About the Podcast

The Five Books features compelling interviews with Jewish authors about the books that inspired and shaped them. From novels that shifted their perspective to childhood books that guided their journeys, these conversations illuminate the profound role of literature in constructing character, both on the page and in our lives.

For many of us, books are always the answer. How can we better understand each other? How do we make meaning of our own lives and values? How do we live with more empathy? Books are how we travel to places we’ve never been, how we encounter people, cultures, beliefs and ideas we never otherwise would have. Understanding each other with more depth and nuance feels urgently important right now. In our intimate and
wide-ranging conversations, we aim to celebrate the impact that books have on our identities.

The Five Books is a nonprofit podcast fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity. 

I think that of everything we have, of all our practices, it goes back to text.

— Francine Klagsbrun, Episode 4

About the Host

A photo of Tali Rosenblatt Cohen, a woman with dark hair wearing a black turtleneck and smiling.

Tali Rosenblatt-Cohen has toggled between the publishing world and Jewish communal life. After graduating from Barnard College, she was co-director of the Jewish student group, Lights-in-Action, and then worked as a literary agent for nearly ten years. She has served on the Boards of numerous Jewish institutions, including the Natan Fund where she currently chairs their Notable Books award committee. She has taught writing classes for Gotham Writer’s Workshop and written reviews for Kirkus. Her writing has been published by New York Family Magazine (where she was also a staff writer and editor of their parenting blogs), The New York Jewish Week, The Forward and others.

Press & More

About the Jewish Book Council

The Five Books has the advisory and promotional support of the Jewish Book Council, the longest-run­ning orga­ni­za­tion devot­ed exclu­sive­ly to the sup­port and cel­e­bra­tion of Jew­ish lit­er­a­ture. For over sev­en­ty years, Jew­ish Book Coun­cil has brought peo­ple togeth­er for mean­ing­ful dis­cus­sions about Jew­ish life, iden­ti­ty, and cul­ture through a lit­er­ary lens. Jew­ish learn­ing embod­ied in the print­ed word has played a cru­cial role in the devel­op­ment and strength­en­ing of Jew­ish com­mu­ni­ties through­out the world. Jew­ish Book Coun­cil is proud to car­ry on this impor­tant tradition.