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Jewish Luck Blog

Meryll

The Journey to Early Retirement--Part Two

Meryll
Sunday, 23 March 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
February came and I was officially retired.  I remember the absolute luxury of not awakening to an alarm at 5:20 am.  Fearing the chasm of free time, I was soon flying to San Diego for my mother’s birthday. The following month I was off to Israel for a family Bat Mitzvah; and, without work looming, I could stay for several weeks. The days in Israel were filled with excursions and leisurely talks with friends and family from Haifa to Beersheba. My two grandchildren greeted me when I arrived home. In the back of my mind, I still wondered how I would spend time in a meaningful way. Playing with my grandchildren dispelled any worries that I would regret my decision.  I fell into a rhythm of travel to New Jersey to be with my friend.  I learned dying didn’t mean the end of laughing and togetherness. It brought an intensity to...
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early retirement
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Meryll

The Journey to Early Retirement

Meryll
Sunday, 09 March 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
A typical interview question employers ask aspiring employees: “where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?” If asked that question ten years ago, I would not have responded with any accuracy. I could not have imagined retiring from teaching and being a published author at sixty-three. Retirement was an idea that hit me between the eyes. It was late August and I was sitting in morning services at synagogue after reciting the second Mourner’s Kaddish for my dad.  Once I begin teaching this fall, I thought, I won’t be able to attend daily services at 7:00 am.  By that time I am already at work.  Resentment flooded my body as I realized the opportunity to pray with my community would disappear on school days.  That thought led to the question that I discussed internally each morning, “what would Dad want me to do?” The first answer was easy-- he would...
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Leslie

Leslie's Reflection on the Book Launch: Perfection and Death

Leslie
Monday, 24 February 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
Following the peak experience of our book launch last Sunday,  I said to my son with a mother’s convoluted logic, “Thank you for flying in for this.  If you hadn’t, I would have been thinking If only Isaac were here, it would be perfect; and, now, it is perfect.”  Perfect. What do I do with perfect?  I’m not used to it.  I look around the room to smile at my daughter, husband, and son. My sister shares every moment with me. I see the faces of old friends, new friends, consultees, book group members, Meryll’s minions, and the wonderful people whom neither of us recognize all alight with interest. Importantly, Bonnie is there as well. Bonnie is a physician, who has accomplished the miracle of cloning herself.  Wherever I need Bonnie, she appears.  Even when I haven’t realized yet I would need Bonnie, she is present.  It might be to check on...
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self-publishing co-writing book launch
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Meryll

Meryll’s Reflections on the Book Launch: It's All In The Details

Meryll
Monday, 24 February 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
Our hometown book launch is now behind us and we can reveal some of the behind the scenes negotiating and preparations. First of all, the clothes. We didn’t want to look too matchy-matchy, and we didn’t want to appear in the same outfit. Believe it or not, many Sundays Leslie and I would end wearing the same outfit as we wrote or skyped. Our mom could see a way to intervene and help out. She arranged for us both to go to Nordstrom’s in La Jolla and meet with a personal shopper who would coordinate our outfits. I (Meryll) was first. Rarely have I been as overwhelmed as I felt when I entered the dressing room overflowing with pants and tops. My mother, on the other hand, kept suggesting more combinations. I tried everything on and walked away with a sweater and a pair of pants. That was a good way...
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Meryll

Write Local!

Meryll
Sunday, 09 February 2014
Jewish Luck Blog
Write Local! My Hennepin County Library bookmark commands:  read local.  The imperative rings in my ears as I search the stacks or the computer for my next book. I find a range of choices by Minnesota authors and there is a delicious pleasure in reading about a secret meeting on a bench at Lake of the Isles or a household of women living near Como Lake.  Even if I omit mythical Lake Wobegon, there are still 10,000 other idyllic locations. If “Read Local!” is Hennepin County Library’s first commandment, I propose the second commandment should be ….Write Local! Over the past three years my sister and I have written a non-fiction book that takes place predominantly in the former Soviet Union and Sweden although Minneapolis makes a cameo appearance. As first-time authors we discovered how fortunate we are to live in the Twin Cities, a metropolitan area that nurtures its writers. We...
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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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