The Book of Life

Howdy, Book of Life Listeners!  We are planning ahead for our Purim episode, and we need your help. In the spirit of Purim, the episode will focus on humor. WE WANT YOUR JEWISH JOKES! Some of the jokes submitted will appear on the show, and the very best jokester will receive a copy of Jewtopia, The Chosen Book for the Chosen People by Bryan Fogel & Sam Wolfson (yes, the same guys who created the hit play by the same name).  Sumbit your joke (clean jokes only, please!) by email to heidi@cbiboca.org . Even better, if your computer has a microphone you can tell us your joke out loud using MyChingo - just click on the MyChingo button on The Book of Life web page at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com . It only allows 2 minute recordings, so be quick... or call back and tell your joke in segments if you need to. Can't wait to hear your jokes! Happy New Year!

December, 2006 For immediate release MEDIA RELEASE “THE BOOK OF LIFE” CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF JEWISH PODCASTING The Book of Life, a monthly podcast about Jewish books and music, celebrates a year of successful podcasting this December. The first episode of the audio program was posted in December, 2005. This “Internet radio show” features interviews with authors and illustrators of Judaic books, and musicians who have produced Judaic recordings. “As a librarian, my purpose is to promote books and CD’s that people can borrow from libraries,” says podcast producer and host Heidi Estrin, who directs the Feldman Library at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida. “I am especially excited about the wonderful Jewish books being published these days for children and teens, and that is a major focus of the show. I hope that hearing the ‘backstory’ will get readers involved!” The Book of Life has received notice from other literary web pages, including PlanetEsme and Cynsat

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    Congratulations to Jason Gaines , winner of The Book of Life holiday book drawing! An autographed copy of Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes and Dreidels is on the way! Listen to an interview with the author in this month's podcast. SHOW NOTES: This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates the holiday of Hanukkah. We'll hear from: > Stephen Krensky and Greg Harlin , author and illustrator of Hanukkah at Valley Forge , a historical picture book about George Washington's encounter with a Jewish soldier > Nora Guthrie, Woody Guthrie's daughter and director of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives, about the new Klezmatics CD Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah . > Deborah Heiligman , author of the new nonfiction picture book Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes and Dreidels

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    This brief "addendum" to The Book of Life offers timely information about a new book list of Hanukkah stories for children. The Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries has created the list Great Hanukkah Books for Kids , a recommended reading-and-shopping list for families, teachers, and librarians. The list has space at the bottom of the front page for libraries or booksellers to add local information, turning the list into a promotional tool for you!

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    HOLIDAY BOOK DRAWING: Use this form to enter our drawing! and you may win an autographed copy of the nonfiction picture book, Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes, and Dreidels by Deborah Heiligman, new from National Geographic! Illustrated with beautiful multicultural photographs, the book makes a great gift or a keepsake for yourself. Tune in to The Book of Life in December to hear an interview with the author. You'll be asked to answer a few simple questions, including the name of your favorite Hanukkah book. Deadline for entry is Sunday, November 26, 2006 -- the end of Thanksgiving weekend.   This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates Jewish Book Month. We'll hear from: > Howard Schwartz , author of Before You Were Born , winner of the 2006 Koret International Book Award > Carolyn Starman Hessel, Director of the Jewish Book Council , on the history of Jewish Book Month

JBooks.com, The Online Jewish Book Community, has teamed up with The Book of Life, a popular podcast about “Jewish People and the Books We Read.” This monthly audio program features interviews with Jewish authors and musicians. The podcasts are moderated by Heidi Estrin, the Library Director at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida, and President of the South Florida Chapter of the Association of Jewish Libraries. Much of the material featured on the podcasts is for kids and teens, but adult materials are sometimes included in the mix. The program showcases Jewish books, music and occasionally a web site or a movie. Each episode lasts for approximately 15-20 minutes. Estrin is the past chair of the Association of Jewish Libraries’ Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee and serves on the Book Selection Committee for the PJ Library, a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. She created The Book of Life in December of 2005. "I've been a JBooks.com reader for year

