COVER STORY: Timely guide to American Jews
100 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: A highly respected series of books on understanding American minorities adds a new volume on American Jews—as Jewish news is moving to front pages this week.
What news? A major Jewish conference is drawing presidential candidates to Washington D.C. this week. And the annual conjunction of Easter and Passover is looming. This new book has a special section helping non-Jews to understand the major Jewish holidays. Learn more about the latest volume in the Bias Busters series in a new story by Michigan State University’s Joe Grimm.
Who are these Bias Busters? They’re top students in one of the nation’s leading journalism programs. In recent years, they have produced a whole series of books widely used by individuals, nonprofits, community groups and company human resource programs.
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HOLIDAYS and FESTIVALS
DON’T MISS A HOLIDAY! Just remember this simple Web address www.InterfaithHolidays.com to find all of the upcoming holidays, festivals and anniversaries.
EGGS FOR EQUINOX
THAT’S A TART! Regular readers of Bobbie Lewis’s FeedTheSpirit love her fascinating stories as well as her diverse range of recipes. For the Equinox, Bobbie searched for something unusual to serve up involving eggs. Check out this vegetable-and-egg Russian tart. Also, if company is coming to your house for the Easter weekend, you’ll enjoy this earlier column that includes a wonderful muffin recipe.
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PURIM
FESTIVE HOLIDAY—Before Passover (sunset on April 22) there’s the festive holiday called Purim, which recalls the noble Queen Esther who saved the Jewish people in a time of great danger. The holiday includes great fun and some tasty treats, including triangular-shaped cookies. Holidays columnist Stephanie Fenton has the story and links to recipes, including one from FeedTheSpirit writer Bobbie Lewis.
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LENT and EASTER
EAST MEETS WEST—The majority of the world’s 2 billion Christians follow the Western liturgical calendar, which means they are entering Holy Week and the solemn holy days marking the end of Jesus’s life on earth. Meanwhile, Eastern Orthodox Christians, who follow a different calendar are in the midst of their Great Lent. They will mark Easter on May 1 this year.
Want some additional thought-provoking reading in this Christian season of reflection on Jesus life, death, resurrection and the birth of the Christian church? We recommend a new book by Bible scholar Bart Ehrman, which explores how the stories of Jesus’s life were remembered by ancient Christians and, decades later, were recorded in Bible stories. Sound intriguing? We invite you to enjoy this latest conversation between ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm and Bart Ehrman.
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GODSIGNS
QUEST FOR A TRANSPLANT—GodSigns author Suzy Farbman’s columns celebrate the remarkable twists and turns of life. This week, she tells the story of a husband and wife and their daunting search for a transplant that would save the life of wife, mother and grandmother Loretta Ziegelman. Each day of the year, countless families are on this arduous journey, hoping for a transplant. This uplifting story reminds us that organ donations can change the lives of entire families.
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FILM, FAITH
& CULTURE
TALKING ABOUT MOVIES? Enjoy all of the free resources from Ed McNulty’s faith-and-film website by remembering the simple Web address: www.VisualParables.org AND—Please consider subscribing to the one resource Ed sells—his long-running Visual Parables Journal, which is packed with complete study guides for individual reflection and small-group discussion. The new March issue has just been published.
- SON OF SAUL—Ed reviews this new, controversial Holocaust film, a fictional account of one man caught up in the horrors of a death camp. He gives it 4 out of 5 stars and recommends the movie, just as it is about to be released on DVD in April 2016.
- EDDY THE EAGLE—It’s a pretty good sports film, Ed says, and it stresses that winning is not everything in competitions. (3.5 stars)
- GOSPEL AND COMEDY—Ed reaches back two decades to republish this popular column about combining humor and the Easter season.
- DEADPOOL—Yes, it’s a violent superhero movie from Marvel—but Ed says this is a very engaging movie with an unusual script, well worth watching. (4 stars)
- A WAR—This Oscar contender from Denmark serves as a good reminder that it is not just American families that are disrupted by the war in Afghanistan. (5 stars)
- SIN NOMBRE—Ed McNulty writes: “I wish every American would see this film” about Honduran refugees. (5 stars)
- LADY IN THE VAN—Don’t miss Maggie Smith in this movie, says Ed. (5 stars)
- HATEFUL EIGHT—Yes, it’s a violent and twisted tale, but it’s intriguing as well. (4 stars)
- 45 YEARS—A wonderfully sophisticated story about questions that surface in a long-time marriage. (5 stars)
- RACE—If you enjoyed the recent movies about Jackie Robinson, you’ll want to see this movie biography of track star Jessie Owens. Ed gives it 4 out of 5 stars.
- THE GOOD DINOSAUR—It’s a “good” movie, but parents might want to consider whether to take very young children, Ed advises. (3.5 stars)
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