The Mazel Tov Book
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I came accross the Mazel Tov book quite by accident... A while ago, I was watching a television program with J.S. Margot being interviewed. Apart from her being a beautiful and smart woman, she was talking about her Mazel Tov book. She was talking about her time that she was a student in Antwerp, trying to make some money on the side to cover her livings costs. From all the usual jobs that students do, there was this one particular call-out for a student that had to teach and help the kids of an Orthodox Jewish family in Antwerp. Quite frankly, I never heard anything like this, so she got my attention! |
Why You Have To Read Mazel Tov!
As you might know, to get access into an Orthodox Jewish family is very difficult and that's why this book is so special. J.S. Margot took the opportunity and discovered a whole new world!
Antwerp has got a very large Jewish community, which is very low-profile and isolated.
I recall that, when I just met my girlfriend, that we were often walking around in the Antwerp Jewish neighbourhood, as at the time she was renting a flat over there. This was the area around the Belgiëlei, for your information.
Often, we saw the Jewish people walking very fast, with little or no eye-contact, black clothes and white shirts, the large hats, and so on...We, and I'm sure a lot of other people, don't really know what's going on and how they live.
That's why, the Mazel Tov book is a gem!
As a lot of people, I would like to read more books, but often don't find the time. So, it's important for me that a book can catch me from the start.
And that's definitely the case with the Mazel Tov book. J.S. Margot writes very fluently and her actions and thoughts feel very familiar. She asks herself the same questions as if we would experience what she did.
Through her book and the time she was assisting this Antwerp Jewish family, we get to understand the Jewish community, what drives them, what they value and how they look at the world.
The Mazel Tov book received very good reviews and was rewarded with the Dutch E. du Perron Award!
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about how Orthodox Jews live, how it is to work as a student and for everyone who wants to know more about this important community in Antwerp.
J. S. Margot
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J.S. Margot her real name is Margot Vanderstraeten. Right, most nationalities struggle with her real last name, so that's why. Margot mentioned once that there's nothing behind the J.S., but it does sound good, doesn't it? Margot used to be a columniste and a journalist for a quality paper, now she is a full-time writer. Apart from the Mazel Tov book, she already has a few other good titles on her nam. Mazel Tov is her most recent one. |
Also Nice To Know...
J.S. Margot has, together with her husband, Ernst Aben, a small restaurant in Antwerp!
They chose the beautiful Hendrik Conscience square, where the magnificent Saint Charles Borromeo church is located.
Their restaurant, named BOHM & Berkel, has the look and feel of a Parisian bistro, where a good, cozy atmosphere is key.
The fun thing here is that you might run in to J.S. Margot, who uses the restaurant as a place to write her next book!
I've read the book, so soon I will check out this bistro. So stay tuned!
Ordering the Mazel Tov Book!
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In Dutch! |
The Mazel Tov book of J.S. Margot is for sale in every bookstore or you can order it online, as an audiobook, an e-book or as a paperback. I bought the book in paperback form, as I do enjoy to hold a good book in my hands, printed on good old paper! |
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In English! |
In Polish! |
In German! |
In French! |
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