Black History Month at Beth Sholom: A Message from Rabbi Richman

Image courtesy of whyy.org

My mother called me from Virginia to tell me she read The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, and that I should read it, too. McBride’s first book was a  beautiful non-fiction memoir about his white Jewish mother, The Color of Water. It was a great recommendation, and I am passing it on to you.

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is a rollicking tale of the Jewish community and the Black community intersecting in 1920s -1930s Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The New York Times’s review said it best: “a charming, smart, heart-blistering and heart-healing novel.” Book Review: ‘The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,’ by James McBride - The New York Times. B’chol Lashon’s staff and Board share their reflections about the book here: B'chol Lashon Heaven and Earth.

For Black History month, consider reading The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride and delve into the pain and possibilities of living in community.