VIRTUAL: Book Club - November

Exchange ideas, participate in engaging discussions, and connect with JCC community members at our monthly virtual Book Club. Even if you haven’t read the books, join us for the stimulating reviews and the opportunity to discover new authors and titles! Join us live on Zoom simulcast or register to receive the recordings. To receive this year’s complete reading list, please email Lisa Roy: lisar@mnjcc.org

Thursday November 28
House on Endless Waters by critically acclaimed Israeli author Emuna Elon
Book reviewer: Denise Drabkin

Renowned Israeli writer Yoel Blum has faithfully honoured his promise to his mother, a Holocaust survivor, never to return to his Amsterdam birthplace, but he never knew the reason why. When his agent demands that he go to the Netherlands to promote the translation of his third novel, he travels to Amsterdam with his wife. While touring the Jewish Historical Museum, Yoel happens upon a pre-WWII film reel of a family wedding, and is astonished to see the youthful face of his mother staring back at him, posing with her husband – the father he never met who died in the Holocaust – a little girl who is his older sister and… an infant boy in his mother’s arms who is not him. This unsettling discovery launches him into a fervent search for the truth, revealing Amsterdam’s dark wartime history, and the underground networks which hid Jewish children away from danger, but at a cost. Part family mystery, part wartime drama, House on Endless Waters beautifully illustrates the complex nature of identity and belonging, and the inextricability of past and present.

This Book Club event is held in honour of Holocaust Education Month.

Join us live on Zoom simulcast or register to receive the recording.
Denise Drabkin is a retired library manager who thoroughly enjoyed a 40-year career in public libraries. Denise worked in three different library systems on two continents, including the Toronto Public Library, and is a firm believer in libraries as the great levelers on the playing field of life. A long-time member of the Miles Nadal JCC Book Club, Denise volunteers her time to curate and lead each gathering, offering insightful reviews and a balance of books that are meaningful, timely and inclusive. All books are available through the Toronto Public Library, many with audio and e-versions. Previous titles have included: The Promise; The Island of Sea Women; The Company We Keep; Manikatenish and The Tunnel. We are delighted to welcome Denise back as our reviewer this season!
Price: $5.00 Taxes not included

Schedule: Thursday, November 28, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM