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Jewish Luck Blog

Leslie Levine Adler, PhD visited Russia in the summer of 1976 as part of her undergraduate Russian Studies program. She returned in 1977 to pursue her friendships from the previous summer. After teaching ESL at university, she became a psychologist.
Leslie

Leslie

  http://morejewishluck.com

Leslie Levine Adler, PhD visited Russia in the summer of 1976 as part of her undergraduate Russian Studies program. She returned in 1977 to pursue her friendships from the previous summer. After teaching ESL at university, she became a psychologist.

Leslie

Part II: In Places I Don’t Belong

Leslie
Monday, 13 June 2016
Jewish Luck Blog
160619 birdsDoves nesting in the Arab Israeli city of Sakhnin?  Are they also where they don’t belong or could these cattle egrets in winter plumage represent a piece of performance art-posing as doves at the entrance of an unusual building and museum promoting peace through dialogue and art? Although I am not an artist, I recently tagged along on the trip my sister planned along with Robyn Awend, Rabbi Alexander Davis and Anat Szendro for the Jewish Artists' Lab from the Minneapolis Sabes JCC.  I love art, I love Israel, I love my Israeli cousins, and I trust my sister’s travel planning 100 percent based on vast experience. Can a building be home to a revolution begun with art?  I think so.  The Arab Museum of Contemporary Art and Heritage (AMOCA) is housed in the Environmental Study Center, an ecological building designed by Egyptian architect, Abed Yassin in 2009.  He designed this...
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Arab Museum of Contermpory Art Mediterranean Biennielle Environmental Study Center Sakhnin Sabes JCC Artists' Lab
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Leslie

Part I: In Places I Don’t Belong

Leslie
Monday, 13 June 2016
Jewish Luck Blog
As the youngest child, the words “Don’t go there” seemed an invitation to peek in and investigate the mysterious forbidden place.  This applied to me crawling into the fireplace in our living room, ascending the stairs at the synagogue to where I thought God lived (it was the choir loft), or breaking into the even holier sanctuary of my sister’s room to open the window seats, explore the closet and pull down the ladder to climb to the attic.  In 1980, I interned at Kodak-Pathé Paris teaching ESL to their employees.  As part of the curriculum we took our students to Edinburgh to practice their English.  I can’t remember how I befriended a Scottish family, but we talked about my upcoming trip to Israel.    She had a Palestinian exchange student living with them a while ago and wanted to prepare a gift for the family for me to transport.  It sounds...
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Jerusalem Old CIty of Jerusalem Khoury Family Bakery belonging
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Leslie

A Good Place to Live or Byerly’s Grocery Could Bring Communism to Its Knees

Leslie
Sunday, 29 May 2016
Jewish Luck Blog
thumbnail_IMG_6710.jpg As the 15 year old Byerly’s employee was loading the case of bottled water into the car, I looked at Harry and said “Did you buy these?”   I was especially surprised given that five minutes before, we were discussing the potential green advantages of cremation.  As usual, I had driven away from Byerly’s completely forgetting I was supposed to pick up our groceries from the drive through.  Harry had the two bin numbers in his lap but claimed he was observing my rule that he can’t criticize me because my car does it for me with its many beeps in “eyesight.”  As we were returning to Byerly’s, we passed a fountain at The Cremation Society that Harry found aestheically displeasing.  I asked him “Does that mean you won’t be cremated?”  We paused in thought.  We shared that we wouldn’t mind being cremated as long as we didn’t know it.  It...
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Bylerlys Shopping in Minnesota Minnesota Nice Groceries and Communism
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Leslie

Lessons from Downton Abbey

Leslie
Friday, 04 March 2016
Jewish Luck Blog
Downton Abbey has taught me a lot of very important lessons this year.1. Evolve or be irrelevant. This lesson applies to me as a psychologist and as the mother of adult children.I learned it by watching Lord Crawley relinquishing Victorian mores just as his mother, Violet, clung to them.He embraced a servant, the handsome Irish dr...
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Crawleys Edith Mr. Molesley Lady Mary Downton Abbey
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Leslie

Author of the Month: Anya Ulinich

Leslie
Monday, 29 February 2016
Highlighted Books
Up from Asbestos 2: A Review of Petropolis by Anya UlinichYou may already be acquainted with Anya Ulinich, and, like me, think of her as a graphic novelist.After all, I'm sure you all recall my September 14, 2014 book review entitled"What's a Child of Soviet Jewish Immigrants to Do? How about Write a Novel?" which compar...
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anya ulinich Petropolis Lena Finkle's Magic Barrel Osip Mandelstam Kevin Kinsella
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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. 

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Upcoming Events

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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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