Sarah Darer Littman's Blog

Last week, my son texted me a link to an article about a new Israeli Foreign Office initiative:

He asked: “Do you still feel that attachment to Israel that I’ve never really shared, even if just residual?”

I struggled to answer him. This latest was another nail to the heart, one of so many that have punctured the vision of Israel I had as little girl when I put quarters in a JNF folder every week at Hebrew school back in the late ‘60s.

I cannot for the life of me understand why the Israeli governme...

My latest YA novel, INFLUENCED, co-written with Cindy L. Otis, comes out on August 19th, and I’m thrilled to announce an exciting event to celebrate at Milford’s fantastic new independent bookstore, Mermaid Books, in conjunction with the Milford Prevention Council.

I didn’t do much to celebrate my last two novels because DEEPFAKE came out in 2020 (ugh) and by the time I finished SOME KIND OF HATE I was too exhausted and burned out to celebrate anything.

But that was then, and this is now! I’m in...

Last Friday, a dear, thoughtful Christian friend texted me:

“Are you writing a piece on Mamdani? (Names of several Jewish friends) are on opposite sides and I really don’t know what to think.”

I feel you my friend. I’m Jewish and I feel the same way. Given everything happening behind the scenes in my life right now, I’ve hesitated to touch this topic, because I know whatever I write will piss off someone, either because it’s not unquestioningly pro for one side or unquestioningly anti for others....

Friday evening we took a break from the stress of the last 6 weeks and went to see one of the best tribute bands I’ve seen in a while, Back to the Garden, hosted by Milford Performance Center.

They performed songs as they were played at Woodstock back in 1969, by Richie Havens, Melanie (who I mainly knew from Brand New Key) Janis Joplin, The Who, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Joe Cocker, Sly and the Family Stone, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and Creedence Clearwater Reviva...

Because I’m a nerd (and proud of it), while I’m listening to the Torah reading in synagogue, I’m reading the footnotes and commentaries.

Last Saturday’s reading seemed particularly apropos given that late Thursday House Republicans passed their laughably-named “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Laughable because a) it shows how cowed they are by a man who can barely string together a coherent sentence, and because b) this monstrosity of a bill isn’t beautiful for anyone except those in high income tax br...

On Thursday evening, we heard that our friend, singer-songwriter Jill Sobule, had died in a house fire in Woodbury, MN. I still can’t believe that she’s gone.

I’ve been a huge fan of Jill’s music since the beginning- she was one of the smartest, funniest, singer-songwriters around, writing songs that tackled important issues with wit and humor.

And as Seth Rogovy wrote in her obituary in The Forward,

While most obituaries and appreciations have noted that Sobule’s song topics were often autobi...

Yesterday was both Shabbat and the seventh day of Passover. It was also the 250th anniversary of what Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his poem Concord Hymn (1837), termed “the shot heard around the world”

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood

And fired the shot heard round the world.

The remembrance of the Jewish fight for freedom in ancient times and the battles that began the transformation of British colonies into a demo...

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I’m leading with the positive today, because looking at what’s happening to the markets in Asia and Europe, we’re all going to need it.

I spent the last four days at the Highlights Foundation in the foothills of the Poconos, reconnecting with my inner high school theater geek at the amazing Theater Camp for Writers created by the amazing Chris Tebbetts, and co-led with the equally amazing Sarah Aronson and S Maxwell, with Zoom sessions from Andrea J Loney and Eileen Robinson.

I’m leading with the positive today, because looking at what’s happening to the markets in Asia and Europe, we’re all going to need it.

I spent the last four days at the Highlights Foundation in the foothills of the Poconos, reconnecting with my inner high school theater geek at the amazing Theater Camp for Writers created by the amazing Chris Tebbetts, and co-led with the equally amazing Sarah Aronson and S Maxwell, with Zoom sessions from Andrea J Loney and Eileen Robinson.

I lived in the UK for five years as a kid in the early 1970’s, and then for a decade twenty years later during the 1990’s.

The time spent living outside the United States was not only a formative part of my identity, it’s become an important piece of why I’m such a strong advocate for trained school librarians and building information and media literacy into every subject in the K-12 curriculum.

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