Jewish Luck Blog
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Beginnings are tough. I've been thinking about how difficult it was for Vera and Alla to begin new lives as they left Russia. While visiting our mom in San Diego, I've heard new residents sigh in weariness about leaving their old lives behind to live in a new way in an independent living residence. Leslie and I have talked about how much ...
On New Year's Eve Leslie and Harry were working furiously on an impossibly difficult jigsaw puzzle featuring dogs. All of us tried our hand at inserting a piece or two.I approached it in a desultory way knowing if I became overly involved, I'd want to complete the puzzle.We left with the puzzle undone.Harry stayed up that night until he comple...
Sixteen members of our Levine clan gathered for a Shabbat dinner in the dining room of our mom's San Diego residence. We have been getting together in warm places during winter vacation for more than 25 years.Brother-in-law Harry believes in a central focus and hence we played a game reading prompts like "what was our dad's (z"l) favorite Yidd...
Recent Blogs
Meryll
09 April 2021
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...
Leslie
07 February 2021
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...
Leslie
31 January 2021
"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
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.
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
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Tasting Torah
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Highlighted Books
Meryll
02 July 2017
Leslie and I began writing Jewish Luck with an underlying question in our minds—what would life have...
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