The Charlotte Jewish News- October 2025- Page 6
A Jewish New Year at the CJE Book Club
By Sue Littauer
With Thanksgiving around the corner and families gathering around the table, the dynamics and food will be different for each, but hopefully familial love will find a way to bring families together. I recently read three novels that I recommend— each of which centers around family.
The first novel,“ Sisters of Fortune” by Esther Chechebar is about the three Cohen sisters: Fortune the middle sister is questioning her upcoming marriage, Nina, the eldest, is a rebel who is considered a spinster at age 26, and Lucy, a senior at a Yeshiva high school, is dating a wealthy man ten years her older than she is. The book is set in the gossipy tight-knit Syrian Jewish community of Brooklyn. Despite the tumult, Chehebar deftly resolves the different story lines with various life cycle events and“ platters and platters of Middle
Eastern food.”
Next,“ Maine Characters” by Hannah Orenstein is about two half-sisters with the same father who have never met. They each spent a month every summer with him at his beloved cabin in Maine, but never at the same time. Vivian Levy and Lucy Webster led completely separate lives. Vivian was raised with enormous privilege in New York City by her father and famous author mother. Lucy was raised by a single mother and still lives in a small town in Maine married to her high school sweetheart.
Finally,“ Bug Hollow” by Michelle Huneven is a decades-spanning family saga featuring the messy but loving Samuelson clan trying to make sense of the world after one event changes their lives forever. The family— Phil, Sybil, Katie, Ellis, Sally and Eva— all play important roles in this heartwarming book filled with sadness and tragedy taking place over a forty-year period.
Each of these novels is timeless and heartwarming and get to the root of what sisterhood, selfhood, family, and home are really about. I hope each of your Thanksgiving holidays will be the same.
The next CJE Book Club meeting is Wednesday, November 12, at 10:30 a. m. in Room A-110 at Shalom Park. The book we will be discussing is“ Like Mother, Like Mother” by Susan Rieger. On December 10, we will be joined on Zoom by popular author Jean Meltzer, who will talk about her new book“ The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah,” which will be published on October 21.
Each of these books is available at the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library and Resource Center. For more information, please contact sueb. littauer @ jewishcharlotte. org
Center for Jewish Education Book Club Schedule
The CJE Book Club meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10:30 am in Room A110 at Shalom Park. All books are available at the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library at the Center for Jewish Education.
Nov. 12 Like Mother, Like Mother, Susan Rieger
Dec. 10 The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer. Jean Meltzer will be joining via zoom
Contact sueb. littauer @ jewishcharlotte. org for questions
As One: Women of Impact!
Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’ s Women’ s Philanthropy invites all women in the community to its Fall Kickoff
Dr. Rachel Fish Monday, Nov. 3 | 7 PM Sam Lerner Center for Cultural Arts
An evening designed to connect, inspire, and engage. This year’ s program will feature a keynote by Dr. Rachel Fish, a leading voice in the fight against antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. This Fall Kickoff is a celebration of women’ s leadership, resilience, and the enduring power of Jewish women to inspire change. It is an opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired by the collective strength of women shaping the future of Jewish Charlotte and beyond.
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