Sunday, October 18, 2026, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Congregation Torat El
301 Monmouth Road
Oakhurst, NJ 07755
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A debut novel by the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days, The Last Woman of Warsaw follows two very different Jewish women in late 1930s Warsaw. Fanny Zelshinsky is a sophisticated, modern daughter of the city’s Jewish elite who wants nothing more than to be recognized as a legitimate artist. Meanwhile, Zosia Dror has left behind her small northeastern shtetl and religious family, and is part of a budding youth movement that believes in social equality and creating a Jewish homeland.
When legendary artist Wanda Petrovsky—both a member of Zosia’s movement leadership and Fanny’s beloved photography professor—goes missing, the two young women are thrown together in the pursuit of the elusive firebrand. Is Wanda simply hiding, or is her disappearance connected to the rise in anti-semitic laws and university practices? Throughout, the two share in their search for love, meaning, and a sense of home as they grapple with the storm clouds gathering around them.
Judy Batalion is the author of several books of award-winning nonfiction, most recently The Light of Days. Judy’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, The Forward, Salon, The Jerusalem Post, and many other publications.
Books available in the temple office after September 18 or buy a copy of from Bookshop.org (to support independent bookstores) or amazon.com.
Pre-Paid $25 per person by October 15 ~ $30 at the door
A lovely brunch will be served
This ongoing series has been made possible by a grant from the B’nai Sholom/Beth El Foundation.
