“It’s impossible to finish this memoir and not come away with a desire to claim as your own fantastic and near-forgotten expressions such as “Yethrem basal all ras efadi!” (you’re chopping onions on my heart!)” – Jewish Journal

Join fellow seniors (and future seniors) to discuss this life-affirming memoir about resilience, language, and the healing power of our ancestor's music, stories, and recipes.

The daughter of Iraqi Jewish refugees, Samantha grew up surrounded by the noisy, vivid, hot sounds of Judeo-Iraqi Arabic. A language that’s now on the verge of extinction. The realization that she won’t be able to tell her son he’s "living in the days of the aubergines" opens the floodgates. How can she pass on this heritage without passing on the trauma of displacement? Will her son ever love mango pickle? In her search for answers Samantha encounters demon bowls, the perils of kohl, and the unexpected joys of fusion food. As Samantha considers what we lose and keep, she also asks what we might need to let go of to preserve our culture and ourselves.

EJC Reads — our monthly book club for seniors — meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 11am-noon at EJC. Free. No RSVP required. Snacks & drinks provided.