In the past weeks, Booknik visited a therapist, blasphemed, and read a cookbook but did not actually cook anything; he also learned how to lure students to a lecture, and switched to kefir in the morning instead of cognac. Meanwhile, Booknik Jr. abandoned going to school, and realized that he was not Apollo.

Along the Way of Silence
Le testament d’un poète juif assassin, by Elie Wiesel
In his novel, Elie Wiesel judges communism as a person deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition, Booknik’s literary critic Yevgeniya Ritz believes. He admits that this doctrine is essentially humane. However, by alienating a person from his or her national roots, this doctrine does not save one but brings ruin. The inalienable properties of a person are his or her family memories, and his or her native language.

…and many other testaments in the Books & Reviews section.

 

Booknik’s reporter Lyudmila Zhukova spoke with some pretty smart people, and now she seems to be somewhat smarter herself:

A Professor Should Be Attractive for Students
The University of California professor and the Russian Academy of Sciences Russian Language Institute deputy director Victor Zhivov talks about the intellectual honesty, humanitarian education, notion of blasphemy’s history, and disciplinary revolutions.

I Can Offer My Students Only Blood, Sweat and Tears
The Russian State Humanitarian University Linguistics Department’s Russian Language Chair Head Grigory Kreydlin talks about moral choices, cognitive interests, departmental tea-drinking parties, and Finnish gestures.

In Our Country, There Is One Huge Joss House
The Higher School of Economics’ National Research University professor and the Basel University adjunct professor Gasan Guseynov talks about Lev Losev and Sergey Averintsev, inoutrageable religious feelings, and intelligentsia’s betrayal.

To Punish and Cure Everyone
The Institute of Practical Psychology and Psychoanalysis professor Anna Varga talks about the harm of fear, medieval psychology, Jewish issue, and professional deformation.

…and many more talks in the Articles & Interviews section.

 

Jewish Home Cooking, by Miriam Ben Sander
By the New Year’s Eve, the Gastronome Publishers have prepared the book Jewish Home Cooking written by Miriam Ben Sander. Booknik is proud to reproduce a number of recipes from this book, for both Chanukah and Shabbat. Miriam is known by not only having six daughters and cooking magnificently. She is not only famous thanks to her very interesting heritage. She is also a popular blogger, and a very funny and smart person.

Shanghai Singer
Our book scout Masha Endel continues to introduce us to her amazing rarities. This time, it is the book printed in Shanghai, in 1943, written by Israel Joshua Singer (1893–1944), the elder brother of far more known Isaac Bashevis Singer.

…and many other literary finds in the Columns & Columns section.

 

Chaim Nachman Byalik: French Decadence and Russian Symbolism in the Works by a Jewish Poet, by Hamutal Bar-Yosef
The Bridges of Culture / Gesharim Publishers have just published the book by the prominent Israeli literary scholar Hamutal Bar-Yosef Chaim Nachman Byalik: French Decadence and Russian Symbolism in the Works by a Jewish Poet. Booknik happily reprints an excerpt from this book that tells about cats and spiders in French, Russian, and Jewish poetry.

…and many other cats and spiders in the Stories & Essays section.

 

The Jewish Bookcase
In their entire history that covers hundreds of years, the Jews have written tons of books in different genres. Booknik now suggests you take a test—and find your Jewish author. It is easy enough. Just pick one picture out of fifteen, and you will know who is worth reading.

…and many other selections in the Contests & Quizzes section.

 

Perpetuum Schmobile No. 37: Mechnikov, Grigorov and Yoghurt
Alas, Ilya Mechnikov did not live to see his one-hundredth birthday, although he wanted that very much. He had been studying the problem of aging, and he even established the science of gerontology. He had been looking for reasons and grounds of longevity all over the world, and he found a wonder product, “sour milk.” Before 1912, no one had known anything about it outside of Bulgaria, yet through the efforts of Ilya Mechnikov and Stamen Grigorov, the world became aware of its health-enhancing value, and started to consume it in mass quantities. These days, almost every family follows Ilya Mechnikov’s advice, and starts its day with a container of yoghurt.

…and much other wholesome goodness in the Video Blog section.

 

Consolation by Reading
This year, Katarina Kieri received the principal award for all children’s authors, the Astrid Lindgren Prize. She has written about ten books for kids and young adults, and a while ago, she received the August Strindberg Award. The Compass Guide Publishers translated and published two books by Ms. Kieri, Dansar Elias? Nej! and Ingen grekisk gud, precis. In her interview, she told Booknik Jr. about her work, forbidden themes in literature, and some realized dystopias.

A School Without Walls
American parents are not worried if their kid does not fit into a general high school. In New York, for example, they have established a whole community called Homeschooling, with three thousand active participants. Dasha Ziborova is the mother of ten-year-ole Philip who has started his third year of home schooling. Booknik Jr. asked Dasha about this New York home schooling community, the educational program, problems, and merits of this type of education, and the difference between it and the regular schooling.

…and many other cool schools at Booknik Jr., also known as Family Booknik, our own web site for kids and their parents.

 

If they knew what they liked, they wouldn't be in South Dakota. Booknik and Family Booknik are supported by the AVI CHAI Foundation.//