The Anatomy of Exile: Love, Identity, and Belonging

April 2, 2025
12:00pm - 12:45pm 

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with author Zeeva Bukai and AJU’s Rabbi Gail Labovitz about Bukai’s powerful debut novel, The Anatomy of Exile. They will discuss the themes of this gripping family saga that unfolds in the wake of the Six-Day War, following Tamar Abadi as she struggles to preserve her Jewish Israeli identity in America while confronting painful truths about love, loss, and belonging. When her daughter falls for the son of their Palestinian neighbors, Tamar fears history will repeat itself, setting off a chain of events that threaten to unravel her family. Through this poignant exploration of exile, identity, and forbidden love, Bukai invites us to examine the personal and political forces that shape our lives. Purchase the book here.

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Can't make it live? Register anyway! All participants will receive the recording to free webinars. But join us in real time to engage with the speaker, ask questions, and be part of the conversation!

Zee­va Bukai was born in Israel and raised in New York City. Her work has appeared in Judith, Quar­tet, OfThe­Book Press, CARVE, Mcsweeney’s Quar­ter­ly Con­cern, The Master’s Review, and else­where. Her hon­ors include a fel­low­ship at the New York Cen­ter for Fic­tion, and res­i­den­cies at Hedge­brook and Byrd­cliff AIR in Wood­stock, NY. She holds an MFA from Brook­lyn Col­lege and lives with her fam­i­ly in Brook­lyn. Her debut nov­el, The Anato­my of Exile, is forth­com­ing from Del­phini­um Books in Jan­u­ary 2025.

Rabbi Gail Labovitz, PhD, is Professor of Rabbinic Literature and former Chair of the Department of Rabbinics for the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. She also enjoys serving as the Ziegler School’s faculty advisor for “InterSem,” a dialogue program for students training for religious leadership at Jewish and Christian seminaries around the Los Angeles area.