Jewish Heritage Month

Celebrate Canadian Jewish Heritage Month by choosing one of our recommended reads. For all ages.

Updated April 22, 2025
W
Winnipeg Public Library
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1

Nothing the same, everything haunted : the ballad of Motl the cowboy
Barwin, Gary
Paper Book
A middle-aged Jewish man who fantasizes about being a cowboy goes on an eccentric quest across Europe after the 1941 Nazi invasion of Lithuania in this wild and witty yet heartrending novel from the bestselling author of Yiddish for Pirates, shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize....

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author

2

La carte postale : roman
Berest, Anne
Paper Book

En 2003, l'ecrivaine recoit une carte postale anonyme sur laquelle sont notes les prenoms des grands-parents de sa mere, de sa tante et de son oncle, morts a Auschwitz en 1942. Elle enquete pour decouvrir l'auteur de cette missive et plonge dans l'histoire de sa famille maternelle, les Rabinovitch, et de sa grand-mere Myriam qui a echappe a la deportation.

Aussi disponible en format numerique.

3

The postcard
Berest, Anne
Paper Book
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR TIME Magazine・NPR・Library Journal・The Globe and Mail・Lilith・Forward Magazine・Toronto Star・The New Yorker Winner of the Choix Goncourt Prize, Anne Berest...

Also available in eBook or eAudiobook formats.

4

Immigrant city : stories
Bezmozgis, David
Paper Book
FINALIST FOR THE 2019 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE Award-winning author David Bezmozgis's first story collection in more than a decade, hailed by the Toronto Star as "intelligent, funny, unfailingly sympathetic" In the title story, a father and his young daughter stumble into a bizarre...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

5

The Full Catastrophe: A Novel
Cook, Méira
Paper Book
Winner, 2023 Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction Finalist, 2023 McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award A compassionate and funny novel about defining yourself, the communities that support us, and the journeys that secrets propel. Charlie Minkoff, a thirteen...

Also available in eBook and Book Club Kit formats.

Canadian author.

6

Serge
Reza, Yasmina
Paper Book

« Chez ma mere, sur sa table de chevet, il y avait une photo de nous trois rigolant enchevetres l’un sur l’autre dans une brouette. C’est comme si on nous avait pousses dedans a une vitesse vertigineuse et qu’on nous avait verses dans le temps. »

7

One night, Markovitch
Gundar-Goshen, Ayelet
Paper Book
Captain Corelli's Mandolinmeets The Marrying of Chani Kaufmanin this cinematic novel about the birth of Israel and the true story of the marriages of convenience that were arranged to smuggle Jewish women out of Nazi-occupied Europe. On the eve of World War II, a ship bearing twenty young...
Also available in eBook format.

8

All the shining people : stories
Friedman, Kathy
Paper Book
Finalist, 2023 Trillium Book Award Finalist, Writers Union of Canada 2023 Daunta Gleed Literary Award Finalist, 2023 ReLit Award for Short Fiction Twelve exquisitely written stories depicting the search for human connection and the attempt to fit in far from home. All...

Canadian author.

9

Léa
Freedman, Ariela
Paper Book
How do you change the world? Meet Léa, polyglot, labour activist, farbrente feminist. Born to a large Jewish family and raised in a French Catholic town, Léa moves fluidly between languages and cultures. Her search for meaning and her instinct for justice place her at the centre of the...

Canadian author.

10

You are not what we expected
Ludwig, Sidura
Paper Book
This stunningly intimate collection of stories is an exquisite portrait of a Jewish community--the secular and religious families who inhabit it and the tensions that exist there --that illuminates the unexpected ways we remain connected during times of change. When Uncle Isaac moves back...

Canadian author.

11

Girl in the blue coat
Hesse, Monica
Paper Book
"A beautiful combination of heartbreak, loss, young love, and hope."―Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale   ★ NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ★ Edgar Award Winner for Best Young Adult Mystery Novel...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

12

Une fille au manteau bleu
Hesse, Monica
Paper Book

Aussi disponble en format numerique.

13

The singing forest
McCormack, J. A.
Paper Book
A NYT Book Review Best Historical Fiction Book of the Year "The Singing Forest blends thought-provoking reflections on the moral reckoning of war crimes with ... a young woman's attempts to decode her eccentric professional and personal families."--Alida Becker, New York Times ...

Canadian author.

14

Prairie Sonata
Rabin, Sandy Shefrin
Paper Book
Richly textured and lyrically written, Prairie Sonata is the story of Mira Adler and her journey from innocence to experience. Mira grows up in post-World War II Canada, in a close-knit Manitoba community founded by secular Jews from Eastern Europe. At the heart of her journey is the friendship that...

Canadian author.

