Book: What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander

A collection of stories about Jews and the Jewish experience, some set in Israel and others in the United States.

In the United States, I feel that the farther one lives from the east coast or a large city, the less likely one is to know many Jews, and it seems there is often a wariness or a mind set we non-Jewish people have when talking about Jews. This book throws light on what it means to be Jewish, which is reason enough to read it, and how can being Jewish today is tied to the Holocaust for so many.

In one story, Josh is the director of a summer camp on a lake, one side for young kids; the other sort of an Jewish Elder Hostel:

"John's office door is indeed perpetually open.....To anyone with any problem at all. Because of this, the air conditioner stays off--a waste. And because the old folks, at the  best of time, can't hear anything Josh is saying, he's also forced to avoid the whir of a fan. This leaves the office sweltering, a nice touch that Josh appreciates, for people visit to complain, but no one dares stay long."

In my family, we were brought up to avoid those "not our kind" and when that becomes a part of one's psyche, it is often not easy to dislodge. But it is important we do. Reading books that describe other cultures and the different ways of living and dreaming can start the process of opening our minds to an understanding and acceptance of diversity in the faith, customs and choices of those sharing our global village in the 21st century.