This year’s book is different than most previous selections in that it is an older book and also was made into a movie, a 2015 drama starring Salma Hayek and Adrien Brody. The library also makes resources, such as reading guides and articles, available online. People throughout the Bay Area are encouraged to read the book and participate in book groups, discussions, events and informal conversations coordinated by the library through June 2018. “I think there’s still incredible ignorance among Ashkenazi Jews about the rich heritage of and persecution of Persian Jews.” “One of the factors for me is to explore the fate of Persian Jews, especially in the Bay Area, where they have a small footprint,” Freedman said. Howard Freedman, director of the S.F.-based library, said the 10-year-old book was selected because its depiction of a religious minority being oppressed is extremely relevant today and because it focuses on a community that often gets little attention in Northern California. “ The Septembers of Shiraz,” by Tehran-born Dalia Sofer, tells the fictional story of a gem dealer, who is imprisoned after the Islamic Revolution of the late 1970s, and his family’s plight as he seeks freedom. A story about a Persian Jewish family’s struggles in post-revolution Iran has been chosen by the Jewish Community Library as its One Bay One Book selection for 2017-18.
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