15

Daughters of the Occupation: A Novel
Sanders, Shelly
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER Shortlisted for Best Crime Novel by the Crime Writers of Canada Award Based on a true story, this powerful novel is set in Latvia's capital during the horrific Rumbula massacre when 30,000 Jews were slaughtered over two days in 1941 When Miriam and her...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

16

Rue des Rosiers
Tregebov, Rhea
Paper Book
When Sarah is fired from her Toronto job, a chance stay in Paris opens her up to new direction and purpose. But when she reads the writing on the wall above her local Metro subway station, death to the Jews, shadows from childhood rise again. And as her path crosses that of Laila, a young woman...

Canadian author.

17

Room for one more
Polak, Monique
Paper Book
For twelve-year-old Rosetta Wolfson, the war in Europe seems very far off from her home in Canada. Then Mr. Schwartzberg comes to tea and asks Rosetta's parents if they will take in a young war refugee. Isaac joins the family and becomes a ready-made brother to Rosetta and her two sisters. ...

Canadian author.

18

The Most Charming Creatures: Poems
Barwin, Gary
Paper Book
With uncanny wit, inventive beauty, and numinous surprise, The Most Charming Creatures explores the contemporary and its language, considering our wonder, sorrow, bewilderment, anxiety, and tenderness. While these poems energize and connect and "turn the paren- / theses inside out so that /...

Canadian author.

19

Boy from Buchenwald : the true story of a Holocaust survivor
Waisman, Robert
Paper Book
It was 1945 and Romek Wajsman had just been liberated from Buchenwald, a brutal concentration camp where more than 60,000 people were killed. He was starving, tortured, and had no idea where his family was--let alone if they were alive. Along with 472 other boys, including Elie Wiesel, these...

Canadian author.

20

Underdog : confessions of a right-wing gay Jewish muckraker
Levy, Sue-Ann
Paper Book
An outspoken, right-wing lipstick lesbian, Sue-Ann Levy has spent her life challenging the status quo - from championing the underdog to taking on the Liberal left, to running as the first openly gay candidate for the Ontario Progressive Conservative party in 2009. Underdog chronicles Levy's journey...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

21

Jewish literature : a very short introduction
Stavans, Ilan
Paper Book
The story of Jewish literature is a kaleidoscopic one, multilingual and transnational in character, spanning the globe as well as the centuries. In this broad, thought-provoking introduction to Jewish literature from 1492 to the present, cultural historian Ilan Stavans focuses on its...

22

Histoire des Juifs du Québec
Anctil, Pierre
Paper Book

Auteure canadienne.

23

Brazen : my unorthodox journey from long sleeves to lingerie
Haart, Julia
Paper Book
WALL STREET JOURNAL AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER * From the star of the Netflix reality series My Unorthodox Life, a riveting, inspiring memoir of one woman's escape from an extremist religious sect and an extraordinary rise from housewife to shoe designer, to CEO and co...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

24

The power of teamwork : how we can all work better together
Goldman, Brian
Paper Book
The national bestseller from the host of CBC Radio's White Coat, Black Art--now in paperback! In the high-pressure and complex setting of health care, a new approach to teamwork is leading to healthier patients, happier staff and more efficient operations. Doctors are learning art...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

25

The color of love : a story of a mixed-race Jewish girl
Gad, Marra B.
Paper Book
Winner of the 2020 Midwest Book Award in Autobiography/Memoir, The Color of Love is an unforgettable memoir about a mixed-race Jewish woman who, after fifteen years of estrangement from her racist great-aunt, helps bring her home when Alzheimer's strikes. In 1970, three...

Also available in eBook format.

26

Antisemitism : what it is, what it isn't, why it matters
Neuberger, Julia
Paper Book
Antisemitism has been on the rise in recent years, with violent attacks, increased verbal insults, and an acceptability in some circles of what would hitherto have been condemned as outrageous antisemitic discourse. Yet despite the dramatic increase in debate and discussion around antisemitism,...

27

Who by fire : war, atonement, and the resurrection of Leonard Cohen
Friedman, Matti
Paper Book
The incredible never-before-told story of Leonard Cohen's 1973 tour of Israel during the Yom Kippur War.  "Who by Fire is a stunning resurrection of a moment in the life of Leonard Cohen and the history of Israel. It's the story of a young artist in crisis and a young...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

28

Modern kosher : global flavors, new traditions
Gardiner, Michael Aaron
Paper Book
This dynamic, inspiring set of recipes includes Asian, Indian, Latin, European, and Israeli influences, fresh ingredients, and modern techniques to present a bright, elevated vision of everyday kosher cooking. Taking a food-forward, modern approach to the laws of kashrut, 100...

