May News... plus EXCLUSIVE excerpt
Read an important passage from Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew, plus updates from me
I’m having a bit of an Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby moment. I was lucky enough to have both of these co-authors (and their entourages!) come over to do an in-person podcast on Tuesday afternoon. We sat on my couch as they watched themselves on GMA before digging into the tough stuff.
I’d spent most of the previous weekend underlining, studying, and inhaling the information in their outstanding book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew. I was in it. (How fun is my reel?!)
Then I popped into a book party for them. And I posted several times. And I chose it as Zibby’s Book Club’s September pick. The episode and YouTube video will air soon. I mean, how else can I shout from the rooftops how critically important this book is right now?! Literally, the front page of the New York Times this week said that universities were trying to figure out the difference between Zionism and antisemitism. It’s in the book! It’s all in the book.
You know what else is in the book? Hope. Hope for peace and understanding for all of mankind. Seriously. Leadership from both Emmanuel and Noa. Kindness. Humanity. Listening. Learning. Empathy. Knowledge. History. We need ALL of this. Now more than ever. Give this book to everyone you love of every background, race, religion, and persuasion.
It’s not only important; it’s life-saving. Here’s an exclusive excerpt just for you. Announcements and news afterward. Read those, too!
Excerpt
Excerpted from Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew. Copyright © 2024, Acho, Emmanuel and Tishby, Noa. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC. All rights reserved.
TODAY IS WHEN YOUR BOOK BEGINS, THE REST IS STILL UNWRITTEN
NOA: A few months ago, I was at my friend Sarah’s house. Her eight-year-old daughter Marion and my son Ari were off playing while Sarah and I caught up on life. Eventually, we all sit down to eat dinner, when out of nowhere Sarah’s daughter asks:
“Why are we here?”
Sarah and I exchange looks as if to say, Um; how does one even answer that?! But then my son chimed in with, “Yeah, what’s our purpose?” Sarah and I were both surprised and de- lighted with the deep turn this conversation with two eight- year-olds was taking. I looked at them and said: “Well, these are great questions, kids. These are questions that a lot of adults ask themselves all the time.”
Ari barely missed a beat before responding, “Well, Imi,1 I know what your purpose in life is.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“Your purpose in life is to tell the story of the Jewish people.” My sudden tears nearly made me choke on the butternut squash, I was so completely floored. Ari saw me. He gets me.
He sees my purpose.
And I agreed.
Emmanuel, remember that night, the evening of October 7th, when you saw that I was on Instagram Live?
EMMANUEL: I don’t think I could ever forget.
NOA: That broadcast that you first saw, the one that seemed like chaos—because it was, because I was trying to piece together what was happening in the early-morning hours in Israel— what you don’t know is that throughout the entire time I was on, my Instagram Live screen kept filling up with messages that people were sending me. Messages from people under attack, asking me for help. “Please, Noa, they’re getting into the kib- butz.” “I’m in Kfar Aza, please send someone.” “I’m in Sderot, there are terrorists everywhere.” On and on it went, people beg- ging: “Please help us.” I kept trying to figure out what was hap- pening and how I could possibly help all these people, sitting in Los Angeles while Israel was being attacked. All I knew was that whatever was going on was so deeply horrific, and that people were feeling so intensely desperate, that their only hope rested on a message sent over Instagram to someone halfway across the world.
1 A combination of “Ima” (Hebrew for “Mom”) and “Mommy”; by the far the most adorable name in the history of names.
After hours of being Live and as the sun rose in Los Angeles, I turned off my phone and got a couple hours of rest. But I didn’t post that Live recording to my feed. And when you don’t post a Live, it disappears. Into the ether. And I’ve never shaken the thought that some of those people sending me messages most likely didn’t survive the massacre. That they had disappeared with their messages.
These people—I would never know their names—but they asked for my help. And at that moment, I was unable to help them. So, I’m doing this for them, in their memory. And I’m also doing it for every single Jew who lives in fear that it could just as easily have been them—to remind them that we are all survivors.
If I were to tell you that there was a tiny group of people who existed thousands of years ago, and every few decades the largest empires in the world would intentionally try and kill them; and if I told you that that same group survived not once, not twice, not three times, but over and over and over again, and then thrived—a rational person would say that it is sta- tistically impossible. That it makes zero sense. But that is the Jewish people. Their persistence, not to mention their achieve- ments, in the thick of turbulence and trauma are nothing short of miraculous. Every single Jew you meet is a survivor.
That is where my strength comes from—because I live in constant gratitude and awe of the fact that my existence is the product of the greatest suffering and the greatest strength. And now my son is part of that incredible lineage, and his children, and their children, God willing. So, I am not taking any of this lying down—but I can’t fight alone.
I have felt for so long that I’ve been screaming into the wind, talking to the walls and plants and the five people who would listen to me. But now the world has changed, and people
are ready to hear what I have to say. What we all have to say. And I feel like you heard it without even knowing me, like you heard the same ancient whisper of a people and knew some- thing had to be done.
What you and I both understand is that our history does not have to be our future. In the Mishnah, a part of our oral Torah, it says: השעמה בור יפל לכהו ןודנ םלועה בוטבו הנותנ תושרהו יופצ לכה (Mishnah, Avot 3.15), “All is foreseen, and freedom of choice is granted. The world is judged with goodness, but in accordance with the amount of people's positive deeds.” Mean- ing, the future is predicted, but it is ultimately shaped by our choices and, mostly, our deeds. So, it is everyone’s command- ment to go forth and make the future. Write the rest of the story.
