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I have read some excellent Jewish fiction as of late: Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen, and my personal favorite, Worry by Alexandra Tanner.

The premise is that our twenty-eight-year-old narrator Jules lives in Brooklyn, and her younger sister Poppy travels from their hometown in Florida to move in with her. That’s pretty much the entire plot. It is a character study and a portrait of their dysfunctional relationship.

Both sisters are unapologetically neurotic and anxious. I consider my anxious impulses some of my worst, so I was inspired by their lack of shame.

They both have ample quirks: Jules copes with her anxiety and malaise by obsessively following Mormon mommy bloggers, while Poppy’s obsession is a dog named Amy Klobuchar.

The novel is charming and off-putting in equal measure. It’s a unique kind of charm, combined with enough acidity to negate anything that might be cute in another context.

I’m going to share an excerpt from when Jules and Poppy visit their parents in Florida. They are discussing their disappointment with their mother, who has started selling essential oils in a multi-level marketing scheme.

I thought this scene was so funny that I read it out loud to a stranger at the synagogue’s Chanukah party. (The stranger slash new friend appreciated it. Shoutout to them.)

As someone on a lifelong mission to pinpoint what exactly Jewish culture is when you take out the religion and traditions (because it still very much exists without those things!), this scene spoke to me.

The scene demonstrates that Jewish culture entails:

• Spirited discussion
• Arguing about the nature of Jews and Jewish culture
• Vehement disagreement
• Intergenerational debate

It reminds me of my own experiences in my family and community. It is a very Jewish moment.

I’ve never read the Talmud, but I bet it’s exactly like this scene.