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Meet Leslie

leslie-levine-adlerLeslie Levine Adler, PhD began her college career at Wellesley College. Finding herself unsuitable for cloistered Ivy League life, she transferred to the University of Michigan to major in Russian Area Studies. In the summer of 1976, she attended a program in Leningrad, supposedly studying at Leningrad State University, but learning far more in Vera’s home. A promise is a promise, so Leslie returned to visit Vera the following summer, during which time she was detained in Moscow for five days, but that is another story.

Following many exciting career paths including baker, copy boy at the Minneapolis Star, and Kelly Girl, she returned to study for her Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language. In this way, she attained her life goal of being paid to go abroad, which included teaching in Paris, Scotland, and China. Finally, she got tired competing for jobs with her best friends and still was searching for the answer to the question: “why was the Soviet Union so strange?” As she taught Russian emigrés advanced skills, she realized their perceived language deficit was really about acculturation issues. Pursuing cross-cultural studies led her to Clinical Psychology. To her amazement, she earned her doctorate and every day feels grateful to work with her clients. She developed a course in cross-cultural psychology and taught other courses at Hamline University. She is a trained consultant in EMDR, an effective trauma treatment which you may research at your leisure.  She established her own clinical practice in 1993 and talks about retiring someday soon.  We'll see.

Leslie is married to Harry Adler, who used to be more famous than her. He still has greater psychological insight than her.  Leslie's children are way too far away.  Isaac and wife, Claire, live in Brooklyn. Maya fled to New Zealand in 2016, where she discovered a sane society, but is missed daily.  This has left Leslie and Harry with their two devoted Corgies,Steve! and Tobias, and Maya's cat, Sushi.  .

Recent Blogs

Meryll
Meryll
09 April 2021
Jewish on the Down Low
I snapped up the invitation to speak at a zoom meeting for the Jewish Affinity Group from Columbus School for Girls. Self-quarantining for almost a year has made me hungry to talk about Jewish Luck. It's certainly clear from the news that Vera and Alla's perceptions about the "New" Russia are just as relevant now as they were when Vera first encountered Putin in Leningrad.More than the intellectua...
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Leslie
Leslie
07 February 2021
American Kompromat
What I learned from American Kompromat by Craig Unger (2021) Dutton: NYC has prompted me to write a blog. Trigger Warning: This book contains potentially distressing content that could trigger trauma that we have experienced regarding the previous US President. I whisper this mantra to myself: "We're safe now. He's gone. We're safe now." The purpose of this exercise is to reduce my blood pre...
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Leslie
Leslie
31 January 2021
Alexey Navalny: Intrepid SuperHero of Russia
"Faster than a speeding bullet." .Organized anti-government rallies in 109 cities across Russia from jail for January 23 and January 30, 2021. Watch each weekend. "More powerful than a locomotive."  Able to make a miraculous recovery from Novichok poisoning on Aug. 20, 2020 after remaining in a coma for nearly a month. His is the only known case of survival of that strain of Novichok. "...
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Invite Us To Speak

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We were featured speakers at Hadassah Brandeis Institute and Levy Summer Series. Our speaking engagements include JCCs, synagogues, libraries, book groups, retirement communities, schools, and organizations (e.g. ORT, Hadassah, and Women's League). References are available. 

Invite Us To Speak
 

Talk Review

"I was very fortunate to be able to hear Meryll and Leslie speak at a Hadassah event in Israel. Each of the ~50 participants really enjoyed the event because Meryll and Leslie were so engaging. While they had a natural rapport with the audience, you could also tell they had prepared well so they could connect with our particular group's interests. I learned a lot from listening to them, and I found their sisterly interaction unique and fun. If you want an enlightening and uplifting experience, attend one of their book talks."
Lisa Shimoni, Modiin Israel

Book Review

"Truly, you have written a story that makes accessible the reality of existence in Russia, through the eyes of individuals who lived through the various regimes and dictates.  It is fascinating and very well told.  As I read Vera and Alla's story, I learned more Russian history than I had known from a textbook.  That's a big deal, women!  You tell the tale with vivid detail and hook us on the two women and their stories, then weave in the history to illuminate their journeys. It is such a necessary book.  I am thrilled that the two of you collaborated, as I can see the uniqueness of your personalities come through in the stories, and that, too, makes the book a gem."
Margaret Leibfried, Danielson Group consultant

Buy the Book

Online:

Click here to order your copy of Jewish Luck: A True Story of Friendship, Deception, and Risky Business on Amazon.com.

The Kindle version is available here

In Stores:
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Make a donation to Sholom Home and enjoy Jewish Luck at the same time. Jewish Luck is now available at the Sholom Home West gift store. Meryll and Leslie will donate 50% of the proceeds back to Sholom Home. Enjoy!

Tasting Torah

Nourish mind, body, and soul with Meryll's Tasting Torah, which will bring oneg (joy) and limmud (learning) to your Shabbat, broaden your culinary horizons, and draw your Shabbat guests closer together.

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Highlighted Books

Meryll
Meryll
02 July 2017
July Book of the Month:  Bloodlines by Neville Frankel
July Book of the Month: Bloodlines by Neville Frankel
Leslie and I began writing Jewish Luck with an underlying question in our minds—what would life have...
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