In the Preface Bram opens up to Ruth McGuinness. How does this set the tone for Swimming to Jerusalem?
In the first chapter we meet the Ellis-Goodman family on a typical morning. What do you learn about Bram and Liz’s relationship and their relationship with their children?
The story alternates between the past and present. How does this structure inform the reader?
In the first few chapters we learn about Bram’s childhood in Paris and Jerusalem and then as a teenager in Brooklyn. How has the experience of living in different cultures influenced him?
Bram’s relationship with his older mentally handicapped brother Gerry is complicated. How has that impacted him?
Bram’s father Maury and his Uncle Lou are his models for manhood – what has Bram taken from each of them?
From the physical description Bram is strong and tough, but emotionally he is full of self-doubt and insecurity. How do his family and friends deal with this?
Some would think that Bram’s humor and sarcasm could be construed as self-hating, while others see him as proudly defensive of his faith. What do you make of this?
Liz’s family and upbringing are vastly different from Bram’s. How does it reflect in how they raise their children?
Why do you think Bram finally agrees to a bar mitzvah for Theo?
Yoni’s memory pervades the story, yet the reader only ‘meets’ him near the end. How did their last time together change everything that came after?
What does the title, Swimming to Jerusalem mean?
In the afterword we learn how Bram has impacted Michael’s life. Is “closure” ever possible?
A reader described Bram as someone who doesn’t want to “not have faith.” What do you think?
The story ends in 2018. How do you think Bram – and his family – would react upon waking up on October 7, 2023?
Swimming to Jerusalem 