Programs for the Week of 1/9

Monday: The Jewish Annotated New Testament: What would a New Testament edited by Jewish scholars tell us about the Judeo-Christian heritage? Growing up as a secular Jew, Hebrew scholar Amy-Jill Levine remembers being accused of killing Christ even though she knew and loved many of the stories from the New Testament. In an attempt to reconcile the two traditions, she’s now the co-editor of The Jewish Annotated New Testament which places the Christian scriptures in their original Jewish context.

Tuesday: Mindfulness for Beginners: Is meditation at the top of your New Year’s resolutions? Jon Kabat-Zinn, who has done so much to secularize the practice of meditation and to integrate it into the mainstream medical establishment in the U.S., has come out with a new book which stresses its health benefits and is especially designed for the beginning meditator.

Wednesday: The Tiger’s Wife: Author Téa Obreht is only 26, but her debut novel has been hailed as “the runaway book of the year.” Set in the war-torn Balkans, The Tiger's Wife explores the relationship between a wise elder and his granddaughter who, much like Obreht herself, is undergoing a rite of passage. Straddling the line between myth and realism, the novel shines a light on the delicate work of putting a society fractured by conflict back together.

Thursday: Through the Door of Life: Professor Jay Ladin made headlines around the world when, after years of teaching literature at Yeshiva University, he returned to the Orthodox Jewish campus as a woman—Joy Ladin. In her book, Through the Door of Life, Joy allows us inside her transition as she changes genders and, in the process, creates a new self.

Friday: TBA:

Jean