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, explores Jewish continuity. We'll hear from: ~ Alice Hoffman , best-selling author, about her new teen historical novel, Incantation ~ Abigail Pogrebin about her new book Stars of David , in which she interviews famous American Jews on their feelings about being Jewish ~ Steve Singer, founder of the contemporary Jewish a capella group LISTEN UP! ~ Leah Larson, the 15-year-old creator of the Jewish girls' magazine Yaldah

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates new beginnings. We'll hear from: Rahel Musleah , author of Apples and Pomegranates, a Family Seder for Rosh Hashanah and creator of the CD Hodu . Ken Gordon, editor of Jbooks.com , where The Book of Life will soon be broadcast. Brenda Ferber , first time author and winner of the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award for Julia's Kitchen . We also celebrate our new sponsorship from the Association of Jewish Libraries , which promotes Jewish reading by supporting Judaic libraries and librarians.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates the power of storytelling. We'll hear from: Simms Taback , author/illustrator of the beloved classic Joseph Had a Little Overcoat and the new sensation Kibitzers and Fools   Karen Golden , storyteller, about her CD's Tales & Scales and Pass It On   Sharon Elswit, librarian at Rodeph Sholom and author of the award-winning Jewish Story Finder Gali Cooks, director of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation's literacy project, The PJ Library

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    Thanks to everyone who participated in The Book of Life survey, and mazel tov to Miriam Intrator, winner of the drawing for a gift certificate to Powell's City of Books. Although the prize has been won, YOU can still do a mitzvah by providing us with feedback! Fill out the survey now! This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates Jewish life in America.   In this episode, we hear from: Linda Glaser and Phil Myzel, author and subject of the historical novel Bridge to America . CBI Music Director Susan Shane-Linder , reviewing the CD American Jewish Summer : Songs of the Jewish Youth Camping Movement. Susan Goldman Rubin , author of L'Chaim! To Jewish Life in America! "Super-Librarian" Nancy Pearl, 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 !

Cover Story: Wired for Words: Shul librarian creates Jewish book podcast Shalom Today , a marketing publication of the Sun-Sentinel , June 1, 2006 The Book of Life Podcast Brings Jewish literature, culture to youngsters by Michael W. Sasser, special to Shalom Today Congregation B'nai Israel librarian Heidi Estrin was exploring means to expand the library's audio-visual components, and ways to market the offerings, when she began to consider a technology that was in its fledgling days. "I knew about podcasts, and it occurred to me that might be a terrific way to reach people with audio content," Estrin said. "The initial idea was to promote new library products, but it grew. Still, it grew out of the library itself." Thus was launched "The Book of Life," a show about "Jewish people and the books we read." The podcast first appeared in late 2005, and there have been new monthly editions available since. A podcast is an Internet-

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates summer reading with an armchair trip around the world. Be sure to take the Book of Life Survey ! Help us out with feedback, and be entered into a drawing for an electronic gift certificate for Powells City of Books! (Must complete survey by June 30, 2006 to be entered into the drawing.) In this episode, we hear from: Holly-Jane Rahlens in Germany, author of Prince William, Maximilian Minsky and Me   Abigail Yasgur, Director of the Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles' Summer Reading Club Jacob Edgar, ethnomusicologist for Putumayo and founder of Cumbancha , about Jewish recording artists and the CD, A Jewish Odyssey   Pnina Moed Kass of Israel, author of Real Time Sheryl Stahl, librarian at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles, and host for the Association of Jewish Libraries 2006 Convention Blog

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, celebrates Get Caught Reading Month, a campaign of the Association of American Publishers . Here's who we'll catch reading: Author Markus Zusak on his amazing new novel, The Book Thief Dianne Hess, executive editor at Scholastic , about Jewish books she has published Aley Sheer, musician and educator, on his new CD Sheer , based on Torah texts Mitchell Kaplan, owner of the independent bookstore Books & Books , a founder of Miami Book Fair International , and President of the American Booksellers Association which co-sponsors the upcoming convention Book Expo America along with the Association of American Publishers This month we debut our literary guessing game Jews' Clues ! See if you can guess the answer!

