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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

Variations on A Gene-eology

Leslie
Friday, 20 March 2015
Jewish Luck Blog
1503 genealogyThis blog was meant as a primer on “How to Research Your Family Tree.”  Hah!  That’s not going to happen. I was going to interview my husband which turned out to be a lot more difficult than interviewing Vera or Alla. After chasing him around the house for this interview, and then finally getting him to sit down with me, I was struck by the déjà-vu of this experience.  It is identical to asking Harry for a recipe.  He is so inventive and spontaneous that it is nearly impossible for him to limit his recipe to a set of directions. Most of the instructions begin with “If you’re in the mood…” or “If you have this on hand…”  Heaven forbid, we should ever repeat a procedure in our home twice in the same way. So, all I can offer is a set of impressions from watching Harry over these past few...
Tags:
Thomashefsky Lelschitzsky jewish geneology jewish family tree family tree
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Leslie

Of Mice and Memory

Leslie
Friday, 20 February 2015
Jewish Luck Blog
“When I lose my memory, will you and your brother refrain from mocking me?” I asked my daughter.  “If we don’t mock you, how will you remember who we are?”  I loved her answer.  When I told her I couldn’t remember the name of the Grand Canyon, referring to it as the big hole in the West, she reassured me that I have always had issues and she sees nothing new. Memory loss runs in our family except for our very popular and mentally adept Mom.  I’ll tell you her secret later.  Last month, my husband persuaded me to attend “Talk Cinema”* on Saturday morning alone because the surprise preview film was described as “powerful.” Imagine my dread when I found out the movie was Still Alice, a film based on a book about pre-senile dementia that had traumatized me for months.  I had come unprepared with neither a Kleenex nor a...
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Talk Cinema Still Alice Memory Loss Fear of memory loss Alzheimers
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Leslie

February 2015 - To Alan Alda & F. Murray Abraham: If you like Russian Tattoo, You'll Love Jewish Luck.

Leslie
Monday, 02 February 2015
Highlighted Books
1502book tattoo There is no need for me to review Russian Tattoo because everyone else has. Just check Elena Gorokhova’s author page www.elenagorokhova.com  Even legendary actors Alan Alda and F. Murray Abraham marched on her behalf. I have my own passionate response to Russian Tattoo -- a potential blog title:  “What color is my envy?”  You see, envy can be white or black in Russian.  So definitely “white” envy, the good kind.  However, I covet her publicity, her publishing house and her fame.  She also has a nice cover designer but so did we. Envy aside, our book was meant to inform and help our readers feel what it was like to grow up Jewish in the last half of the twentieth century in the USSR, and to follow the unusual choices of two very gutsy heroines – Vera and Alla.  So Alan and F. Murray and all you Russo/bibliophiles, get your...
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Russian Tattoo Alan Alda book club jewish book club F. Murray Abraham
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Leslie

Coloring In the Leaves on the Family Tree

Leslie
Saturday, 31 January 2015
Jewish Luck Blog
greatgreat1Recently, at an Orange County, California book group, our host, Anna, suggested that we publish our own family tree alongside those of Vera and Alla. It was a timely topic since my husband has been compulsively researching our family trees over these last two months. I knew a lot more about Vera and Alla’s family histories than my own.  I admit I was a skeptic about genealogy since it seemed pointless to know a name, place, date of birth and death without understanding the story of the person.  My husband, Harry, has attended his share of talks on our book, Jewish Luck. He resonated with one of our many themes, the centrality of the immigrant, the one who chose to leave his or her home country. Trained as a systems analyst, he likes a project. When he was asked to become part of a new Jewish Genealogical Society in Minneapolis/St. Paul,...
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Yosef Yitzhak Schneerson Jewish genealogy jewish family trees family trees David Laskin
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Leslie

Kafe Sobaka / Restoran Pomegranate

Leslie
Sunday, 18 January 2015
Jewish Luck Blog
150118food1a “A ménage a trois of Georgian, Russian and Californian Cuisine.” Next time you are in San Diego craving Russian or Georgian food, try Kafe Sobaka, Restoran Pomegranate. Now why would the husband and wife owners, Marco and Gwynne, choose the name Sobaka which means dog? The answer:  Jewish Georgian, Marco,was obsessed with the dog that was launched into outer space on Sputnik. He identifies himself as “an old wandering dog.” You can ask Marco about that yourself. Unlike many of the Russian restaurants that seem snobbish and overpriced, this one has a quirky humor that satirizes Soviet culture. The food, however, is serious and very reasonable! With such authentic food and portions fit for an entire communal apartment, I was afraid a babushka would fly out of the kitchen and yell at me because I couldn’t empty my plate. Our family should be in the business of reviewing restaurants since...
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San Diego ethnic restaurants Russian food Georgian food Kafe Sobaka
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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. 

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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