My Surprise Project is....

ON BEING JEWISH NOW, an anthology!!

So this is what I’ve been up to.

On June 30th, stewing in a feeling of hopelessness about the rise of antisemitism and how utterly powerless I felt, I suddenly had an idea.

What if I could gather and share stories of other Jewish people and hear what it had been like for them since October 7th? How had they felt about being Jewish before? Had they also been prompted to reconsider what it meant to be Jewish? What was the best part of being Jewish? And really, how were they feeling?

I messaged my group chat (a.k.a. my post 10/7 lifeline): the Founding Authors of Artists Against Antisemitism, the 501(c)(3) founded by Alison Hammer and quickly adopted by many of us last fall.

“Hey you guys, I have an idea.”

I could produce an anthology. All proceeds would be donated to the non-profit to fight antisemitism. And the essays would help everyone feel less alone. On my book tour for Blank all over the country, women whispered to me, “Thank you. Keep speaking up.” I had an obligation to keep going.

The group enthusiastically said, “YES.” Then, I moved swiftly, inviting more than 200 people to contribute, mostly authors, people I knew and those my fellow Founding Authors invited. With only three weeks to turn around a pro-bono essay, 74 other writers said yes. And they did it, stopping everything to share their reflections, and recording their own audio, too. They are heroes.

With the help of Anne Messitte, President of Zibby Media, and a couple of team members, we made it into a book. The ebook and audiobook, read by the contributors, will come out on October 1st in time for the high holidays and the anniversary of the attacks. The trade paperback pub day is November 1st.

I can’t wait for you all to read it.

But I need help. Your help.

1. Please spread the news about the book to Jewish and non-Jewish friends who want to understand our lived experience. Encourage them to pre-order now (it helps much more than you think!!) and post about it — and do so yourself! You can make a huge difference as a book messenger.

2. Help us get the book into your communities: synagogues, JCCs, rabbis, program managers, Hebrew Schools, pre-schools, WhatsApp groups, schools, companies, Facebook groups, alumni groups, etc. Remember: all proceeds go to fight antisemitism.

3. Think of other ways to get the book out there into the hands of anyone who wants to laugh, cry, feel, and think. The essays are funny. Sad. Hopeful. Traumatic. Real. Authentic. Open. Smart. They are what we all need right now. Be creative.

   

4. Tell your local bookstore about it.

5. Host an On Being Jewish Now book club gathering with your friends. Read the whole book together, or just pick one essay to read and discuss. (Moms do have time to read… essays?!?) Or listen to the audiobook which all the contributors individually recorded.

6. Does your brand/company want to partner with us on this book? Does your store want to sell it? Do YOU want to buy a ton of copies and distribute them in some way? Let us know. We’d love it. Get in touch with our partnerships group.

7. Want to cover this in the media? Contact our team.

8. Want to help us in other specific ways? Email us.

Thank you so much for reading — and for helping. We can all make a difference. And we must.

This isn’t my book. It’s our book.

Never again.

Warmly,

Zibby

“Sharing our stories has always been a strength of the people of the book. This collection is a prime example of the power of the pen to unite, connect, and inspire.”

- Noa Tishby, author of Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth