On Being Jewish Now is a unique collection of essays that came together in the wake of the October 7th Aftermath. It was put together and published by Zibby Owens, author, podcaster, bookstore owner and founder of Zibby Media. Zibby has done what almost no one in the literary world is doing right now- she put Jewish voices on display and gave them a platform to be heard.

There are over 74 authors, actors, religious leaders and advocates in On Being Jewish Now. The book compiles reflections on life as a Jew, both now in the wake of the worst pogrom on the Jews since the Holocaust, or just in their life over the years. This is a critical moment for our community and these are real voices that are giving a peek at the reality and reactions to our current chapter in history.

The sections are as follows: Jewish Pride and Joy, You Have to Laugh, I Thought We Were Friends, An (Unlikely?) Activist, Jewish Mom Life, Bling, Am I a Good Enough Jew?, In Loving Memory, Happy (?) Holidays, Represent!, and Quiet! The Rabbi is Talking. The essays are all short. You can easily breeze through this book in a day, in fact, I know some people who did.

I have a few friends who aren’t frequent readers and they picked this book up because they too were looking to hear from Jewish voices among the masses. One thing has become really clear over the last year and a half, the Jewish community needs each other and part of feeling that cohesive sense of support and togetherness is hearing other people speak up. People who never felt particularly religious or strong about their Jewish identity, are suddenly getting involved in fighting misinformation and antisemitism.

On Being Jewish Now brings to mind a famous quote, “I am not a Jew with trembling knees.” The writers in this book, whether by choice or by fate, are embracing what it means to be a Jew in a post October 7th world. There are situations and conversations that they didn’t imagine having, a growing sense of advocacy and a reshaping of their Jewish identities. This collection of essays is a must read.