Celebrate the Jewish New Year with this story of a vibrant Jewish community

OUR COVER STORY THIS WEEK coincides with the first days of the Jewish New Year 5784. If you’re Jewish, you’ll love this novel by Lynne Golodner because it warmly embraces family life and community culture. If you’re not Jewish, but have always wanted to learn more about what life is like inside an observant Jewish neighborhood—then you’ll find yourself quickly immersed in Lynne’s novel, as well. Right now—please enjoy our cover story featuring an interview with Lynne—and share it with friends to help spread awareness of the importance of religious diversity in our world.

 

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From Our Authors

Laura Elizabeth

‘A tale of advocating, commitment, and believing in something bigger than yourself’

LAST WEEK, our magazine reported on the launch of Laura Elizabeth’s unique cozy mystery, which is based on the real-life, historic Daufuskie Island off the Atlantic Coast.

NOW—we’re also pleased to see other news media chiming in with their own recommendations of this novel. And, we are especially thrilled to see media from that part of the U.S. affirming that Laura really captured the beauty and culture of local island life. In this week’s Front Edge column, we share one of the most glowing regional endorsements of Laura’s novel, describing how well she evokes the particular island that she and her family have come to love.

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Holidays & Festivals

Yom Kippur

THE HOLIEST DAY OF THE JEWISH YEAR starts at sundown on Sunday September 24 this year—a solemn 25-hour fast that includes participation in traditional services for millions of Jewish families. This year is especially memorable, because it is the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War when Egypt and Syria attacked on the holiday. Stephanie Fenton has our Yom Kippur story with lots of fascinating links for additional reading—and recipes for break-the-fast meals.

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And for Jains, Paryushan Parva

THIS ANNUAL PERIOD OF FORGIVENESS AND RENEWAL is one of the most important festivals in the Jain year, as Stephanie Fenton explains.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• WAR SAILOR—Ed writes, “Norwegian director/ writer Gunnar Vikene has given us a grim visual parable about an overlooked group of World War II combatants—Norwegian merchant sailors drafted into the war effort when Germany invaded their country.”
• LITTLE BIG VOICE—Looking for a good family film? Ed writes, “Austrian director Wolfgang Murnberger’s 2015 film, set in postwar Vienna, drew me at first because its young hero seeks to become a member of the famed Vienna Boys’ Choir.”
• A MILLION MILES AWAY—”Director-cowriter Alejandra Márquez Abella brings us this true story of a Mexican American son of migrants who dreams of rocketing into space as a NASA astronaut.”
• THE HILL—Ed gives a mixed review to this inspirational story of a young and aspiring baseball player who faces a multitude of challenges, including opposition from his father, a pastor played by Dennis Quaid.
• CLARE and FRANCIS—Ed suggests we look back to 2007 for this Italian production that is more than three hours long as the annual feast of St. Francis nears in early October.
• THE GOOD MOTHER—Ed writes, “Both Hillary Swank and Olivia Cooke give their all to their respective roles.” Ed recommends this film about a range of dramatic challenges from writer’s block to how drug addiction can challenge relationships.
• SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE—”I love it when a film far exceeds my expectations, as this MGM-Amazon produced film did. What I thought would be an amusing boy-meets-girl flick turned out to be a deeply moving celebration of a friendship between two young woman.”
• MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3—”Those crazy Greeks are back, even though the one who claimed they invented everything is missing.”
• THE POPE’S EXORCIST—”Julius Avery’s film is based on the writings of real life Father Gabriele Amorth, the Catholic priest who served for 30 years as the head exorcist of the Diocese of Rome. Despite this, it stretches to the breaking point our acceptance of the title card ‘Based on true events’ at the beginning of the film.”

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