When Allison Epstein first saw the musical Oliver!, one character stood out—Fagin. He was the only Jewish character she’d ever seen on stage. But when she later read Dickens' Oliver Twist, her excitement turned to dismay. The Fagin in the novel was a far cry from what she’d hoped: he was a cruel caricature with no backstory, no first name, and no humanity.

So, Allison did what writers do best—she rewrote the story.

In her novel Fagin the Thief, Allison breathes life into the man Dickens left in the shadows, giving him depth, history, and a voice of his own.

Join me on Nice Jewish Books for a thought-provoking conversation with Allison Epstein, as we explore the origins of this reimagined character, the importance of representation, and the joy of reclaiming stories that were never fully told. 

Follow along with the transcript and check out Allison's website.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Step into the world of mystery, memory, and meaning with author Saul Golubcow.

In this compelling interview, Golubcow discusses his gripping works, The Cost of Living and Who Killed the Rabbi’s Wife?—this collection of three novellas and a novel feature Frank Wolf, a Holocaust survivor turned private investigator. Once a philosophy professor, Frank now solves crimes within the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods of 1970s New York City.

Joined by his inquisitive grandson Joel and later his sharp daughter-in-law Aliya, Frank navigates a complex world where Jewish tradition, trauma, and truth collide. Golubcow shares the inspiration behind his characters, the cultural richness of his settings, and how Jewish tradition shapes every clue.

Contact the author at: [email protected]

Don't miss this conversation with a writer who brings heart and humanity to the detective genre.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast
•  

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Michel may not be the big man on campus, but he definitely rules his 2nd grade classroom in Tehran and all is well in his world. That is, until his family decides to uproot him and brother Saeed and move the family to Los Angeles. Newly minted as "Mike" he struggles to navigate a new language, new customs, new foods, and most importantly new heirarchies on the playground. Join me for a conversation with Michael Shokrian about his new book American Playground.

Follow along with the transcript.

Check out his website.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast
•  

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

In March, Rena Citrin, chair of the Association of Jewish Libraries fiction award, told me (not quite in these words) to get my tush in gear and read Joan Leegant’s excellent short story collection, Displaced Persons. It took two months for it to percolate to the top of my “to be read” pile but I’m thrilled that it did. Her stories are full of relatable people, situations, and humor, not to mention delicious sentences. 

Follow along with the transcript.

Check out Joan's website and her Tikun Olam inspiration Pesia's Kitchen

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

It’s Passover! Time to slurp the soup, crunch the matzah, and make jokes about Moses never stopping to ask directions in the desert. It’s also a great time to speak with Maggie Anton about her latest book, the Midwives’ Escape. Through the eyes of the Egyptian midwives, we see what life was like for the Israelites as they learned to transition from a people enslaved to a self-supporting community. 

Follow along with the transcript. Check out Maggie's website.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Every year, the Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award committee scours the book world for books with significant Jewish content. They look for extra-ordinary writing, accurate depictions of Jewish life in all its diversity, and contributions to the field of Jewish literature. This month I am excited to speak with Rena Citrin about the lastest winners of this award.

See the 2025 press release.

Winner: Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari (Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC)

Honor: The Hebrew Teacher by Maya Arad, translated by Jessica Cohen (New Vessel Press)

Honor: Displaced Persons: Stories by Joan Leegant (New American Press)

Honor: Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore (Dell, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC)

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

When the Buddhist monk Xuanzang returned to China from India, bringing back precious Buddhist texts, he thought his traveling days were over. But then he finds an intriguing scrap with writing that he does not recognize. Finally connecting it with the Jewish community in Kaifeng he is implored by the community to go on another journey – this time even further west through Persia and Israel to find and bring back a teacher for the Kaifeng Jews. He is joined by his disciples, the magiFc Monkey and 8 rules Pigsy. Eventually a Jewish man known as Bear acts as a guide and interpreter as they encounter Jewish sages from the Talmud and Midrash. Join me for a conversation with Joel Bigman about this delightful mix of Chinese and Jewish folklore and wisdom  in his book, The Second Journey.

Follow along with the transcript.

Connect with him on Facebook.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast
•  

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

After her town is carpeted with antisemitic leaflets, ceramic artist Faye finds refuge in her studio and before she knows it, her hands have created the figure of a man. She enscribes all her wishes into the clay and buries it under her rose bushes. The next day she runs into a handsome stranger, knocking him unconscious and giving him amnesia. As she gets to know him, he seems more and more like the man of her dreams. But is he just too good to be true? Or could he be a golem that she created and who just might become dangerous? 

Find Jean on her website.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

For 100 years the Rosenfelds have been trapped in a time bubble in their tenement apartment on the lower East Side of New York. They can only catch glimpes of the outside world which has no idea that they are there. Until one day, Esther Luna, who works in the building which has now been turned into the Tenement Museum see a girl in the window who smiles and waves at her.

After exploring every reasonable explanation, Esther turns to Rabbi Meyer Poppers, a Jewish magician. While he finds the source of the curse, figuring out how to lift it is another matter entirely. And lifting it without killing the Rosenfelds will be even trickier. 

Follow along with the transcript.

Check out other works by Mickey Dubrow.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Luna Levi may have graduated high school, but she is far from any kind of path to success. She works part time at a motel in Ottowa to help support her family since neither parent seem capable of it. Luna's mother has dreams of being a theater star and takes off for weeks at a time to perform in regional productions and her father, suffering from PTSD after serving in the Israel army, lives on the streets. 

Luna watches her mother try one "get rich quick" scheme after another; each one bring the family further into debt. Her brother Ronen is an eternal optimist who tries to encourage her mother in her various ventures. It is Luna's desperate wish is to lead a responsible life; but will she be able to find her own path? or will she spiral into her mother's schemes?

Follow along with the transcript and check our Gila's website.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.