Podcasting Connects Synagogue with Community   By Bryan Blessy, Journal Staff Writer Jewish Journal , Palm Beach South edition, April 18, 2006 Congregation B’nai Isarel has entered the cutting edge of the digital age.   Since December, Heidi Estrin, the librarian at Feldman Children’s Library at the congregation, has been using a new technology known as podcasting to inform people about the materials offered at the library and to showcase authors, musicians and others who promote Jewish books and music. The podcast Estrin hosts is a monthly Internet radio show called “The Book of Life,” which she describes as “mostly interviews with authors, musicians and performers.” The show, which generally runs 20 minutes, also features reviews of books and music with Jewish themes. Estrin says the show began as a way to help showcase and market library materials so that listeners would be able to borrow items from the library. “It was actually part of a lager project,” she says. “I wanted to bu

Do you enjoy listening to The Book of Life podcast? I certainly hope you do! To make listening to this monthly show even more convenient, you can sign up to receive the actual posts as e-mail messages! Just enter your e-mail address in the box on the sidebar and click the "Subscribe" button. You will be directed to the webpage of MailChimp, where you will instructed to confirm your address. That's it! You will start receiving our monthly posts in your Inbox. What could be easier? Thanks for listening to the show! Heidi Estrin Host, The Book of Life

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST      🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, features many books and CD's that would make great Afikomen gifts! I'm including age recommendations to help you select the right gifts for the kids at your seder. In this episode, we hear from: Jean Marzollo , author of Miriam and Her Brother Moses and other Bible stories [Preschool - Grade 2] Shira Kline, musician, on her new CD Shirlala Pesach! (If you live in NY, you might want to go to the CD Release Party on April 2 at the Manhattan JCC - check Shira's website) [Preschool - Grade 3] Anna Olswanger , author of Shlemiel Crooks [Grades 3-5] Steve Brodsky of Mah Tovu , on the hit single Pharoah Pharoah , a parody of Louie Louie [ALL ages, including teens]* CBI Student Brittany Paris reviews The Yarmulke, Kippah, Coppel Book by Rifka Freidman, with a little help from Rabbi Robert Silvers [Preschool] Bonus Track: Pesaschtick, a collection of

  LISTEN TO THE PODCAST       🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, features: Reb Moshe Waldoks of Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, MA, co-author of The Big Book of Jewish Humor and expert on Jewish funny business. Latifah Berry Kropf, author of It's Purim Time and other Jewish holiday picture books for young children. Cantor Stephanie Shore of Congregation B'nai Israel on Jewish music and Purim shpiels .

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST        🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, features: Anne Dublin , author of Bobbie Rosenfeld, the Olympian Who Could Do Everything . CD review of Let My People Go , a Jewish and African American Celebration of Freedom Steve Bergson on Jewish comic books Rabbi Jessica Spitalnic Brockman of Temple Beth El, Boca Raton, on the life of Marc Chagall NOTE: Temple Beth El will host an art gala including some works by Chagall on March 4, and an outdoor art show March 10-12, 2006 Students Brooke Bekoff and Rachel Reizburg review Dreamer from the Village , The Story of Marc Chagall by Michelle Markel , illustrated by Emily Lisker

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     🕮    This episode of The Book of Life, a show about Jewish people and the books we read, features: Sarah Darer Littman , winner of the 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children's literature in the Older Readers Category for the book Confessions of a Closet Catholic Andy Rubin, founder of The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band Author Erica Silverman and illustrator Mordicai Gerstein , winners of the 2006 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Jewish children's literature in the Younger Readers Category for the book Sholom's Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer Jewish Educator Dorothy Herman, sharing a page from her own personal "Book of Life" The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented each year by the Association of Jewish Libraries to the best in Jewish children's literature.