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.”
Pod Save America Hosts Call on Democrats to Cut All Israel Military Aid, No Longer Accept AIPAC Funding
Jews, Israelis Targeted in Austria Amid Surge in Antisemitic Incidents; Local Jewish Community Calls for Action
‘All of Our Strength’: Over 1,000 Pro-Israel Activists Gather in DC for Solidarity Conference
‘Devastated’: Wesley LePatner, Killed in Manhattan Mass Shooting, Was a Jewish Communal, Philanthropic Leader
Sen. Angus King Vows to No Longer Vote for Israel Military Aid Until Gaza Conditions Improve
Europe Won’t Pressure Israel to ‘Commit Suicide’ Amid Gaza Backlash, Palestinian State Push, Says Israeli FM
Israel’s National Soccer Coach Attacked in Athens Before Soccer Fans Chant ‘F–K Israel, Free Palestine’ at Match
New York Judge Sentences Neo-Nazi to 5 Years for Livestreaming Bomb Threats Against Jewish Hospitals
US Pressures Lebanon to Issue Cabinet Decision to Disarm Hezbollah Before Talks Continue
UK Plans to Recognize Palestinian State in September Unless Israel Meets Conditions, Starmer Says










