120 Jewish Books For Every Age

AGE 1
My First Jewish Baby Book: Almost Everything You Need To Know About Being Jewish
^{by Julie Merberg}
You’re never too young to start learning.

AGE 2
Goodnight Bubbala
^{by Sheryl Haft}
A classic bedtime tale, reimagined with two little bubbies, schlepping their hubbies.

AGE 3
Where the Wild Things Are
^{by Maurice Sendak}
Learn to avoid going to bed without supper.

AGE 4
Why Noah Chose the Dove
^{by Isaac Bashevis Singer}
The dove didn’t brag; neither should you. All animals are beautiful and valuable.

AGE 5
It Could Always Be Worse
^{by Margot Zemach}
The original argument for why you should finish your broccoli. Some people have no food at all.

AGE 6
The House on the Roof: A Sukkot Story
^{by David Adler}
Tolerating those who are different from you is a lesson you are never young enough to learn.

AGE 7
Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins
^{by Eric Kimmel}
The art will frighten you, but it’s a good kind of fright. There is evil in this world, but it can be vanquished.

AGE 8
Stories for Children
^{by Isaac Bashevis Singer}
Your first helping of Yiddishkeit and all of its whimsical morality.

AGE 9
Number the Stars
^{by Lois Lowry}
The world is full of unspeakable bad – and, sometimes, overwhelming good.

AGE 10
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
^{by Ransom Riggs}
Sometimes you need a good escape, and that’s alright.

AGE 11
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
^{by Judy Blume}
There isn’t just one way to think about God, though many people in life may tell you otherwise.

AGE 12
The Devil’s Arithmetic
^{by Jane Yolen}
Haunting and transportive – this feels like it could happen to you.

AGE 13
The Chosen
^{by Chaim Potok}
For a b’nai mitzvah present, get a taste of how Judaism and secular culture collide and coexist.

AGE 14
The Illustrated Pirkei Avot
^{by Jessica Deutsch}
The gorgeous illustrations will trick you into studying Jewish ethics – and remind you that while you are not obligated to complete the work, neither are you free to desist from it.

AGE 15
The Diary of a Young Girl
^{by Anne Frank}
See yourself reflected in one of history’s most beloved and tragic Jews.

AGE 16
Exodus
^{by Leon Uris}
History isn’t dead. It’s a blockbuster.

AGE 17
Survival in Auschwitz
^{by Primo Levi}
A cornerstone of Jewish education and a titan of Holocaust literature. You’ll never forget it.

AGE 18
As a Driven Leaf
^{by Milton Steinberg}
The Talmud comes to life.

AGE 19
The Return
^{by Sonia Levitin}
Not all Jews look the same.

AGE 20
Jewish Literacy
^{by Joseph Telushkin}
Take this primer with you on your semester abroad.

AGE 21
People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present
^{by Dara Horn}
The real deal on antisemitism.

AGE 22
36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction
^{by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein}
Nothing this funny should be so thought-provoking.

AGE 23
When Bad Things Happen to Good People
^{by Harold Kushner}
Unfortunately, you’re old enough to be asking yourself these sorts of questions.

AGE 24
The Red Tent
^{by Anita Diamant}
A landmark of Jewish feminist literature.

AGE 25
How to Read the Jewish Bible
^{by Marc Zvi Brettler}
Thought you knew how to read it? Think again.

AGE 26
Foreskin’s Lament
^{by Shalom Auslander}
It’s perfectly understandable to be bitter about some things. Maybe a therapist would help.

AGE 27
Jephte’s Daughter
^{by Naomi Ragen}
Essential reading if ultra-Orthodox Judaism is as alien to you as Mars.

AGE 28
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
^{by Michael Chabon}
Fall in love with the theatrics of language – and the ambitions of mid-twentieth century New York Jews.

AGE 29
The Sabbath
^{by Abraham Joshua Heschel}
Even you could use a day off. Make good, meaningful use of it.

AGE 30
The Jewish Catalog
^{compiled by Michael and Sharon Strassfeld}
A DIY guide to building your Jewish home and life, for novices and experts alike.

AGE 31
On Being a Jew
^{by James Kugel}
Beautiful reflections on a life of Jewish observance.

AGE 32
Poems of Jerusalem and Love Poems
^{by Yehuda Amichai}
The greatest modern Israeli poet is the perfect voice for how to enter your thirties gracefully.

AGE 33
The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism
^{edited by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg}
The Holy Book takes on all things below the belt.

AGE 34
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
^{by Art Spiegelman}
Enjoy masterful comic art while deepening your empathy.

AGE 35
Angels in America
^{by Tony Kushner}
Expansive, heartbreaking, breathtaking drama.

AGE 36
The Blessing of a Skinned Knee
^{by Wendy Mogel}
How to parent sagely. No helicoptering for you.

AGE 37
Ragtime
^{by E.L. Doctorow}
Playing with American history has never been so fun.

AGE 38
The Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis
^{by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg}
Your mid-thirties seem like the right time for a new take on an old Book.

