Natalie Portman Shares Literary Favorites by Israeli, Jewish Authors in Elle Magazine Questionnaire
by Shiryn Ghermezian
In a new literary questionnaire published by Elle magazine on Tuesday, Jewish actress Natalie Portman named a number of books by Israeli and Jewish authors that have left a lasting impression on her.
The Jerusalem-born Oscar winner, 39, who became a New York Times-bestselling author with the fall publication of “Natalie Portman’s Fables,” said the book that helped shape her worldview is “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind,” the Israeli author Yuval Noah Harari’s bestseller about humanity’s creation and evolution.
When asked which text she has “re-read the most,” Portman answered “Poems of Jerusalem,“ by Yehuda Amichai. She also said the book with the recipe to her favorite dish of falafel is “Israeli Soul” by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook.
The “Thor: Love and Thunder” star shared that the book currently sitting on her nightstand is “The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography” by Deborah Levy, and that Nora Ephron’s novel “I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman” made her roar with laughter. When asked what she would gift a new graduate, the mother-of-two said “Men Explain Things to Me” by Rebecca Solnit, a collection of seven essays that discuss gender, feminism and power. She added that Solnit’s “Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities” fills her with optimism about the future.
Portman also revealed that as a child, she once asked for a Hanukkah gift of “The Baby-sitter’s Club Super Special 1: Baby-sitters on Board!” by Ann M. Martin.
Portman will be the honorary chair of National Library Week 2021 from April 4–10 with the theme of “Welcome to Your Library.”
Polish Far-Right Lawmaker Charged With Denying Nazi Crimes Over Auschwitz Gas Chamber Claims
Michigan AG Dana Nessel Suggests El-Sayed ‘Making Excuses’ for Terrorism, Warns of Antisemitism in Democratic Party
Gaza’s Peace Matrix Is Generating Glitches — and Israel Has Seen This Film Before
North American Aliyah Reaches Record High for August as Thousands Choose Israel Despite Regional Uncertainty
Jewish Family Finds Anti-Israel Note Inside Checked Luggage on Flight to Israel
Nearly 1,000 Hollywood Figures Condemn Mark Ruffalo’s ‘Antisemitic Theories’ About Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger
Stadium in Russia Says It Will Not Host Kanye West Concerts That Are Part of World Tour
Qatar PM Pursues Mediation in Tehran as US Ramps Up ‘Economic War’
Visa, Mastercard Launch International Card Payments in Syria After US Lifts Terrorism Designation
Kites Are Deadly — and Will Be Used to Target Jewish Civilians






Jewish Family Finds Anti-Israel Note Inside Checked Luggage on Flight to Israel
North American Aliyah Reaches Record High for August as Thousands Choose Israel Despite Regional Uncertainty
Nearly 1,000 Hollywood Figures Condemn Mark Ruffalo’s ‘Antisemitic Theories’ About Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger
The New York Times Refuses to Acknowledge the Harm and Demonization Its Reporting Has Caused
Kites Are Deadly — and Will Be Used to Target Jewish Civilians



