Book Schedule
03.04
I Am Not A Spy
By Michael Bassin
Few American college students who study abroad are accused of being a spy. But that’s what happens to Michael Bassin, enrolled for a semester at the American University of Sharjah in the UAE.
When Michael reveals his Jewish identity to his new classmates, they respond with shock and suspicion.
In between visiting surrounding Arab countries, Michael develops die-hard enemies and loyal allies on campus. He becomes the ambassador for the Jewish people, America, and Israel as he responds to conspiracies and threats made against him.
Nevertheless, he finds his efforts to promote understanding are not in vain. He develops genuine friendships and sees the positive effects of face-to-face interaction with people who had feared Jews.
Michael’s fight for peace doesn’t end with his university experience. He moves to Israel and joins the Israeli army as a combat Arabic translator, becoming the face of his unit during friendly and hostile interactions with Palestinians in the West Bank.
During his military service, Michael finds that person-to-person relationships provide the best path to Middle East peace.
-The Jewish Book Council
04.08
The Seventh Million
By Tom Segev
The Seventh Million is the first book to show the decisive impact of the Holocaust on the identity, ideology, and politics of Israel. Drawing on diaries, interviews, and thousands of declassified documents, Segev reconsiders the major struggles and personalities of Israel's past, including Ben-Gurion, Begin, and Nahum Goldmann, and argues that the nation's legacy has, at critical moments--the Exodus affair, the Eichmann trial, the case of John Demjanjuk--have been molded and manipulated in accordance with the ideological requirements of the state. The Seventh Million uncovers a vast and complex story and reveals how the bitter events of decades past continue to shape the experiences not just of individuals but of a nation. Translated by Haim Watzman.
-Macmillon Publishing
05.10
Making Dollars While Making Change
By Jonathan Quarles
Making Dollars While Making Change takes you for a ride on one entrepreneur's journey. Both reflective and prescriptive in nature, the stories that lie within will help you connect the dots on how to do good while doing well and how to tap into your best, highest self in the process.
-Amazon
Meet the Authors
03.04
MICHAEL BASSIN
Michael Bassin is a graduate of The George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs. A partner in a Tel Aviv-based technology company, he regularly provides commentary to news outlets on the Middle East. He has been featured on Public Radio International, the BBC, the Times of Israel, and the Jerusalem Post. He lives in Ramat Gan, Israel.
-Jewish Book Council
04.08
05.10
Jonathan Quarles
Jonathan Quarles has had a lifelong passion for building businesses and creating change. As a serial entrepreneur, he started his first business as the top-selling paperboy in his neighborhood at the age of eight. After graduating from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), Quarles held several prominent positions in both the private and public sectors. Leveraging his experiences around building bridges between people and ideas, he founded The BTL Group, a strategic business development and relationship management platform. Jonathan’s work with The BTL Group has earned him a place as a highly sought-after advisor and one of the world’s most well-known connectors. Quartz Water Source, inspired by the Flint Water Crisis, is his latest entrepreneurial venture. Founded with the mission of expanding global access to clean water, Quartz is an embodiment of using entrepreneurship for social impact.
Jonathan was selected as a fellow from the Aspen Institute, German Marshall Fund, and the Global Entrepreneur Summit. He was honored by Ebony Magazine, Black Enterprise, D Business Magazine as 30 under 30. He is a proud Flint, Michigan native.
-BMC Talk Press