Duke Jewish Alumni Network Book Club 2024-2025

View the event recording here.

About The Book

“Inspired by family lore, a young writer embarks on an epic quest through the Argentine Andes in search of a heritage spanning hemispheres and centuries, from the Jewish Levant to turn-of-the-century trade routes in South America. One Thanksgiving afternoon at his grandparents’ house, Jordan Salama discovers a large binder stuffed with yellowing papers and old photographs—a five-hundred-year wandering history of his Arab-Jewish family, from Moorish Spain to Ottoman Syria to Argentina and beyond. One story in particular captures his attention: that of his great-grandfather, a Syrian-born, Arabic-speaking Jewish immigrant to Argentina who in the 1920s worked as a traveling salesman in the Andes—and may have left behind forgotten descendants along the way. Encouraged by his grandfather, Jordan goes in search of these “Lost Salamas,” traveling more than a thousand miles up the spine of South America’s greatest mountain range. Combining travelog, history, memoir, and reportage, Stranger in the Desert transports readers from the lonely plains of Patagonia to the breathtaking altiplano of the high Andes; from the old Jewish quarter of Damascus to today’s vibrant neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. It is also a fervent journey of self-discovery as Salama grapples with his own Jewish, Arab, and Latin American identities, interrogating the stories families tell themselves, and to what end.”

About The Author

Jor­dan Sala­ma is a writer cov­er­ing cul­ture and the envi­ron­ment in the Amer­i­c­as. His essays and sto­ries have appeared in Nation­al Geo­graph­ic, New York Mag­a­zine, The New York Times and oth­er pub­li­ca­tions. An Amer­i­can writer of Argen­tine, Syr­i­an, and Iraqi Jew­ish descent, he is the author of Every Day the Riv­er Changes, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2021, and the 2022 Prince­ton ​“Pre-Read,” and Stranger in the Desert, forth­com­ing in Feb­ru­ary 2024. He grad­u­at­ed from Prince­ton Uni­ver­si­ty in 2019 and has been based, in recent years, between New York and Buenos Aires. In his free time, he enjoys jam­ming on the piano and gui­tar with his younger broth­ers, play­ing soc­cer, and kayak­ing in the waters of NYC.

Discussion Facilitator

Danya Belkin ’25, Current Duke Senior and Co-Founded of Jewtinos@Duke

Danya Belkin is a Duke senior from Santa Barbara, California, studying Political Science, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Spanish. She plans to obtain a law degree after graduation. Before attending Duke, she took a gap year in Israel (2020-2021). Danya has been active in Latin and Jewish communities since high school. She is President of Duke Friends of Israel and founded Jewtinos@Duke, a Jewish-Latino student group advised by Jewish Life at Duke. She interned at the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, a legal nonprofit focused on combating antisemitism. As the culmination of her internship, she organized a conference at Duke titled “Common Ground: Anti-Semitism, Zionism and Dialogue.” Additionally, she interned at the immigration law firm, Goldstein & Lee, P.C. Danya also studied in Madrid, Spain, during the Fall 2023 semester. In her free time, Danya enjoys traveling.

About The Book

“Hannah and Eric Rosenthal are devout Jews living in North London with their three children and Eric’s father Yosef, a Holocaust survivor. Both intellectually gifted and deeply unconventional, the Rosenthals believe in the literal truth of the Old Testament and in the presence of God (and evil) in daily life. As Hannah prepares to publish an account of Yosef’s years in war-torn Europe—unearthing a terrible secret from his time in the camps—Elsie, her perfect daughter, starts to come undone. And then, in the wake of Yosef’s death, she disappears. When she returns, just as mysteriously as she left, she is altered in disturbing ways. Witnessing the complete transformation of her daughter, Hannah begins to suspect that Elsie has delved too deep into the labyrinths of Jewish mysticism and gotten lost among shadows. But for Elsie’s brother Tovyah, the truth is much simpler: his sister is the product of a dysfunctional family, obsessed with rituals, traditions, and unbridled ambition. But who is right? Is religion the cure for the disease or the disease itself? And how can they stop the darkness from engulfing Elsie completely? Bristling with the energy of a great campus novel and the unsettling, ever-shifting ground of a great horror tale, Fervor is a powerful family story—and “fans of Isaac Bashevis Singer and Stephen King alike will thrill to this superb modern folk tale” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).”