29

Double threat : Canadian Jews, the military, and World War II
Bessner, Ellin
Paper Book
"He died so Jewry should suffer no more." These words on a Canadian Jewish soldier's tombstone in Normandy inspired the author to explore the role of Canadian Jews in the war effort. As PM Mackenzie King wrote in 1947, Jewish servicemen faced a "double threat" - they were not only fighting...

Canadian author.

30

The ever-dying people? : Canada's Jews in comparative perspective
Brym, Robert J.
Paper Book
Demise by assimilation or antisemitism is often held to be the inevitable future of Jews in Canada and other diaspora countries. The Ever-Dying People?shows that the Jewish diaspora, while often held to be in decline, is influenced by a range of identifiable sociological and historical...

Canadian author.

31

Anti-Semitism and the MS St. Louis : Canada's anti-Semitic immigration policies in the twentieth century
Arato, Rona.
Paper Book
"This story and the others in the "Righting Canada's Wrongs" series should be essential teaching in Canadian classrooms at all grades." -- CM: Canadian Review of Materials Prior to the Second World War, Canada's Jewish community was well established in many cities, including Toronto,...

32

Friends and enemies : a memoir
Amiel, Barbara
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER Barbara Amiel's much-talked-about life has been a subject of endless fascination for the media, many unauthorized biographies, as well as screen depictions. An instinctive feminist and now a foe of feminism's political correctness, she covers a formidable array of...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

33

Dead mom walking : a memoir of miracle cures and other disasters
Matlow, Rachel
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED for the 2021 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize SHORTLISTED for the 2021 Vine Award in Non-Fiction "A comedy for catastrophic times." --CBC "A hilarious memoir of effervescent misadventures." --Toronto Star...
Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

34

"Nice" Jewish girls
Merberg, Julie
Paper Book
Probing the lives of historic icons like Anne Frank to contemporary heroines such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the book also provides an overview of modern Jewish history. Subjects ranging from Anna Freud, the founder of psychoanalytic child psychology to fashion mogul Diane von Furstenberg to...

35

Seeking the fabled city : the Canadian Jewish experience
Levine, Allan
Paper Book
In this definitive and meticulously researched account of the Jewish experience in Canada, award-winning and critically acclaimed author Allan Levine documents a story that is rich, accessible, often surprising, and epic in its scope. Relying on an abundance of primary sources and first-hand...

Canadian author.

36

A boy is not a bird
Ravel, Edeet
Paper Book
A young boy named Natt finds his world overturned when his family is uprooted and exiled to Siberia during the occupation of the Soviet Ukraine by Nazi Germany. In 1941, life in Natt's small town of Zastavna is comfortable and familiar, even if the grownups are acting strange, and his...

Canadian author.

37

Honey and me
Drazin, Meira
Paper Book
Fans of Judy Blume, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, and The Penderwicks will love this funny, charismatic story of a Jewish girl striving to forge her own identity in the shadow of her fearless best friend. **A 2023 Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book!** **A...

38

We Belong Here
Wishinsky, Frieda.
Paper Book
In troubling times, two very different children find power in friendship and solidarity. Eve Bloom doesn't like being taunted at school for being a newcomer. This is her home. When Eve notices the same children bullying Mark Nakamura for his Japanese culture, she jumps in to defend him. A...

Canadian author

39

Osnat and her dove : the true story of the world's first female rabbi
Samuel, Sigal
Paper Book
Osnat was born five hundred years ago - at a time when almost everyone believed in miracles. But very few believed that girls should learn to read. Yet Osnat's father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books. And she convinced him to teach her. Then she in turn grew up...

Canadian author

40

Quand les grands jouaient a? la guerre : roman
Flutsztejn-Gruda, Ilona

41

The promise : a story of two sisters, prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp
Bat-Zvi, Pnina
Paper Book
The night that Rachel and Toby's parents are taken away by the Nazis, they give their young daughters three gold coins with the instructions to "use these wisely to help save your lives." They also ask the girls to promise that they will always stay together. This compelling true story follows the...

Canadian author.

42

La promesse : l'histoire de deux sœurs prisonnières d'un camp de concentration nazi
Bat-Zvi, Pnina.
Paper Book
See below for English description. Basé sur la vraie histoire de deux soeurs courageuses qui ont survécu au camp d'Auschwitz après avoir fait la promesse à leurs parents de toujours rester ensemble, quoi qu'il arrive. La nuit où les parents de Toby et Rachel ont été emmenés...

Auteure canadienne.

43

She's a mensch! : ten amazing Jewish women
Dublin, Anne
Paper Book
From the poorest neighborhoods in Kenya to the halls of the Canadian Supreme Court, the Jewish women found in these pages have accomplished remarkable feats. Some survived the horrors of the Holocaust while others had more peaceful childhoods, but all of them saw unfairness in their world and...

