Episode 44: Zeeva Bukai
on the Fragments that Make Us Whole
Zeeva Bukai’s Five Books:
1. The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig
2. Great House by Nicole Krauss
3. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
4. Your Presence is Mandatory by Sasha Vasilyuk
5. The Anatomy of Exile and The World Between by Zeeva Bukai
The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous (Senior Rabbi at IKAR, and author of The Amen Effect), Yael Van Der Wouden (author of The Safekeep), and Dara Horn (author of People Love Dead Jews.)
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The Five Books is a partner organization of Jewish Book Council, a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers.
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Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen
Produced by Odelia Rubin
Editorial and website support by Amelia Merrill
Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson studio
Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions.
In this episode, Zeeva Bukai discusses her two novels, The Anatomy of Exile and The World Between, both published in the past year and woven with threads of her family history. She traces a legacy of dislocation: her grandmother’s reunion with her husband after years in a Siberian work camp, her father’s escape from Syria at age 13 with his younger brothers, and her own life between Israel and the U.S. Zeeva also reflects on her deep connection to Nicole Krauss’ Great House and the “architecture” of memory, and shares a striking moment teaching Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis to a class of Orthodox high school students.
The Anatomy of Exile was chosen as the winner of the 2025 National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction. Zeeva’s latest book, The World Between, was released just a few weeks ago.
Zeeva Bukai’s stories have appeared in Carve Magazine, The Master’s Review, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, and elsewhere. Her honors include a fellowship at the New York Center for Fiction, residencies at Hedgebrook Writers Colony, and the Byrdcliff AIR program in Woodstock, N.Y. She is the recipient of the The Master’s Review fall fiction prize, the Curt Johnson Prose Award, and the Lilith Fiction Award.
Other Episodes with Authors who Teach:
- Elizabeth Graver on Lost Worlds and New Doorways
- Jeremy Dauber on What the Horror Genre Reveals About America
