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	One of the first things that brought me to Jewish Family & Life! was a proposal to come up with a hit parade of Jewish literature. At the time the world, or at least our little corner of it, was gripped by millennium fever and general list fever. The Modern Library had just released its lists of the top 100 fiction and non-fiction books of the century. Those solemn rankings did little more than ignite debate about the value of such an exercise. In the end, I¹m not sure that any of those books were more recognized, more honored because of their placement on that glorified scorecard. Who, after all, remembers the top three of either list? Like the best lists, the best book sections are selectively inclusive--a tough but familiar paradox for any book editor, or for that matter any thoughtful reader. There¹s so much that comes across my desk, so much that I see in the bookstores. I have to admit that deciding what gets reviewed, which author is selected for a profile is a largely intuitive decision--made much the way my grandmother cooked. A little of this, a lot of that, maybe a little more of this. A touch of mystery, a bit of faith and it will turn out all right. Even an old-fashioned notion like intuition has a place in a brave new medium like cyberspace. Intuition is a map for navigating the Internet. Jewish metaphors are the road signs. Virtual community can become a minyan or gathering for prayer as well as discussion about myriad issues. Cyberspace is a vast Diaspora with Jewish dot.coms present in even the most remote corners. Cyberspace also comes as close as anything on earth to that celestial library of infinite volumes and ideas about which Jews through the centuries have dreamed. But the goal of JBooks.com is to be more than a repository of reviews. Within the scheme of JFL¹s new redesign, this site can be more interactive by hosting book clubs, fostering on-line discussion with an author, or simply providing a place to tell someone about that great new book you just finished. Over the next few months JBooks.com will be a proving ground for all this and more. I hope to have input from you, our readers, our community, about your role in JBooks.com. Maybe there can never be a definitive list of Jewish masterpieces. Maybe there shouldn¹t be. Like life, the Jewish canon is a work in progress. Judy Bolton-Fasman, JBooks.com Editor Judy@Jbooks.com -Top- [ Home ] [ Culture ] [ Families ] [ Jewish Celebrations ] [ Lifestyles ] [ Sign up for our e-letter ] [ Refer This Site ] [ Privacy Policy ] [ About Us ] [ Site Map ] [ Contact Us ] [ Yossi's blog @ peoplehood.org ] Copyright 1996-2007 Jewish Family & Life! All Rights Reserved.