Last week, Booknik learned if it was possible to spit in synagogue, why snakes do not fly like birds, who has it good in life; he also haggled in a marketplace, and tried to avoid the levirate. Meanwhile, Booknik Jr. tried on Booknik Sr.’s school uniform, celebrated the Day of Knowledge, and dreamed about going to a British school.
It turns out, it was unacceptable for the Essenes to spit in their assembly, or, for that matter, to spit to the right of them for the spit was somehow connected to the ritual impurity. The rabbis respected the sanctity of the Temple Mount, and thus forbade spitting while on it. Apparently, spitting in the Temple itself used to be also banned. The rabbis, however, were of different opinions of spitting in common synagogues. Booknik reviewer Lesya Bobrova studies the facts, and does not recommend taking your camel to the Temple Mount.
Roads of Good Luck
Memoirs of a Fortunate Jew, by Dan Vittorio Segre
The political scientist, historian, and diplomat Dan Vittorio Segre wrote a book about his own childhood and youth in 1983. He used his diaries he had been writing since the 1940s. His narrative has many threads, including his family saga, Italian history of the 1920–1940s, the Bildungsroman, and some scattered musings. The subjective arrangement of his prose is also intricate. Our reviewer Nellie Portnova discerns the protagonist in the fabric of the book, “a fortunate Jew” who has a chance to write his memoir.
Newton, by Peter Ackroyd
In his biography, the author showed how a genius pushes out, and replaces a human in a man. One who has to understand the universal mechanics does not have time to love, listen to music, or enjoy poetry. Booknik reviewer Yevgenia Ritz commiserated with the geniuses.
…and many other revealing revolutions in the Books & Reviews section.
In the Marketplace I’ll Go Strolling
No matter what end of Jerusalem International Fair of Arts and Crafts you enter it, East, West, North or South, you find yourself in the artisans’ quarters. Flabbergasted. Booknik’s strolling reporters Nekod и Gali-Dana Singers brought their camera with them, to make sure that our readers were flabbergasted, too.
…and many other amazing mazes in the Events & Reports section.
These two peculiar creatures were the game of Booknik’s pouching reporter Linor Goralik. A Tel Aviv cabdriver told her about his grandfather thrice removed who participated in the Marranos rebellion in 1485, “—and my granddad came out in front of the inquisitor, and he said, shame on you, young man, don’t you see, we’re eating food here.” As she tried to point out certain inconsistencies in his narration, he could not understand her. He spoke about his personal perception of history, not dates, and facts.
Devil’s Dozen of Facts about Snakes in the Bible
The serpent and his cronies in sin were punished severely. Humans were banned from the Garden of Eden, and the serpent has been known to crawl on his belly ever since. Wait a minute. How did he move before that? Walked on two legs? Or flew high as a kite over the Eden expanse? Our expert magician Katerina Kudryavtseva candidly interviews the Serpent.
…and many other special species in the Columns & Columns section.
Why should one take brother-in law’s shoes off? What is the purpose of haskama? Who are the Chaldeans? Thanks to his expansive knowledge of all things Jewish, our video wizard Kirill Chichayev happily avoided the levirate.
…and many other lopsided laws in the Video Blog section.
A Thing or Not a Thing? The Notes of a Crazed Parent
“They accepted me in the first form, yet I had a sense of failure after the entrance exam. All girls there were in socks or knee socks, and only I came in shameful white pantyhose.” Maria Blinkina-Melnik thinks about the relativity of, well, things.
Flour Babies, by Anne Fine
The Samokat Publishers translated the book by a wonderful English author Anne Fine. Our not so grown-up readers might remember her short novel Goggle-Eyes. This time, we shall be reading her stories about English kids who become subjects of rather intricate experiments.
How Many Times in What Form?
Authors and editors of Booknik Jr. used to go to school, too. They hated chemistry (or loved it), and received straight As for their essays (or straight Fs). Today, our gallery will show you some familiar faces from the time long (or not so long) gone when these people cribbed, shirked, and generally had fun.
…and many other serious series at Booknik Jr., also known as Family Booknik, our own web site for kids and their parents.
What does a snail have to do to reincarnate? Booknik and Family Booknik are supported by the AVI CHAI Foundation.