About The Author

Toby Lloyd was born in London to a secular father and a Jewish mother. He studied English at Oxford University before moving to America to pursue an MFA in creative writing at NYU. He has published short stories and essays in Carve Magazine and the Los Angeles Review of Books and was longlisted for the 2021 V. S. Pritchett Short Story Prize. He lives in London.

Discussion Facilitator

Stephanie Butnick T’09

Stephanie Butnick is a favorite voice in the Jewish world.

​For nine years she co-hosted the hit podcast Unorthodox, bringing listeners a weekly dose of Jewish culture. She and her co-hosts also wrote The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia: From Abraham to Zabar’s and Everything in Between, which happens to be the greatest holiday gift ever created.

Stephanie spent more than a decade working as a writer and editor at Tablet, where she launched a podcast studio, edited a series of books, ran a print magazine, and learned what Shemini Atzeret is.​​

She hosts an interview series at The Jewish Museum with the Jewish Book Council and has moderated events for the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, and others. Stephanie also travels to communities around the country to share her unique insights into contemporary Jewish life, presented with her trademark wit and approachability. 

Stephanie has written about cat ladies for The New York Times, cookbooks for The Wall Street Journal, and Jewish pride and Jewish noses for the New York Post. She was featured on CBS Sunday Morning talking about hamantaschen. She has a bachelor’s degree in religion from Duke and a master’s degree in religious studies from NYU. 

She lives with her husband and daughter on the Upper West Side of Manhattan

About The Book

“A riveting debut novel, based on real events, about a World War II veteran with a secret that could land him in the Gulag, and his family who are forced to live in the shadow of all he has not told them. Ukraine, 2007. Yefim Shulman, husband, grandfather and war veteran, was beloved by his family and his coworkers. But in the days after his death, his widow Nina finds a letter to the KGB in his briefcase. Yefim had a lifelong secret, and his confession forces them to reassess the man they thought they knew and the country he had defended. In 1941, Yefim is a young artillerist on the border between the Soviet Union and Germany, eager to defend his country and his large Jewish family against Hitler’s forces. But surviving the war requires sacrifices Yefim never imagined-and even when the war ends, his fight isn’t over. He must conceal his choices from the KGB and from his family. Spanning seven decades between World War II and the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, Your Presence Is Mandatory traces the effect Yefim’s coverup had on the lives of Nina, their two children and grandchildren. In the process, Sasha Vasilyuk shines a light on one family caught between two totalitarian regimes, and the grace they find in the course of their survival.” 

About The Author

Sasha Vasi­lyuk was born in the Sovi­et Crimea and spent her child­hood between Ukraine and Rus­sia before immi­grat­ing to San Fran­cis­co at age 13. She has a MA in Jour­nal­ism from New York Uni­ver­si­ty, and her non­fic­tion has been pub­lished in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, BBC, The Tele­graph, Los Ange­les Times, and else­where. She lives in San Fran­cis­co, Cal­i­for­nia with her family.

Discussion Facilitator

Linda Hoffman Sterling ’82, MBA’83

After retiring from a career in packaged goods and upscale marketing, Linda Sterling has devoted her time to education and education reform, health care and Jewish causes. She currently serves on the boards of Duke’s Trinity Board of Visitors, the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, the Jewish Women’s Foundation, the Jewish Book Council, and the Pan-Mass Advisory Board. She is a past Chair of DukeEngage, and also served on the Duke Alumni Association Board. Linda also chairs the  Duke University Northern NJ Alumni Interview Chair. Previously, she spent many years on the boards of the Montclair Kimberley Academy, the Montclair Art Museum, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northern NJ, Bloomfield College, and the Association of Junior Leagues International. Linda is an avid reader, and runs a book and author series at the Montclair Golf Club for the last 5 years. She is also a judge for the Jewish Book Awards. She has annually participated in the Pan Mass Challenge for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, cycling 200 miles in 2 days across the state of Massachusetts. Her career included stints at H.J. Heinz, Pepsi-Co, Tiffany & Co, and Angel Records. Linda and her husband, Brian, live in West Orange, NJ, and have adult children. 