AGE 39
Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism
^{by Sarah Hurwitz}
Why do Jew?

AGE 40
Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism
^{by Gershom Scholem}
At 40 you are finally ready to explore Kabbalah.

AGE 41
If All the Seas Were Ink
^{by Ilana Kurshan}
A memoir of divorce and Talmud — could be useful, you never know.

AGE 42
My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew
^{by Abigail Pogrebin}
If the High Holidays are your only observance, this might persuade you to spice up the mix.

AGE 43
The Lonely Man of Faith
^{by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik}
On the other hand, if you feel like the only one communing with a higher power, this reminds you that you’re in good company.

AGE 44
The Shawl
^{by Cynthia Ozick}
Everyday items can be imbued with enormous meaning. Just ask your kids.

AGE 45
A Tale of Love and Darkness
^{by Amos Oz}
The history not just of one man’s life – but of a homeland’s, too.

AGE 46
Ethics
^{by Baruch Spinoza}
By now you may have some pretty entrenched beliefs. You might not agree with Spinoza’s, but at least he’ll make you account for your faith.

AGE 47
The Finkler Question
^{by Howard Jacobson}
It’s tough being a Jew in England, too.

AGE 48
Bee Season
^{by Myla Goldberg}
Do your kids like to spell? If so: good luck.

AGE 49
People of the Book
^{by Moshe Halbertal}
Books have always held us together.

AGE 50
People of the Book
^{by Geraldine Brooks}
An imagined history for the famed Sarajevo Haggadah.

AGE 51
The Source
^{by James A. Michener}
If you haven’t had a call to a higher purpose yet, remember that it’s never too late.

AGE 52
Life and Fate
^{by Vassily Grossman}
A good time for a Russian juggernaut of a novel.

AGE 53
Lithuanian Yeshivas of the Nineteenth Century: Creating a Tradition of Learning
^{by Shaul Stampfer}
The classic work on the most classic of Jewish institutions.

AGE 54
The Memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln
^{by Glückel of Hameln}
Fourteen children and a business to run: This Jewish widow was an ordinary 17th century hero.

AGE 55
The History of Love
^{by Nicole Krauss}
Your life has many complex, intertwining tales.

AGE 56
Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew
^{by Neil Gillman}
Halfway there. Here are the questions to confront for the second half.

AGE 57
This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared
^{by Alan Lew}
The High Holidays will transform your life.

AGE 58
The Dream of the Poem: Hebrew Poetry from Muslim and Christian Spain, 950-1492
^{by Peter Cole}
Jewish poetry unlocked.

AGE 59
Tales of the Hasidim
^{by Martin Buber}
Fall in love with Jewishness again.

AGE 60
The Adventures of Augie March
^{by Saul Bellow}
A tough read but worth it. Give yourself a good challenge with the Jewish Tom Sawyer.

AGE 61
Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory
^{by Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi}
Could this be the secret to Jewish survival?

AGE 62
Taking Hold of Torah: Jewish Commitment and Community in America
^{by Arnold Eisen}
A path forward for American Judaism.

AGE 63
The Thirteen Petalled Rose
^{by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz}
Explore new spiritual dimensions.

AGE 64
A Student’s Obligation: Advice from the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto
^{by Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira}
A master educator inspires.

AGE 65
Ben-Gurion: Father of Modern Israel
^{by Anita Shapira}
Aim to leave a legacy like this one. If you make it an eighth of the way, you’ll have succeeded.

AGE 66
The Ruined House
^{by Ruby Namdar}
What does it all mean?

AGE 67
The Grammar of God
^{by Aviya Kushner}
Translation really matters.

AGE 68
Eichmann in Jerusalem
^{by Hannah Arendt}
The sophistication of thought will make you smarter. It’ll also remind you to remain vigilant.

AGE 69
Badenheim 1939
^{by Aharon Appelfeld}
By now, you might have learned that you can’t always tell when things are going to change for the worse. Enjoy the good bits while you can.

AGE 70
Anti-Semite and Jew
^{by Jean-Paul Sartre}
An urbane take on antisemitism.

AGE 71
Kaddish and Other Poems
^{by Allen Ginsberg}
A reflection on how complicated life and loss can be, with a burst of resonant beauty.

AGE 72
The Jewish Wars
^{by Josephus}
You’re getting older. There’s still, as always, more to learn.

AGE 73
Old-New Land
^{by Theodor Herzl}
Your relationship with Israel may be complicated. Nevertheless, you and Herzl probably agree on a few important points.

AGE 74
Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex
^{by Ruth Westheimer}
What else are you going to do in retirement?

AGE 75
Inside, Outside
^{by Herman Wouk}
Family through the decades.

AGE 76
Dolly City
^{by Orly Castel-Bloom}
You’ve read Herzl. See what’s become of his dream.

AGE 77
Here I Am
^{by Jonathan Safran Foer}
For when intergenerational gaps are overwhelming.

AGE 78
Call It Sleep
^{by Henry Roth}
Even your own life can feel mythical at times.