Canadian author.

44

Jew-ish : reinvented recipes from a modern mensch : a cookbook
Cohen, Jake
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! A brilliantly modern take on Jewish culinary traditions for a new generation of readers, from a bright new star in the culinary world. When you think of Jewish food, a few classics come to mind:...

Also available in eBook format.

45

Rising
Ludwig, Sidura
Paper Book
An Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Honor Book A quiet, joyful story celebrating a Jewish mother's tradition of making challah with her child merges a lyrical text with stunning illustrations--and includes the author's favorite recipe. Melt into the...

Canadian author.

46

Let it glow
Meyer, Marissa
Paper Book
Now a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestseller! When Aviva Davis and Holly Martin meet at the holiday pageant tryouts for their local senior's center, they think they must be seeing double. While they both knew they were adopted, they had no idea they had a biological sibling,...

Also available in eBook and eAudiobook formats.

Canadian author.

47

A struggle for hope
Matas, Carol
Paper Book
A gripping story of survival and hope from acclaimed author Carol Matas. Ruth survived the Holocaust and the long journey to Palestine. Now she finds herself once again in a war zone as Israel battles for its existence. Her brother is on the front lines. Ruth and her boyfriend are injured...

Canadian author.

48

By Chance Alone: the Young Readers' Edition : A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz
Eisen, Max
Paper Book
The moving, award-winning Canada Reads book from Holocaust survivor Max Eisen, now adapted for young readers Tibor "Max" Eisen was born in Czechoslovakia into an Orthodox Jewish family. He lived in a compound with his parents, his two younger brothers, his baby sister, his paternal...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

49

I Am Jewish
Silver, Erin.

Canadian author.

50

Two pieces of chocolate
Kacer, Kathy
Paper Book
In 1945, young Francine and her maman are sent to the Bergen-Belsen Nazi prison camp, where life is gray and hopeless. Determined to lift Francine's spirits, Maman shares a secret: hidden inside her bag are two pieces of chocolate. They're the first sweets Francine has seen in years, but Maman...

Canadian author.

51

Le goût de l'espoir
Kacer, Kathy.
See below for English description. En 1945, la petite Francine et sa mère sont envoyées dans le camp nazi de Bergen-Belsen. La vie y est triste et sans espoir pour les prisonniers. Soucieuse de préserver le moral de sa fille, la mère de Francine lui confie un secret : elle a deux...

Auteure canadienne.

52

The Brass Charm
Polak, Monique
Paper Book
A young girl's grandmother gives her a brass charm, and passes along a story of hope and kindness during an unimaginable time. Tali is staying at her Oma's apartment after a storm demolishes their house. She is upset at losing everything. "People have survived worse," says her mother --...

Canadian author.

53

Le Trésor D'Oma
Polak, Monique
Paper Book
See below for English description. Tali vit dans l'appartement d'Oma, car une tempête a démoli sa maison. Elle est triste d'avoir tout perdu. « Des gens ont survécu à pire que ça,Tali », lui rappelle sa mère. Oma a vécu la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, mais elle n'en parle jamais. Cette...

Auteure canadienne.

54

The woman beyond the sea
Yishai-Levi, Sarit
Paper Book
A mesmerizing novel about three generations of women who have lost each other--and the quest to weave them back into a family. An immersive historical tale spanning the life stories of three women, The Woman Beyond the Sea traces the paths of a daughter, mother, and...

55

The golem of Brooklyn : a novel
Mansbach, Adam
Paper Book
The dazzlingly imaginative, ferociously funny story of an art teacher, a bodega clerk, and a five-thousand-year-old clay crisis monster, from the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Go the F**k to Sleep. "A devastating romp through history, a bonkersroad...

56

Les grandes noirceurs
Dionne, Bernard, 1951-
Paper Book

Auteur canadien.

57

Magical meet cute
Meltzer, Jean
Paper Book
"A laugh-out-loud funny romance with depth and heart, readers will love this spellbinding novel!" --Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author Is he the real deal...or did she truly summon a golem? Faye Kaplan used to be...

Also available in eBook and Audiobook format.

58

Heroines, rescuers, rabbis, spies : unsung women of the Holocaust
Swartz, Sarah Silberstein
Paper Book
Discover nine ordinary women who took extraordinary measures to save lives during the Holocaust, resisting terror and torture while undercover or in hiding, in concentration camps, in forests, and in exile. With compassion and admiration, author Sarah Silberstein Swartz paints portraits of...

Also available in eBook format.

Canadian author.

59

Healing lives a century of Manitoba Jewish physicians
Wiseman, Eva, 1947-
Paper Book

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