About The Book

“This vital collection of survivor stories uplifts and inspires alongside recipes that nourish your soul. Read about daring partisans who fought in the woods, hidden children who sought comfort from strangers and those who endured unimaginable internment. For Holocaust survivors, food was a way to connect their lives before the war with the homes they created after. Their kitchens were filled with the aromas of familiar foods like chicken soup and brisket, while unfamiliar delights they adopted, like arroz con pollo and gnocchi, became part of their repertoire. These are the recipes they share with you. Culinary icons such as Michael Solomonov, Jonathan Waxman, Ina Garten and more contribute their own recipes as tribute to the remarkable survivor community. Author June Hersh gives readers a taste of history and a life-affirming message that honors the legacy of Holocaust survivors.” 

BOOK DISCOUNT: Author June Hersh has kindly offered DJAN Book Club members a discount code when purchased through the website www.junehersh.com. Hersh will also inscribe books purchased through this site if desired. Use code Foodie18 at www.junehersh.com.

About the Author

June Hersh is a five-time pub­lished author, with four cook­books and one Holo­caust pho­tog­ra­phy book. She focus­es on food his­to­ry, main­ly the con­nec­tion between Jew­ish expe­ri­ences and food mem­o­ry. June’s books are writ­ten with a char­i­ta­ble fla­vor, as her pro­ceeds ben­e­fit not-for-prof­it Jew­ish-relat­ed orga­ni­za­tions. She has been fea­tured on radio, TV, in print, and hun­dreds of book talks relat­ed to her work.

Discussion Facilitator

Laurene Sperling T’78, Trustee, Duke University Board of Trustees

Laurene Sperling oversees the investment management of a family office enterprise, which, in addition to growing financial capital  also includes Barah Collective LLC, an impact investing entity and the Sperling Family Charitable Foundation.

Laurene is an experienced foundation trustee with a successful history building organizations with long lasting success and impact. A perennial change agent for nonprofit organizations, she seeks to create substantive improvement in several areas of the social sector including education, early childhood, workforce development, healthcare and poverty alleviation. As a believer in pay equity, and diversity and inclusion, Laurene has driven several initiatives on these fronts and is a champion of using corporate/government/nonprofit partnerships and creative financial instruments to drive evidence based social sector change and innovative solutions to complex societal problems.

Since 2010, Laurene has been an integral part of Duke University’s Board of Trustees and served as chair from 2021-2024. She has led the Governance Committee, Institutional Advancement Committee, the Undergraduate Education Committee, the Subcommittee on Trusteeship and co-chaired the ad-hoc task force on governance. She currently serves on the Governance Committee and External Engagement Committee.

Laurene joined the Board of Directors at BELLXcel, a national leader in after-school and summer programs for children at risk, in 2006. As Board Chair from 2009-2019, and earlier on the Development, Program and Governance Committees, she marshaled the organization’s growth and led strategic discussions clarifying and reframing its mission.  BELLXcel’s Sperling Center for Research and Innovation was established in honor of her leadership.

Laurene is also a board member at Social Finance US where she chairs the Partnership and Resource Development Committee, and Combined Jewish Philanthropies where she chairs the Commission on Strategic Priorities. In addition, she serves on Harvard Business School Dean’s Board of Advisors, Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative Advisory Board, Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean’s Board of Advisors, the Corporation of Partners Healthcare and on the Brigham Health Steering Committees for Women’s Medicine and Community Care. Laurene also serves on the AGB Council of Board Chairs and is a member of the AGB Principles Project national task force.

Formerly, Laurene was Vice President, Corporate Finance/Investment Banking at Cowen and Company and in Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, and Venture Capital at Paine Webber in Boston. She earned her BA at Duke University in Management Science and Accounting and her MBA from the Harvard Business School. She is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Women on Corporate Boards program.

About The Book

“A young Yemeni Israeli woman learns of her mother’s secret romance in a dra­mat­ic jour­ney through lost fam­i­ly sto­ries, reveal­ing the unbreak­able bond between a moth­er and a daugh­ter — the debut nov­el of an award-win­ning lit­er­ary voice.1950. Thousands of Yemeni Jews have immigrated to the newly founded Israel in search of a better life. In an overcrowded immigrant camp in Rosh Ha’ayin, Yaqub, a shy young man, happens upon Saida, a beautiful girl singing by the river. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they fall in love. But they weren’t supposed to; Saida is married and has a child, and a married woman has no place befriending another man. 1995. Thirty-something Zohara, Saida’s daughter, has been living in New York City—a city that feels much less complicated than Israel, where she grew up wishing that her skin was lighter, that her illiterate mother’s Yemeni music was quieter, and that the father who always favored her was alive. She hasn’t looked back since leaving home, rarely in touch with her mother or sister, Lizzie, and missing out on her nephew Yoni’s childhood. But when Lizzie calls to tell her their mother has died, she gets on a plane to Israel with no return ticket. Soon Zohara finds herself on an unexpected path that leads to shocking truths about her family—including dangers that lurk for impressionable young men and secrets that force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, her heritage, and her own future.”

