The Book of Life

Jewish Children's Literature Podcast "THE BOOK OF LIFE" Celebrates 20th Anniversary Special Retrospective Episode Launches on Hanukkah CONTACT:  The Book of Life Podcast  Heidi Rabinowitz  (561) 206-2473  bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com RELEASE DATE:  November 18, 2025 Boca Raton, FL — “The Book of Life: A Podcast About Jewish Kidlit (Mostly)” will post a special retrospective episode on the first night of Hanukkah, December 14, 2025, featuring voices from every year of the show’s run, 2005 to 2025. Creator and host Heidi Rabinowitz, a synagogue librarian, has been interviewing authors of Jewish children’s books and other creatives for twenty years. The word “podcast” was coined in 2004, and The Book of Life was created just one year later. The first episode aired on December 21, 2005. The mission of “The Book of Life” is to promote Jewish children’s literature to readers of all backgrounds, to serve as a validating mirror for Jewish listeners and an illuminating...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     |    READ THE TRANSCRIPT     🕮    Continuing the celebration of my 20th year of podcasting, I've got another archival episode for you from 2006, about Jewish Book Month. In the early days of The Book of Life I usually had multiple guests in each episode, and this one includes 4: Folklorist Howard Schwartz, talking about his picture book Before You Were Born, which had just won the Koret Award Carolyn Starman Hessel, longtime director of the Jewish Book Council, whose nickname was "the Jewish Oprah" Esme Raji Codell, author of one of my favorites middle-grade novels Vive La Paris and David Levithan, author of the 2004 young adult novel Wide Awake, which was reissued as Wide Awake Now in 2024 because its message about politics and protest is more relevant than ever. I’m celebrating Jewish Book Month by participating in the Jewish Book Council’s “ Share Your Shelf, Share Your Story ” project. I will post a photo on so...

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST     |    READ THE TRANSCRIPT     |    BUY THE BOOK     🕮      Back in July 2025 I did a brief interview with Jean Meltzer, so she could tell you about Jewish Joy Con, an exciting event coming to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in March 2026. But I promised you a longer interview later - and here it is! Jean talks about her writing, her Jewish Joy Book Club and subscription box, more about the con, and about her newest book, The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah .  LEARN MORE: Jean Meltzer’s website , Instagram , and Facebook Jewish Women Talk About Romance Books group on Facebook The Jewish Joy Box Jewish Joy Con (March 13-15, 2026 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL) Jean’s own books: o The Matzah Ball o Mr. Perfect on Paper o Kissing Kosher o Magical Meet Cute o The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah Jean’s recommended reading suggestions: o Blood Bond by Helen Hardt o Never Planned on You by Lindsey Hammerhof o Bat...