"What a painstaking labor of love to weave an unforgettable account of a penetrating model friendship that has survived the critical test of time. This took place in the most harrowing context of the Soviet Jews heroic struggle for freedom to leave their native land." Read Rabbi Zoberman's Review of Jewish Luck in the national editon of The Jewish Post and Opinion.
Good News about the Old World.
Petrovsky-Shtern, Yohanan. The Golden Age Shtetl: A New History of Jewish Life in the Shtetl. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2014.*
Where is your family from? If you’re an Ashkenazi Jew with relatives who immigrated before the first world war, chances are they were born in a shtetl with memories of poverty and fear.
As a young girl, Vera tried to figure out the connection between herself and “those people” from Sholom Aleichem’s stories. Reading The Golden Age Shtetl solved the puzzle for me of the roots of women like Vera and Alisa, my vibrant capitalist friends who seemed to embody centuries of business know-how --- skills that were anathema to the Russian Orthodox church.
To unlock this thriving time in the shtetl, one must turn back the pages of history before 1881 ,the first pogrom, long before Sholom Aleichem’s Tevye was forced by the...
Alena Ledeneva is an intrepid Russian-born professor now teaching in Great Britain, who conducted in-depth interviews with 50 respondents between 1997 and 2003 to understand the “rulebook” of the post-Soviet Russian economy as it is actually played out. How Russia Really Works is a fascinating account of the problems of modernization from a failed centralized “planned economy” in which no one, except the power elite, was invested, to a market economy for many who would find the terms “business ethics” or “business law” oxymoronic. However, the problems predated the Soviet state.
Ledeneva cites Sergei Witte, the progressive prime minister who served at the end of the nineteenth century, “’I am not in the least afraid of foreign capital, since I consider it is in the interests of our country…What I am afraid of is just the opposite, that our way of doing things has such specific characteristics, so different from the... 
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.
"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
"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
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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! |
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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