EMMANUEL: One of the most powerful things a pastor reminded me of is that the Scripture says “Blessed are the peacemakers. Not the peacekeepers, the peacemakers. In order to make peace, you have to go out and find that war. Find the suffering. Find the hurting. Find the conflict.” And I agree, Noa, that you can’t fight alone. The wars waged against hate and antisemitism, against discrimination and racism—those battles can’t be waged on your own. We need each other, and everyone listening in, everyone reading, to not just lend your eyes and ears but also your hearts. Don’t just read this book; we need you to move. We need you to act. This conversation is so much more than a dialogue; it’s a blueprint—it’s a plan of action.
During a football game, just before the ball is snapped and the players move into action, they huddle up in a circle. And in that huddle, the quarterback announces the play. While each player hears the entirety of the play call, the different words said during the call are giving each player a different implicit
set of instructions, depending on the position they play for their team.
See, family, this book is that huddle. Noa and I are the quarterbacks and we’re giving people the play, laying out what has to happen if our hope for society can become a reality. I realize that this huddle is composed of people who don’t look alike; who don’t share the same race, gender, or religion; who may actually have very little in common. But we are all on the same team, coming together to infuse peace into society.
Just like you don’t go to a football game to watch a bunch of players stand around in a huddle—that would be silly and stupid and a waste of time—to read this book and do noth- ing would be silly and stupid and a waste of time. You go to see what happens after that huddle, to watch with exhilaration as unlimited possibility—and a little bit of magic—unfolds in real time when the pieces of the whole are working together in sync. That’s the precipice that we’re standing on right now.
Reading this book is just the first step. Now we’re breaking the huddle, and every single one of you has a different respon- sibility based upon your role on our collective team. Our jobs may each look different, but our objective is the same. And I guarantee you that if we can start thinking like a team, we can win like one, too.
I mean, how powerful? I had tears in my eyes and hope in my heart.
Announcements
ZIBBY’S BOOK CLUB
May 29th at 7 pm ET: My May book selection is The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez! Join the club here. Julia will join the meeting at 7:30 pm for Q&A.
PODCAST
So I’m going back to five episodes per week of the podcast. Monday to Friday. In effect right now. There were just too many coming up that I’d committed to. For the next 4 months at least, we’ll do 5 a week.
Some episodes of my (Webby Award-winning — thank you!!!) podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books are now also available to watch on YouTube! Check out:
Caroline Leavitt, Days of Wonder
Susan Lieu, The Manicurist’s Daughter
But more are coming every week. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
Events
Here are my May events. Would love to see you there! (Yes, I’m getting tired.)
NEW JERSEY
Saturday, May 4th at 2:45 pm: Montclair Literary Festival panel with Elle Evans, Caroline Leavitt, and Rosey Lee. Register.
Sunday, May 5th at 1 pm: Books and Greetings with Alisyn Camerota. Register.
PHILLY
Monday, May 6th at 6 pm: Booked Chesnut Hill is hosting me at Jansen Restaurant (next door) for a book talk and signing. Jo Piazza is no longer able to attend. Register.
BROOKLYN
Tuesday, May 7th at 2 pm: The Center Women’s Culture Club event with Corie Adjmi. Register.
MANHATTAN
Tuesday, May 14th at 7 pm: House of SpeakEasy performance at Joe’s Pub. Register.
DALLAS
Wednesday, May 15th at 6 pm: Interabang with Amanda Eyre Ward, Lovers and Liars. Register.
DENVER
Sunday, May 19th at 4 pm: Tattered Cover event on East Colfax! Register.
CHICAGO
Monday, May 20th from 11 am - 7 pm: We’re hosting a Zibby Petite Retreat in Chicago with 18 authors!!! You can’t miss this. Tickets for sale here ($175 for the day) which includes lunch, cocktail hour, a tour of the American Writers Museum, an event at Madison Street Books, and more. This is a GREAT MOTHER’S DAY GIFT! Room block at the Soho House for anyone who needs accommodations.
MANHATTAN
Thursday, May 23rd: Rise Writers Retreat speaker at 12 pm. Details here. (Note: $750 for the day. Our Chicago retreat is $175! Maybe we aren’t charging enough!?)
Other
There’s so much exciting news with the Zibby Books authors. Be sure to follow @zibbybookspublishing and subscribe to our Zibby Media Minute newsletter to stay up to date. Did Emma Grey’s The Last Love Note hit the top 100 books list in Australia? Did Brittany Means’s Hell if We Don’t Change Our Ways come out in paperback?! Find out!
And don’t miss all our upcoming events at Zibby’s Bookshop! Watch the livestreams here.
FYI, my friend Gretchen Rubin, the renowned happiness expert, has just released her latest book, "Life in Five Senses," in paperback. In this insightful guide, Gretchen shares how exploring the five senses helped her to become more present and live a richer life. Listen to our past podcast here. Grab your copy here.
And I know there’s more but have to get back to work! Bye!
This a beautiful and powerful.
What a powerful passage. I look forward to reading the rest.