I really loved this interview with the legendary Heidi Rabinowitz from The Book of Life Podcast and Multicultural Kid Blogs. Heidi writes that the inspiration for her Jewish Joy series is, as poet Toi Derricotte says, joy is an act of resistance. And Jewish joy is needed more than ever now. It was a pleasure to share mine. Here’s a snippet and read the whole interview and access the rest of the wonderful Jewish Joy series here.
Q&A with Sarah Sassoon
THE BOOK OF LIFE: Sarah, please describe your own Jewish identity, along with any other aspects of your identity that you’d like to share.
SARAH SASSOON: My Jewish identity is rooted in the Babylonian Jewish tradition—what many today refer to as Iraqi Jewish. It traces back over 2,600 years to the exile of the Jews from Judea to Babylon following the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in 586 BCE. However, I am a first-generation Australian. My father was born in Baghdad, and all of my grandparents came from Iraq. So while I am Australian, my cultural and spiritual roots are deeply entwined with the ancient Jewish communities of the Middle East.
TBOL: Why is it important to you to include Jewish representation in your writing?
SS: For a long time, I didn’t consciously think about my Jewishness in the context of my writing. I saw myself as a human being first, a writer who could tell all kinds of stories. And while I still believe in the universality of storytelling, I’ve come to recognize that my Middle Eastern Jewish identity is not just part of who I am—it’s the heartbeat of my most powerful work. When I began writing from this place, something shifted. My writing sang. It carried the emotional truth of stories that only I could tell, grounded in lived experience, heritage, and voice.
For me, my Jewishness is a reminder that whilst we’re all human, each of us carries a particular inheritance of memory, culture, and story. That specificity is what makes our lives and literature rich and diverse.
TBOL: About being Jewish: what is hard, and what brings you joy?
SS: I’ve been reflecting on this a lot lately. The name “Israel”—the name given to Jacob after wrestling with the angel—means to wrestle with God. That struggle is central to Jewish life. I’ll never forget what the Antiguan-American writer Jamaica Kincaid once said about choosing to become Jewish: how she admired that it is a religion that asks questions and demands deep reflection.
Being Jewish isn’t always easy. It calls for deep introspection, accountability, and a sense of moral responsibility. But in that challenge lies the joy. Judaism offers a beautifully structured life—rituals that lend rhythm, purpose, and togetherness.
Take Shabbat, for example: every Saturday we unplug from the world, as a family. That’s no small feat with kids! And the festivals—whether it’s reflecting on freedom from slavery during Passover, celebrating the gift of law and the harvest on Shavuot, or building booths like the Israelites did in the desert on Sukkot—fill the year with moments of meaning. As a Mizrahi Jew, I also cherish our unique customs—like our special festive songs, and the apple jam we make on Rosh Hashanah. These practices root me in both ancient tradition and the warmth of family memory.
Yes, being Jewish means struggle. But it’s a struggle toward something: becoming better people, creating a better world. That brings me joy both as a writer and as a person. Even when I write about painful topics, like my family’s displacement from Iraq, I try to convey the beauty and strength of Jewish resilience.
Read the complete interview here.