About The Author

Ayelet Tsabari was born in Israel to a large fam­i­ly of Yemeni descent. After serv­ing in the Israeli army, she trav­eled exten­sive­ly through­out South­east Asia, North Amer­i­ca, and Europe, and now lives in Toron­to, where she teach­es cre­ative writ­ing at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Toron­to. The Best Place on Earth won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jew­ish Lit­er­a­ture and was long-list­ed for the Frank O’Connor Inter­na­tion­al Short Sto­ry Award.

Discussion Facilitator

Joyce Gordon, Director, Jewish Life at Duke

Joyce Gordon serves at the Director for Jewish Life at Duke. An accredited Hillel as well as a department within Duke University’s Division of Student Affairs, Jewish Life at Duke is guided by a mission to empower Jewish students to learn and grow intellectually and spiritually; to inspire and nurture personal paths to Jewish identity; and to cultivate community and friendship. Comprising the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Rubenstein-Silvers Hillel, JLD takes a pluralistic approach to Judaism to ensure that all Jewish students, regardless of affiliation, are welcome and included.

As director, Joyce oversees all aspects of the Freeman Center for Jewish Life and JLD’s work across campus. She sets the strategy for Jewish Life at Duke, cultivates alumni and parent partnerships through the advisory board, and manages our organizational operations. Joyce also serves on university searches and committees, among them the Campus Climate Committee (co-chair), the Racial Equity Advisory Council, and the Hate and Bias Working Group.

In every aspect of her role, Joyce’s primary focus is advocating for Jewish students at Duke. She loves connecting with students at this formative time in their lives and serving a resource for them on their personal Jewish journeys.  

Joyce received her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her Bachelor of Arts in English from Rice University. She lives in Durham with her husband and her two children, and enjoys reading, quilting, and board games with family and friends. 

About The Book

“While the tabloids and fan publications portrayed the Nimoys as a “close family,” to his son Adam, Leonard Nimoy was a total stranger. The actor was as inscrutable as the iconic half-Vulcan science officer he portrayed on Star Trek, even to those close to him. Now, his son’s poignant memoir explores their complicated relationship and how it informed his views on marriage, parenting, and later, sobriety. Despite their differences, both men ventured down parallel paths: marriages leading to divorce, battling addiction, and finding recovery. Most notably, both men struggled to take the ninth step in their AA journey: to make amends with each other. Discover how the son of Spock learned to navigate this tumultuous relationship—from Shabbat dinners to basement AA meetings—and how he was finally able to reconcile with his father—and with himself.”

About The Author 

Adam Nimoy is a grad­u­ate of UC Berke­ley and Loy­ola Law School. He left the prac­tice of law to pur­sue a direct­ing career in net­work tele­vi­sion. He direct­ed the crit­i­cal­ly acclaimed film about his father For the Love of Spock. 

Discussion Facilitator

Dr. Mohamed Noor, Executive Vice Provost and Professor of Biology, Duke University

Dr. Mohamed Noor was appointed Duke’s Executive Vice Provost on July 1, 2024. A Professor of Biology, Noor served as Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs from February 2023 through June 2024, Interim Dean of Trinity College from July 2022 through January 2023, and as Dean of Natural Sciences within Trinity College from 2019-2023. 

His research has focused on various questions in evolutionary genetics, including what genetic changes contribute to the formation of new species, the role of genetic recombination in species formation and molecular evolution, and what and why lethal-causing gene variants persist in natural populations. 

Dr. Noor has published two books, including “Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds,” an entertaining introduction to genetics and evolutionary concepts (paralleling the scientific content of his Duke and Coursera classes) through the lens of the popular science-fiction television show. He holds credits as a science advisor in Star Trek Discovery seasons 3-4.

Read about his work as a science consultant here.