For over a year now, I’ve been working on a manuscript, and I’m honored to share some news!
Beginning this October, I will be publishing the book in serial installments across Jewfolk Media.
Why a novel? Why fiction, when the world is already so full of real, urgent stories? I explain all of this and more in this article AND I share the cover reveal and synopsis of the book that is so very close to my heart and that I can’t wait to share –in full, right here, with you!
This sneak peek is for you.
This book is ambitious in that it is both historical fiction AND speculative science fiction. It follows three women living during three very different time periods but facing many of the same issues we face today. I dig into all of this –and share so much more!– below.
But first, the details.
The book will be published chapter by chapter, every other week, right here on Jewfolk, Inc. and I would absolutely love it if you’d read along as I share it.
Chapter 1 will be published next Tuesday – yes, on October 7th, and yes, on purpose. More on that below.
After that, each chapter will be published right here every other week.
So, why now?
As we celebrate the Jewish New Year, I, like so many in our community, find myself in a period of reflection. Marked by the shofar’s call, the sweetness of apples and honey, and the introspection of Yom Kippur’s fast, this sacred season urges us to pause, take stock, and ask the deepest questions: Who have we been this past year? Who do we want to become?
This year, those questions have taken on new weight.
I look around at a world strained by crisis and conflict, by war and fear, by polarization and division. Personal, political, and even spiritual truths are being challenged like never before. This has left me feeling unanchored.
There is division within our country, with both sides of the political spectrum yelling that they’re right and the other side is wrong. I worry for the democratic ideals upon which the United States was built. I sometimes wonder if we’re approaching a kind of civil war not marked by borders or geography, but by ideology.
Antisemitism has surged in public and digital spaces alike. As Jews, we grieve for the loss of innocent lives, pray for peace around the world, and hold fast to our tradition of resilience. At the same time, we are living through a cultural and technological shift that seems to accelerate daily.
In a world of noise, how do we listen for the still, small voice?
In my previous role as Assistant Editor for a local Jewish newspaper, I curated articles from the two largest Jewish newswire services.
After October 7, the flood of tragic headlines became almost too much to bear. I pulled stories detailing the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians, interviewed survivors from the Nova Music Festival, and attended community memorials where I heard first-hand stories from those living in Israel the day of the attack.
Then the war escalated, and I found myself covering the growing backlash against Israel as it moved into Gaza. Terms like “colonization” and “genocide” began surfacing in mainstream discourse. I reported on acts of antisemitism, both in my local community and around the world.
Social media, once a “safe” space, turned into a battlefield of political shouting, trolling, and hate. Every scroll felt like stepping into a minefield of misinformation and anxiety. I often found myself holding my breath while reading posts or watching reels.
But amid the chaos, I began to reflect. To question. To imagine.
As a writer, I began to ask, “What if?”
And slowly, the seeds of a new novel began to take root.
I dove into our Jewish history, culture, and folklore. I researched prominent Jewish figures like the Maharal of Prague, the supposed creator of the golem, and read up on Jewish mysticism.
I examined the persistent threat of antisemitism, which continues to resurface throughout history, regardless of society’s progress. I imagined what our future could look like if the current wave of antisemitism goes unchecked. And I began to write.
And I remembered that sometimes, storytelling gives us the space to explore what news headlines can’t.
It allows us to personally experience our past and envision what our future might hold. Fiction becomes a mirror, a midrash, as well as an escape and a form of entertainment.
Image courtesy of Melissa W. Hunter (Book Brush generated image)
My novel is entitled ADAM
And while fictional, it is deeply inspired by current events.
The pages have been shaped by many of today’s headlines. In writing this piece, I have wrestled with my own questions regarding justice, hope, exile, love, and redemption. While not a fully edited work, what you will be reading is my first draft . . . a work in progress–my hope is that it will draw you in.
And I always love hearing from my readers, so hopefully these chapters will also be conversation starters.
That is the power of stories.
They foster connection and empathy.
They allow the reader to walk in another’s shoes and see outside their own lived experience. And what better moment to begin a new story than at the start of a new year? Each week, a new chapter will appear in this space. I invite you to join me as the story begins. May this be a year of healing, of renewal, of moving forward and of peace for all of us.
ADAM Synopsis
16th Century Prague
Gitele’s dreams have plagued her all her life. She wakes from them frightened and confused, and with a longing she can’t explain. On the cusp of her 15th birthday, she finally discovers the true meaning of her dreams when she witnesses her father, the Maharal of Prague, bring life to a clay figure. Created to protect his community from ‘blood libel,’ the golem is seen by the residents of the Jewish quarter of Prague as a savior, and the Maharal as a miracle worker. But Gitele knows the truth . . . that she has played a large part in the golem’s creation, and he is tied to her whims. As Gitele’s fascination with the creature grows stronger every day, the bond they share moves beyond a friendship to something more. Something dangerous.
20th Century Mandatory Palestine
When twin sisters Avital and Annalise are sent to live in Mandatory Palestine in 1934, they must say goodbye to the comfortable life they’ve always known. For Annalise, leaving their home in Vienna means leaving behind the love of her life and the future she envisioned for herself. For Avital, known by everyone as the Witch of Döbling, it marks the start of visions she can’t escape. As the sisters attempt to begin a new life on foreign soil, Avital can’t resist the urge that calls her home. She books a passage back to Europe, determined to meet her mysterious fate. But when her sister confesses a forbidden secret she has been carrying, Avital knows it is her sister who must go back instead of her . . . despite the feeling of dread that tells her something horrible will happen if she does not return.
Early 21 Century, San Francisco
The year is 2049. In a world post-October 7, antisemitism is a part of everyday culture. The Holocaust is largely forgotten and barely taught in schools, and the State of Israel no longer exists. Growing up in a home where she had to hide her Jewish identity, Ruby hopes to use her programming skills to combat the uncensored hate she sees on the Internet every day, hate that has infused every aspect of modern life. Working with her partner, Seth, Ruby eagerly launches ADAM (Antisemitic Defense Automated Machine), a bio-robotic AI, to monitor and combat antisemitic activity online. But when ADAM begins acting contrary to its programming, Ruby fears the consequences of her experiment may have disastrous results . . . and hit closer to home than she could have ever imagined.
Weaving back and forth between three different timelines, ADAM tells the story of three women united by a power they can’t explain. Utilizing Jewish folklore and history, as well as touching on current headlines and topics surrounding the moral use of technology, ADAM combines multiple genres to tell an unforgettable story of a world that was, and a world that could be.
