Deborah Lipstadt

Jewish book

The former US ambassador for monitoring and combatting antisemitism began with Commentary on the Torah by Nechama Leibowitz, a work she praised for its intellectual power: “you marvel at her insights, at the sources she brings together... It gives you a strength.”

She also chose Primo Levi’s If This Is Man, “because it is a psychological insight into survival and how he maintained his ability to think – and it is a compelling book.”

Anne Frank’s Diary was another essential reread. “Most of you probably read Anne Frank when you were 12. Go back and reread it. Towards the end when she talks about being Jewish it becomes a very Jewish book and a very powerful book.”

Jew-ish book

David Nirenberg’s Anti-Judaism earned a place. “It’s not about Jews, it's about how every major religious and social movement has used Jews to build their identity. It is a compelling book.” Lipstadt highlighted Nirenberg’s observation that “every time there is a change in media... there is a rise in antisemitism.”

Wildcard

For comfort and hope, Lipstadt chose The Shawshank Redemption, “because at the end there is redemption,” alongside The Frisco Kid, which she described simply as “a wonderful movie.”

The Limmud panel (l-r) Rabbi Raphael Zarum, AJ Levine, Deborah Lipstadt and Clive Lawton[Missing Credit]

Clive Lawton

Jewish book

The Limmud co-founder nominated The Hertz Chumash, praising its editor. “He has a thunderous voice and is a remarkable character in British Jewish history. I want to try to preserve and promote this astonishing book.”

His other contender was Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks’ Siddur: “it is beautifully put together, it has lovely little notes, and its essays are excellent.”

Jew-ish book

Among several choices was Bernard Rotherstein’s On the Eve, which Lawton described as “a piece of quality historical writing... about Jewish communities in Europe up to September 1939.” The book captures the “dynamic intensity” of communities who “really did confront the expansion of fascism and the danger [it] presented to them,” leaving Jewish readers with “tremendous pride and distress.”

Yossi Klein Halevi’s Like Dreamers also featured, exploring the “diverse political life of Israel generated by the graduates of the Six Day War,” and revealing how contemporary Israel came into being.

Lawton also recalled The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten, his introduction to the language, and the Jewish Catalogue series. These, he said, helped underpin “the kind of thinking that produced Limmud – that Jewish stuff should belong to the people, not just rabbis.”

Wildcard

His wildcard was Oliver! the musical. “I think Lionel Bart is severely underestimated as a Jewish commentator,” Lawton said. “Oliver is astonishing. It is the most Jewishly friendly of all Twists’ versions. Lionel Bart has an instinct for how to do this.

“It is a perfect musical; I don’t know what anyone could say is wrong with it. It introduces us to the character of Fagin, who at the end we must all love and feel for – and that doesn’t often happen when you read Dickens.”

Oliver! (Photo: Johan Persson)[Missing Credit]

Rabbi Raphael Zarum

Jewish book

Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies, Zarum chose Elie Wiesel’s Souls on Fire: “this will keep me a human being... on the island I am very afraid of losing that.”

He had also considered Rabbi Sacks’ Celebrating Life, but noted that the former chief rabbi “always encouraged us to quote other people.”

Another key work was A Guide to The Guide to the Perplexed: A Reader’s Companion to Maimonides’ Masterwork by Lenn Goodman, which he described as having “the lightness of Maimonides, he was playful – and it is a really hard book. I have been studying it for many years.”

Maimonides, Zarum reflected, “was writing to me – to people who understood the science of the day but wanted to believe in God and had difficulties. It was written the 1100s and to this day it is the greatest book on Jewish philosophy... It has a life of its own and it will take the rest of my life to understand it.”

Jew-ish book

Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman, which Zarum has not yet read, but said, “my Russian friend said it has the heart of Russia and Judaism in it.”

He also chose Figuring by Maria Popova. “My wife told me to read it, so it will remind me of her.” He added, “This is literature and science woven together in a way that I would love to understand.”

The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten (published by Penguin) was one of the panellists' choices[Missing Credit]

A J Levine

Jewish book

Starting with the beginning, the first Jew to teach the Christian bible at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Levine said she would bring Bereshit to the island. The book is “inexhaustible,” she said.

Jew-ish book

The Christian bible, of which she said, “I read it because it makes me a better Jew. It helps fill in the background to my Jewish history and helps me understand in part why my Christian neighbours think the way they do.”

Wildcard

The Complete Musical Works of Jim Steinman, whom Levine called “an unsung Jewish composer.” Known for his work with Meat Loaf, she explained: “I want to be able to sing and kvetch and this is the best kvetching music that I know.”

“I want the ‘Bat Out of Hell’ but I also want ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,’” Levine said.