The Bookhers is the reading group established by the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong as a place to enjoy texts of Jewish interest, share companionship, and have interesting exchanges of ideas.
We will launch our reading for the year 5786 by reading in October A Conspiracy of Paper: A Novel by David Liss. Set in a vividly realized eighteenth-century London, detective Benjamin Weaver, a Jew, former prizefighter, and a bit of a wise guy, an inspired creation, is such an outsider he can credibly go anywhere, from a seamy tavern to raucous Exchange Alley, the Wall Street of its day, to the snuff-and-wig set of a gentleman’s club. Here Weaver takes a break from tracking down thieves (his bread and butter) to investigate the death of his father, a stock trader from whom he has long been estranged. As with all great mysteries, Weaver’s search takes him deep into places both new, such as London’s burgeoning financial markets, and personal, such as the Jewish community, which he long ago abandoned. This book is available for purchase on Amazon at
https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Paper-Novel-Benjamin-Weaver-ebook/dp/B000QCS93W/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qZduQchuqqdZPy4JqfvrLD5NUMAlzO7uEpTau_xqi9DURIjmdXAwF49_Y-zJV-QpK88WIT4Z1lyX3S9tuKd96w.VWFoz9vnFDqOPo2DlUu7O84C0_Qdeu5-BE0LqjrbM9k&qid=1761554162&sr=8-1.
We plan to gather in person and on Zoom to discuss this book at the end of November.
We will then read our own founder Robert Green z”l memoir of the founding of the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong and of the history of Progressive Judaism in Asia: A Jewish Heart: The Struggle for Status and Identity in Asia. Bob’s saga captures the history of the development of the community, the key players (including the Sassoons and the Kadoories), and the chaotic history that led to the establishment of the UJC in Hong Kong. Concurrently, he chronicles the establishment of a vibrant Reform congregation, braided with Jewish lore, and the struggles of visionaries hoping to make Hong Kong an oasis of Jewish worship, learning, and recreation in Asia. This book is now available at a discounted price in hard cover and Ebook format at https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/jewish-heart-9781666911800/. Copies are also available in the JCC library. Please order your copy now so you can read it in December and over the winter break. We will meet to discuss the book sometime in January, both in person and on Zoom. Bob Green’s best friend and also UJC founder, Chuck Monat, has agreed to attend our discussion and add insight and colour into the writing of the book and the events described.
We are the people of the book! Let’s celebrate our love of literature, deepen our community connections, and discover new worlds together. Ready to turn the page and join The Bookhers? Simply email Garry Stein at gstein888@yahoo.com, and we will add you to our chat group and mailing list. New members are always welcome!