Author Rachelle Unreich contributes essay
Essay centres on what it is like to have a book out in the world that’s about antisemitism in a time where there’s never been more antisemitism since the Holocaust.
On Being Jewish Now: Essays and Reflections from Authors and Advocates is a collection of moving essays from 75 contributors about what it means to be Jewish, and how life has changed since October 7.
It is edited by American Zibby Owens, who is a bestselling author, podcaster, bookstore owner, as well as CEO of Zibby Media. Owens stated she “decided to launch this project after feeling a sense of hopelessness in the face of rising antisemitism and wanted to do something to bring our voices together and make everyone feel less alone”.
After October 7, Owens started a not-for-profit organisation called Artists Against Antisemitism and all proceeds of the book sales are going to support that organisation.
According to its website, the mission of Artists Against Antisemitism is to “raise awareness of antisemitism, promote education about Jewish history and culture, help those experiencing Jewish hate to fight against it and work to help build a kinder, brighter, more understanding world within the arts.”
The essays are each unique and reflect on the good and the bad, the heartbreaking and the life affirming. It includes prominent contributors Mark Feuerstein, Jill Zarin, Steve Leder, Joanna Rakoff, Amy Ephron, Lisa Barr, Annabelle Gurwitch, Daphne Merkin, Bradley Tusk, Sharon Brous, Jenny Mollen, Nicola Kraus and Eleanor Reissa, who was recently in Australia for Melbourne Jewish Book Week.
“My mother’s words have real power…”
Australian Jewish author Rachelle Unreich also contributed an essay to this collection. Unreich’s A Brilliant Life, the true story of her mother’s survival of the Holocaust was recently shortlisted for the 2024 Margaret and Colins Roderick Literary Award and was previously shortlisted for The Age Book of the Year, Shalom’s Leslie and Sophie Caplan Award for Jewish Non-Fiction and for the Australian Book Industry Awards for New Writer of the Year.
Unreich spoke to The AJN about her contribution to On Being Jewish Now.
“My essay centres on what it is like to have a book out in the world that’s about antisemitism in a time where there’s never been more antisemitism since the Holocaust, and how that’s changed the landscape of doing interviews and meeting people and trying to connect with people.
“I highlight something that happened at an Australian writers’ festival, which is when I had a protester come in holding up a free Palestine sign and wearing a keffiyeh, but they actually ended up sitting down and not being disruptive at all once I started talking about my mother, so it made me believe that my mother’s words have real power.
“I’ve just been reverting to that now whenever I have to work out how to deal with October 7, I remember my mother’s message, which is that connection is more important than division. Love is more important than hate. Understanding is the most important.”
Unreich noted that after writing the essay for On Being Jewish Now, she had another incident when a protester disrupted a panel at a regional festival that she was moderating to deliver a pro-Palestinian message to the audience.
“The penny dropped. At one point, I thought, oh my gosh, they’re here because of me. And what’s my connection again? Oh, right, I guess I’m Jewish, and I wrote a Holocaust book, is that my connection? It was so puzzling and such a frightening wake-up call, although the person in that case ended up being a young student, and it just highlights to me that we need to educate people better to try and bridge the gap.”
On Being Jewish Now was released as an ebook and audiobook in October, and the paperback will available on November 1. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon and the Zibby Media website.
comments