SHOW NOTES: https://jewishbooks.blogspot.com/2025/05/jahm-throwback-book-of-life-in-america.html 

TRANSCRIPT: https://otter.ai/u/bd9VMkp1cnjgHm9z4cbdq7Usaak?utm_source=copy_url 

In celebration of May’s Jewish American Heritage Month (aka #JAHM) and The Book of Life’s 20th year of podcasting, I’m re-releasing the eighth-ever episode of the show, from July 2006. The theme was “The Book of Life in America.”

In the early years of the show, each episode featured multiple guests, and topics ranged beyond books to Jewish music, film, and web. In 23 minutes and 12 seconds, this episode packs in five fantastic guests. While the sound quality is less consistent than today, the warmth and enthusiasm of the interviews was a sign of things to come.

If you enjoy this blast from the past, check out other past episodes of The Book of Life. Click on Archive in the sidebar at Bookoflifepodcast.com, or just go to the episode list on your podcast player and keep on scrolling down, down, down.

• JewishAmericanHeritage.org offers info, resources, and toolkits for celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month each May.

• Guests Linda Glaser and Phil Myzel, are the author and subject of the historical middle grade novel Bridge to America

• Guest Susan Shane-Linder reviews the CD American Jewish Summer: Songs of the Jewish Youth Camping Movement

• Guest Susan Goldman Rubin is the author of L'Chaim! To Jewish Life in America!

• Guest Nancy Pearl is an American Jewish "Super-Librarian" whose book recommendations are featured in her Book Lust series, on her website, her podcast, and her TV show, and who is the only librarian to have her own action figure!

• Bonus content for this episode on The Book of Life Substack

CREDITS:

• Produced by Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
• Co-sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries
• Sister podcast: Nice Jewish Books
• Theme Music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
• Newsletter: bookoflifepodcast.substack.com
• Facebook Discussion Group: Jewish Kidlit Mavens
• Facebook Page: Facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
• Instagram: @bookoflifepodcast
• Support the Podcast: Shop or Donate

Your feedback is welcome! Please write to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 561-206-2473.