularly quotes midrash in his other Torah commentaries, s… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on November 6, 2009 at 2:43am — No Comments

Helen Studley Chapter Reading of Kristallnacht

Hello fellow members, On November 9, I'll be reading the chapter of my memoir, "The Winter's Journey of My Youth," that recalls my experience of that fateful night as a German Jew in Nazi Germany. The reading will take place at the Art Gallery of the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, at 1:30 PM, followed by a discussion and book signing. I'd like to greet you and invite you to come. Warmest greetings, Helen Continue

Added by Helen Studley on November 4, 2009 at 11:09am — No Comments

Deborah Rey What Others Say About My Book (and me)

November 3, 2009 *This is, quite simply, an astonishing book. It confronts the reader with truths that most will never see and all would choose to avoid. But it is so powerfully written, that it blazes. It burns. The style is unique. I can’t think of anyone who writes like this. And I cannot imagine what it must have been like writing it. Putting down on paper the manipulation, the child’s bewilderment, the pain, the hurt. I will be re-reading it, but not until it has worked through me and out… Continue

Added by Deborah Rey on November 3, 2009 at 12:15pm — No Comments

Maggie Anton Rashi's "feminist" commentary on Genesis 1

This Sunday, November 8, I will be the keynote speaker at Bible by the Bay in Marin County, CA. My topic will be: "Rashi's Daughters as Torah commentators: fact, fiction or legend?" Which means I have to find some of Rashi's commentaries that show a feminist bent and teach them to my audience. I confess that I have not read all of Chumash with Rashi [shocking], nor have I memorized those parts I have studied. But I had a good idea where to start l… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on November 3, 2009 at 2:51am — No Comments

Maggie Anton Historical fiction vs historical romance

How about something that has nothing to do with Judaism [for a change], but is a big topic of discussion in women's historical fiction? What is the difference [assuming there is one] between historical romance, historical fiction with a romance plot, and historical fiction with romantic elements? Surely all have the basic plot: girl meets boy, girl gets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy. So what makes one novel a 'bodice-ripper' and another literary fiction? Is it the writing or merely the publ… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on October 30, 2009 at 1:24am — No Comments

Deborah Rey Oui, Madame Veil. You know all about it…

October 28, 2009 at 2:53 pm · “To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul… To be able to give, one has to possess; and we possess no other life, no other living sap, than the treasures stored up from the past and digested, assimilated and created afresh by us. Of all the human soul’s needs, none is more vital than this one of the past”. 　 Simone Veil This beautiful and in connection with Rachel Sarai’s Vineyard so very to the point statement,… Continue

Added by Deborah Rey on October 29, 2009 at 9:15am — No Comments

Maggie Anton why folks should read

Finally I'm home from my Florida book tour, which I consider a success despite some good news and some bad news. Good news: my programs at Jewish venues drew large audiences of over 100 attendees. Bad news: except for "Books & Books" in Miami, none of my independent bookstore events drew even half a minyan. Good news: Jewish venues often sold out of Books I and II, which means lots of readers are new to RASHI'S DAUGHTERS. Bad news: if they don't get a signed copy when I'm speaking, are they… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on October 26, 2009 at 12:07am — No Comments

Maggie Anton Maggie's speaking in Florida Oct 13-22

Let all your Florida friends know that I will be speaking everywhere in Florida from Oct 13-22: Jacksonville [10-13], Palm Coast [10-14], Sarasota [10-15 am], Tampa [10-15 pm], Dunedin [10-16], Orlando [10-18], Boca Raton [10-19], Miami [10-20 am], Bal Harbour [10-20 pm], Naples [10-21], Boynton Beach [10-22 am], and JCC at Davie [10-22 pm]. For more info, including exact times and locations, see my website schedule Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on October 12, 2009 at 2:19am — No Comments

Maggie Anton How is Hanukah like Sukkot?

