Education and understanding are key in fighting all forms of prejudice, and one of the best ways to do this is to learn more about different cultures. Antisemitism (anti-Jewish hate) has existed for centuries and is a growing problem around the world, especially in Britain, yet it isn’t often addressed. 

There are many books focusing on the Jewish experience – fiction, non-fiction and memoirs from Holocaust survivors. Here is a small collection to improve your knowledge of Judaism and help you learn more about the Jewish community.  

Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel is a ‘must read’ when it comes to the issue of antisemitism. This is a powerful analysis of why anti-Jewish hatred is often ignored and left to fester in modern Britain. Ben M. Freeman’s Reclaiming Our Story takes the issue of antisemitism even further, looking at how it has impacted upon Jews themselves, causing many to hide (or dampen down) their Jewishness – and why it’s important for all Jews to regain their Jewish pride.

Everyone’s experience of feeling Jewish is different, as revealed by Matt Greene in Jew(ish), which explores Jewish identity in 2020 from his personal perspective. In House of Glass, Hadley Freeman pieces together her own family history from old letters, photos and an unpublished memoir, while exploring the concept of Jewish identity and assimilation in the 20th century. 

When it comes to learning about the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust, it’s important to focus on the true survivor accounts rather than the fictionalised stories. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is the best-known Holocaust memoir and is a powerful and inspiring read for all ages. The Choice by Edith Eger is an Auschwitz survivor’s story of survival, resilience and hope (she was just 16 when she was sent to the camp). In the more-recently published Lily’s Promise, Lily Ebert, who also survived Auschwitz, describes her horrific experiences and how she slowly rebuilt her life afterwards, despite being haunted by the pain of her past. The Complete MAUS by Art Spiegelman is a work of art, as well as a brutal, honest account of Hitler’s Europe, portrayed in the form of an outstanding graphic novel by the son of a Holocaust survivor.

Fiction can also be a powerful medium in which to explore Jewish culture and heritage. In The Light of the Midnight Stars, Rena Rossner combines Jewish history, practices and folklore to create a mesmerising tale of family and survival, against a backdrop of religious persecution. The Slaughterman’s Daughter by Yaniv Iczkovits is an award-winning historical adventure set in a small town in the Pale of Settlement during the final years of the Russian Empire. Underlying the dark Yiddish humour and cultural references is a strong sense of the prolific antisemitism during that era. 

The Redeemer by Victoria Goldman is the first crime novel to explore Jewish life in modern Britain. In a small English town, a journalist uncovers a series of threatening fake historic plaques and vigilante killings spanning several decades, with ties to the local Jewish community. Run You Down by Julia Dahl (the first book in the Rebekah Roberts trilogy) features a tabloid journalist exploring crimes, secrets and culture in the religious Hasidic community in Brooklyn, while Faye Kellerman’s The Ritual Bath (the first book in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series) focuses on crimes in a strict Orthodox Jewish community in Los Angeles. 

Finally, food and mealtimes are an essential part of Jewish culture and family life. The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden explores the diversity of traditional Jewish cuisine around the world throughout the centuries, with mouth-watering recipes from traditional plaited Challah bread to spicy Moroccan dishes.