The Jewish Book Council has announced the 2014 finalists for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, among them a study of how newcomers learn to become Orthodox; a look at Jewish culture in pre-state Palestine and the story of the struggle over the Aleppo Codex.
The prize, which includes a purse of $100,000, switches off every year between non-fiction and fiction and honors philanthropist Sami Rohr.
This year’s list: Sarah Bunin Benor’s “Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism;” Marni Davis’ “Jews and Booze: Becoming American in the Age of Prohibition;” Matti Friedman’s “The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible;” Nina S. Spiegel’s “Embodying Hebrew Culture: Aesthetics, Athletics and Dance in the Jewish Community of Mandate Palestine” and Eliyahu Stern’s “The Genius, Elijah of Vilna and the Making of Modern Judaism.”
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Last year, “The Innocents” by Francesca Segal, a modern version of Edith Wharton’s “The Age of Innocence,” won the prize for fiction.
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