As we approach the end of Sukkot, I am reminded of the suspicion of a connection between Sukkot and Hanukah, since both festivals last 8 days. According to the Apocrypha, the Maccabees were celebrating a delayed Sukkot when they rededicated the Temple. "They [the Jews] celebrated it for eight days with gladness like Sukkot and recalled how a little while before, during S… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on October 9, 2009 at 2:02pm — No Comments

Maggie Anton Maggie Anton interview on NPR

Today I was interviewed by Ann Bocock of WXEL, the NPR station in West Palm Beach, Florida. The show, "Florida Forum," will broadcast on Sunday, Oct 4 at 11 am EST and again on Monday, Oct 5 at 7 pm EST. Those who live outside south Florida can listen live on their computer by going to either WXEL or RadioTime . Those who want to wait and download a… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on October 2, 2009 at 12:58am — No Comments

Maggie Anton Maggie Anton's Rosh Hashanah teaching on Tractate RH20a

Several folks asked for a copy of my Rosh Hashanah drash, which was actually a Talmud study session to show how Rashi's commentary is essential to deciphering the text. I will try to summarize my teaching, which focused on a short passage in Tractate Rosh Hashanah 20a. Keep in mind that the Talmud is written in a deliberately opaque fashion because this is the oral Torah that the reader should have already studied with a teacher. The shorthand version written down is supposed to jog the student'… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on September 27, 2009 at 12:40am — No Comments

Maggie Anton RASHI'S DAUGHTERS: BOOK III - RACHEL and Rosh Hashanah

With Rosh Hashanah upon us, I thought I'd connect BOOK III - RACHEL with the High Holy Days [aka High Holidays or, preferred usage, Days of Awe]. I don't think what I'm about to write is a spoiler, so even if you haven't read RACHEL, don't hesitate to read further. One of my goals in writing RASHI'S DAUGHTERS was to show how medieval French Jews celebrated holidays and life cycle events, and to that end I was determined that every Jewish holiday would be observed in at least one volume of the t… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on September 17, 2009 at 8:08pm — No Comments

Moshe Burt Learn the Tanakh in the original Hebrew?

There is a new online video course that helps even total beginners read and understand the Tanakh in the original Hebrew -- immediately. Please pass this along to the people you know that would benefit from it: http://www.tanakh.co.il/ Continue

Added by Moshe Burt on September 16, 2009 at 1:14pm — No Comments

Maggie Anton Because of a Book

I recently saw a request for help posted on the Yahoo Jewish Book Marketing group that I couldn't turn down. Shelley B, who runs the blog Write for a Reader was asking for posts from authors, bloggers, and publishers describing books we read as children that had an impact on our lives. In other words, a book that sparked something inside us, created the reader we are now, inspired us to write, etc. T… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on September 6, 2009 at 2:04am — No Comments

Maggie Anton Happy Rosh Hodesh Elul

My blogs have been so serious lately that I wanted to share something fun. Today is Rosh Hodesh Elul; Elul being the month preceding the Days of Awe. To announce the upcoming holy days, we blow the shofar every day of Elul until Rosh Hashanah, starting today. In case you do not get to shul to hear the shofar sounded, here is the next best thing: my husband Dave and grandson Nathan perform a duet for shofar and baritone horn onYouTube. Since it's so short, you could watch it any day that you can'… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on August 20, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Maggie Anton Women, Tefillin and Chabad don't mix

If you are a big fan of Chabad, read no further. A while back I set up Google Alerts for "Rashi's Daughters" and "Maggie Anton," which sends me email whenever those two subjects show up on the internet. The idea, of course, is to find out who's posting about me or my books. But occasionally something else pops up, like the link below. I could tell by the title, 'Why I Don't Put on Tef… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on August 16, 2009 at 4:48pm — 1 Comment

Maggie Anton A Kabbalistic exercise for Elul

Here is an interesting topic to consider as we enter the last Shabbat before Elul. According to Kabalistic sources, there are 22 saintly women mentioned in Torah, one for each letter of the aleph bet. They are: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Joheved, Miriam, the five daughters of Zelafchad, Deborah, Manoah's wife [Judges 13:2], Hannah, Abigail, the woman of Tekoa [II Samuel 14], the widow helped by Elijah [I Kings 17:9], the Shulamite woman [II Kings 4:8], Hulda, Naomi [but not Ruth], Jeho… Continue

Added by Maggie Anton on August 14, 2009 at 2:41am — No Comments

Moshe Burt Learn the Tanakh in the original Hebrew?

Shalom; Dictionary.co.il, an online Hebrew dictionary, has a new online video course that helps even total beginners read and understand the Tanakh in the original Hebrew -- immediately. Please pass this along to the people you know that would benefit from it: http://www.tanakh.co.il/ All the best, Moshe Burt Continue

Added by Moshe Burt on August 11, 2009 at 4:42pm — No Comments

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