LIVINGSTON, NJ — Eighteen years ago, a group of Temple B’nai Abraham members, led by Rabbi Clifford Kulwin, began reading together. Since then, the members of the TBA Book Group have read more than 200 books together, and continue to read and discuss together with enthusiasm and enjoyment. If you like to read, and can at least occasionally be available, usually on the first Thursday of every month, join in the fun. Current selections are generally grouped in two or three months of a particular theme and are posted on the temple’s website, www.tbanj.org. Books are almost always available from area libraries, online or at local bookstores. And when they are not, the temple will secure several copies of the book for participants to share. The book group is free and open to the community. The temple is located at 300 East Northfield Road, Livingston, entrance on East Cedar Street. Register online at www.tbanj.org or call 973-994-2290.
The fall 2017 selections’ theme is “Intrigue!” Murder mysteries and spy thrillers are popular in both America and Israel. These two selections are pageturners, fascinating portals into a side of Israeli society we rarely consider and fictional case studies teaching about real life.
On Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m., “A Possibility of Violence,” by D.A. Mishani, will be discussed. Think Harry Bosch … if Bosch had been born in Rishon LeZion. Someone planted a fake bomb next to a pre-school and Detective Avraham Avraham investigates. He realizes this is something other than terrorism, but just what proves elusive … and dangerous. As we follow Avraham, we learn a bit about being a policeman in Israel.
On Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m., “Forbidden Love in St. Petersburg,” by Mishka Ben-David, will be discussed. Think Gabriel Alon … if Daniel Silva wrote in Hebrew. Ben-David holds a master’s degree in literature from the University of Wisconsin, a doctorate from the Hebrew University, and for 12 years was a Mossad agent. His fictional double, Yogev Ben-Ari, moves to Moscow to set up a sleeper cell, but instead ends up sleeping with a beautiful and — of course — mysterious bookstore owner. Ben-Ari tries to figure out who the good guys are and, along the way, demonstrates what happens to Israeli families when someone’s a spy.
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