Book Discussion Group

All Kehilla members are welcome to join us for our customary meetings on the second Monday of the month at 7pm.

Monday, January 9: The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks

Peeling away the myth to bring King David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.

Monday, February 13: Moonglow by Michael Chabon

     Moonglow unfolds as the deathbed confession of the narrator’s grandfather, whose tongue has been loosened by painkillers and whose memory has been stirred by the imminence of death. From the Jewish slums of prewar South Philadelphia to the American invasion of Germany to the heyday of the space program, the novel revisits an entire era through a single life and collapses a lifetime into a single week.  A work of fictional autobiography, Moonglow, above all, is about the destructive impact and the creative power of keeping secrets and telling lies.

     Moonglow is this year’s selection for the Jewish Learning Works One Bay One Book.  To find out about the series and events please see http://www.jewishlearningworks.org/one-bay-one-book.  We will have some copies of the book available to pick up at our January meeting.

Looking ahead to Monday March 13, we will be selecting the books for the coming year.  Please send suggestions of books to Joseph Sklar at  jsklar3826@yahoo.com

When suggesting a book, it must have “Jewish” associated with the book, which is loosely defined as having Jewish content, by a Jewish author, or interest to Jews.  Please also provide information about the availability of the book through at least the Berkeley and Oakland libraries.  It also helps to know if there are a lot of holds on the book.  This information should be sent to Joseph by March 1st.  A list will be compiled and sent to anyone interested.  At the meeting we will vote to see what books will be read in the coming year.