Books are a major part of Jewish culture and identity, we are the people of the book after all. Over the years, Shalom has brought stories to life through the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival and enhanced the Jewish libraries for both children and adults. In 2023 we were fortunate to offer Noa Tishby’s book, Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, to over 1,500 homes in NSW and the ACT.

In 2024, we have the pleasure of offering three books (we will leave you to choose one or two). Alex Ryvchin’s books, The Seven Deadly Myths, unravels the mystery of Antisemitism, something which so many of us have been confronted with in the wake of 7^th October, and his book Zionism – a concise history, allows us to learn the history of the movement and ideology that realised the Jewish dream to return to our homeland. Zack Bodner’s book, Why Do Jewish?, is a manifesto on how to create a meaningful and relevant Jewish identity in the present era.

All the books are perfect additions to growing your Jewish library. We know it will be a challenge to choose!

These books have been generously made available to you through a collaboration between Shalom and the Yarranabbe Foundation, please consider making a contribution to defray postage costs.

N.B. This offer is only available to residents of NSW/ACT. If selecting two books, please do not select two copies of the same book.

The 7 Deadly Myths – Alex Ryvchin

The 7 Deadly Myths traces antisemitism from its earliest origins to the present day and uncovers the dangerous conspiracy theories that have corrupted reasoning and led people and nations to diabolical acts. Exploring some of the most significant events in history and uncovering little-known villains, this book answers the questions of how antisemitism takes hold, how it is transmitted and how it inspires violence to the present day. Written in a clear and compelling style, this book is essential to understanding why this ancient hatred continues to plague society, inspiring pop stars, athletes and demagogues alike. It is a crucial resource for policy makers, students and the reading public seeking to understand racism and how it can be stopped.

Zionism – The Concise History – Alex Ryvchin

The story of Zionism, the Jewish movement of national liberation that led to the founding of modern Israel, is animated by leaders possessed with rare vision and political genius. It is also a story of tragedy, false dawns and suffering on an incomprehensible scale. Above all, it is a story without precedent, that saw an ancient, scattered, persecuted people who had limped from one disaster to the next, achieving a return to freedom in the lands of their ancestors nearly two millennia after their exile. In this extraordinary feat of narrative history, Alex Ryvchin tells the gripping story of Zionism, a movement that has become one of the most controversial and least understood political concepts of our time, one that remains central to modern Jewish identity and to war and peace in the Middle East.

Bio – Alex Ryvchin is co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the author of internationally acclaimed books of history and politics, and a best-selling children’s author.

He writes for leading publications and speaks, debates and teaches around the world on the Arab-Israeli conflict, foreign and national affairs, antisemitism and the Holocaust, and religion and identity, and is a regular commentator on TV and radio.

Alex was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. His family left the Soviet Union as refugees and refuseniks in 1987.

He attended Sydney Boys High School and went on to study law and politics at the University of New South Wales.

He worked for a member of the state legislature as a researcher and speechwriter before practising law at two of the world’s largest law firms, first in Sydney and then in London. He served as a spokesman for the Zionist Federation UK, and was awarded a prestigious Israel Research Fellowship to work as a research fellow and staff writer at a Jerusalem-based think-tank.

In 2013, he joined the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Australia’s premier representative and advocacy body for the Australian Jewish community, and was promoted to co-Chief Executive Officer in February 2018, becoming one of the youngest leaders in the Jewish diaspora. He is a member of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps.

His children’s book, A New Day (2020) written during the Coronavirus Pandemic to help families overcome adversity, was an international bestseller and rated by PBS as the top book to help kids navigate the pandemic.

He is the author of The Anti-Israel Agenda – Inside the Political War on the Jewish State (2017) and Zionism – The Concise History (2019). His fourth book, The Seven Deadly Myths – Antisemitism from the Time of Christ to Kanye West (2023) investigates the extraordinary conspiracy theories behind antisemitism.

He was recognised as one of 25 global Jewish visionaries by The Jerusalem Post for his writing and advocacy.

Why do Jewish – Zack Bodner

How do I live a more meaningful life? How might I feel more connected to others, to the world around me, to the past and the future? In an era when we can choose our own identities, why might we choose to identify as Jews? These are just some of the questions Zack Bodner addresses as he thoughtfully shifts from asking “Why be Jewish?” to “Why do Jewish?” After laying out a compelling answer to that question, he goes on to explain what Jewish Peoplehood is and why he believes we are in the throes of an evolution to the next era: Jewish Peoplehood 4.0. He also provides a road map for how to do Jewish in the
twenty-first century—including proposing “the next big Jewish idea.”

Insisting that taking action is what matters most, Bodner proposes a creative new framework for doing Jewish based on an acronym from the Yiddish word TACHLIS, which means “getting down to brass tacks.” Through a combination of personal stories, insights from some of the world’s greatest teachers, and contemporary analysis, Why Do Jewish? takes one of our oldest wisdom traditions and provides an accessible guide for anyone looking for answers to life’s most important questions.

Bio – Zack Bodner is a seeker, writer, storyteller, community organizer, and above all else, a doer. In his role as the CEO of the Oshman Family JCC, the organization created the Center for Social Impact, which is committed to helping repair the world through initiatives that address poverty, disaster relief, racial justice, civic responsibility and more. Zack also oversaw the launch of the Taube Center for Jewish Peoplehood, which hosts the Architects of the Jewish Future Series and the Kol Isha Women’s Leadership Development Program. Additionally, under Zack’s leadership the OFJCC created the annual Zionism 3.0 conference, which became The Z3 Project, a global effort to reimagine Diaspora-Israel relations.

Before joining the JCC, Zack served for 14 years as the Pacific Northwest Regional Director of AIPAC. Zack holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy of Religion and Theology from Claremont Graduate University and a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University, where he played varsity soccer. Additionally, he studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Ohr Somayach Yeshiva, and Stanford Business School.

Zack is an accomplished speaker, including as a MOTH storyteller and TEDx presenter. He writes regularly for publications including The Forward, Times of Israel, The J Weekly, and eJewish Philanthropy. He is a member of YPO and was in the Executive Leadership Seminar at The Aspen Institute. He served as an iFellow Mentor for the iCenter, is an Amitim Fellow for JCC Global, is a member of the Board of Directors of the JCC Association of North America, and is on the Advisory Board of the Taube Center for Jewish Studies at Stanford University.

Zack lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and three children.

ORDER NOW