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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

Taking Account of Our Soul - Heshbon Hanefesh

Leslie
Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
Really? My Hebrew isn't fluent, but how striking to juxtapose a concrete term like heshbon, meaning a bill or account, next to the abstract nefesh, referring to soul. It’s Elul, the month before the high holidays, and this is a topic Meryll thought might be appropriate for me to discuss at Congregation Rodef Shalom in Denver. I submit it would have been more appropriate for Meryll. Nevertheless, I tried -- for a month. I tried to search my soul for all the things I did wrong. Yes, I facebook-stalked to check out my son’s potential date (he’s 26 and there’s no excuse). I dragged my daughter to Mall of America (which we both dislike) when we both know shopping online is so much better. They have forgiven me. Truly, this past year has been so joyous and exhuberant in terms of the connections that Meryll and I have made with friends,...
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heshbon hanefesh yom kippur repentance
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Leslie

Becoming Ourselves - Integrating a Jewish Identity

Leslie
Saturday, 30 August 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
How did you learn what it meant to be Jewish? What obstacles did you encounter because you were Jewish? If all Jewish institutions were illegal and Jewish books, culture and practice were banned as they were in the former Soviet Union, how would that have affected the development of your Jewish identity? What if beiing Jewish was so widely accepted that you didn't have to give it much thought? Meryll and I have been traveling across the United States speaking to groups in San Diego, Phoenix, Omaha, Columbus, and Princeton.  We are inspired and grateful for the conversations that our book, Jewish Luck, engenders.  Some of the East Coast crowd described being raised in an American shtetl in NYC.  An older women in Encinitas recalled childhood experiences in wartime Vienna when she had to be silent about her identity and blend in.  Stories connect us and make our common history come...
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Soviet Jews Jews in Russia Jewish Identity Jewish continuity Russian Jews
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Leslie

Why is Alisa jumping for joy in front of Buckingham Palace?

Leslie
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
140728-br Perhaps because she is close to her “relative,” the Queen, or perhaps because she is even further from St. Petersburg. The real reason is that she was hired by a very progressive telecommunications company, Millicom, where the Swedish concept of lagom (the average is good enough) does not rule.  She has global responsibility for procurement of services and will be working out of three hubs.  Her main base is London and she will also be visiting Luxembourg and Miami (where we hope to celebrate with her and Vera). Vera and Alexei have been busy on their “pirate island” procuring a new boat more suited to their recreational purposes.  They has also attained citizenship in the Caribbean and their son, Lev, is now going on his second year as a US citizen.  Mention was made in a previous blog of Vera’s Hollywood connection to RD’s movie, The Kitchen Boy.  Vera says...
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Jewish Luck Book Jewish luck heroines
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Leslie

Soon to be a Major Motion Picture...

Leslie
Friday, 18 July 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
kitchen boyNo, not our book, but The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander aka RD Zimmerman!  For those of you who have not read our nonfiction book, Jewish Luck, our story would not be complete without RD Zimmerman or Lars Peterssen who can be credited with creating some of the real luck that benefitted Vera.  The film of The Kitchen Boy is directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky of The Counterfeiters fame and will star Kristin Scott Thomas.  Looks like an Oscar possibility based on screenwriters, cast and director. Check this slow link for the full story.  Who knew we would ever be linking to the Hollywood Reporter?  Karma is complete for RD, as Vera and Alexei have invested in the project.  Our best wishes to RD.  Speaking of best wishes, RD and Lars are approaching the first anniversary of their marriage after 34 years of partnership.  Their marriage was a special story as it occurred on the...
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the Kitchen Boy RD Zimmerman Lars Peterssen Peterssen/Keller Rich Laffin
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Leslie

Nadezhda Means Hope

Leslie
Sunday, 06 July 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
Les20and20Volodya27s20mom Nadezhda Simonovna has long deserved her own column.  Of all the people with whom I reunited in Russia after thirty-four years, she was the one I would have recognized anywhere.  Nadezhda Simonovna is the mother of my friend Volodya. After a thirty plus year hiatus in communication, I had contacted Volodya about two weeks before our 2011 arrival in St. Petersburg to ask if he wanted to meet for coffee with Meryll and me.  Russians don’t seem to meet for coffee.  If I base all my observations on Volodya, they also want to meet you at the airport, drive you to historic places through god-awful traffic and take you home to a multi-course feast afterwards before asking when they can see you next. Coffee?  Hardly.  Volodya asked for our travel details and called the moment we arrived in St. Petersburg to plan our meeting.  The first destination would be to...
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refuah shlemah Civil Engineer anti-Soviet crime
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Recent Blogs

Leslie
Leslie
28 June 2020
Earthquake
Wearily, I don my mask, my gloves for the weekly drive from my Minneapolis home to my suburban office to collect my mail. My footsteps echo in the empty hall. The calendar is still turned to March 2020 which means I have spent less than three months in this space that does not yet feel like my own. The March calendar photo of Little Paradise, New Zealand reminds me of my visit to an exquisite plac...
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Leslie
Leslie
07 April 2019
Mirror, Mirror
The date- April 15, 2018.The place- Minneapolis. The weather-15 inches of snow due to fall by the end of this day. The dilemma—Do I move the gilded mirror measuring 39" by 54" and weighing over 40 pounds from my sister's house to ours?I had delayed responding to the question—do I want this family heirloom—for a year and now Meryll was moving the next day.This forty pound heirloom seemed so much we...
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Leslie
Leslie
26 May 2018
The Regina Monologue or Feh! on Calling Me A Black Widow
When my mother was 8 years old, she had a "grandmother" for just over a year, the only grandmother she remembers.How did this happen? Grandfather Emil, a widower, lived with her family until 1937 when he was introduced to a "nice widow." Thirteen months after his wedding, Emil died at the age of 59.Cause of death? "Overfeeding by Regina," my mother said.Mom was sure that Regina was a " black ...
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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
 

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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