AGE 79
The Trial
^{by Franz Kafka}
For the hours, days, months, years you’ve spent wading through red tape.

AGE 80
Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means
^{by Michael Krasny}
For the grandkids.

AGE 81
Against Interpretation
^{by Susan Sontag}
There isn’t only one way to look at art.

AGE 82
Kaddish
^{by Leon Wieseltier}
An erudite guide to grieving.

AGE 83
A Walker in the City
^{by Alfred Kazin}
“That good and deep odor of lox, of salami, of herrings and half-sour pickles.”

AGE 84
From Berlin to Jerusalem
^{by Gershon Scholem}
Maybe you should write a memoir.

AGE 85
Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza
^{by Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole}
The story of an amazing trove of ancient documents.

AGE 86
See Under: Love
^{by David Grossman}
You are never too old for a good, long cry.

AGE 87
Her First American
^{by Lore Segal}
Life is complicated, but full of love in unexpected places.

AGE 88
Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls
^{by Lawrence H. Schiffman}
The real deal on one of the sexiest archaeological discoveries.

AGE 89
The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning
^{by Maurice Lamm}
A helpful companion for the times.

AGE 90
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute
^{by Grace Paley}
Rewrites the rules of the short story; forms are meant to be messed with.

AGE 91
The Counterlife
^{by Philip Roth}
Your life could have turned out quite differently.

AGE 92
The Pawnbroker
^{by Edward Lewis Wallant}
Bad memories and old traumas tend to age with you.

AGE 93
The Wise Men of Helm and Their Merry Tales
^{by Solomon Simon}
Hysterical tales to share with the grandkids.

AGE 94
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin
^{by Timothy Snyder}
So much of the formation of the modern world—including your own—is messy and sad.

AGE 95
Death of a Salesman
^{by Arthur Miller}
See yourself in the poorest of poor schlubs.

AGE 96
Notes on a Century: Reflections of A Middle East Historian
^{by Bernard Lewis}
Certain things just get more and more confusing the older you get. Like, say, the Middle East.

AGE 97
The Fixer
^{by Bernard Malamud}
You’ll never appreciate your material possessions — and your freedom — more.

AGE 98
A Letter in the Scroll
^{by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks}
Jews often describe themselves as people who have flourished in the face of peril. Maybe you relate.

AGE 99
The Guide for the Perplexed
^{by Moses Maimonides}
You’re still confused by theology after all these years.

AGE 100
Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year Old Author
^{by Herman Wouk}
A whole life in poignant, witty reflection.

AGE 101
Man’s Search For Meaning
^{by Viktor E. Frankl}
Put the long, anarchic project of your life into some much-needed perspective.

AGE 102
The Book of J
^{by Harold Bloom}
Did a woman write the Torah?

AGE 103
Oy, Caramba! An Anthology of Jewish Stories from Latin America
^{by Ilan Stavans}
Also try The Seventh Heaven.

AGE 104
The Story of the Jews, Vol I: Finding the Words: 100 BCE – 1492 CE
^{by Simon Schama}
You have time on your hands. Time enough for an undertaking the size of the Jewish people.

AGE 105
Belonging: The Story of the Jews, Vol. II: 1492 – 1990
^{by Simon Schama}
You’re halfway there. Finish the journey.

AGE 106
The Collected Stories of Deborah Eisenberg
^{by Deborah Eisenberg}
American life presented smartly and starkly. This is happening all around you.

AGE 107
The Five Books of Moses
^{translation by Robert Alter}
It’s never too late to revisit The Classic.

AGE 108
Only Yesterday
^{by S. Y. Agnon}
You can’t get enough of these origin stories. Maybe it has something to do with aging. Who knows?

AGE 109
The Shabbes Goy: A Study in Halakhic Flexibility
^{by Jacob Katz}
You’ve seen some stuff in your time, and you’ve adapted. So have your people.

AGE 110
Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation
^{by Aryeh Kaplan}
After a lifetime of empiricism, maybe you want to give the mystics their chance.

AGE 111
The Penguin Book of Hebrew Verse
^{edited by Carmi Charney}
How many poems can you recite from heart?

AGE 112
The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God
^{by Etgar Keret}
A lovely, strange reminder of the magic around you.

AGE 113
The Book of Genesis Illustrated
^{by R. Crumb}
The oldest story in a new light.

AGE 114
Selected Poems
^{by Emma Lazarus}
You have so much to be thankful for — so much beauty to revel in.

AGE 115
Seek My Face: A Jewish Mystical Theology
^{by Arthur Green}
Jewish mysticism for the modern era.

AGE 116
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
^{by Yuval Noah Harari}
How did we get here? Where are we going?

AGE 117
Everything in Its Place: First Loves and Last Tales
^{by Oliver Sacks}
End-of-life ailments dissected for those who love to learn.

AGE 118
The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son
^{by Jon D. Levenson}
A new look at both Judaism and Christianity.

AGE 119
Filled with Fire and Light
^{by Elie Wiesel}
Great lives, across time and space.

AGE 120
I And Thou
^{by Martin Buber}
Enough said.