Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah - Margaret Gurevich

Send us Fan MailThis week on the episode author Margaret Gurevich stops by to discuss her latest book, Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah. Growing up as an immigrant and more. ****Margaret Gurevich (she/her) is a middle-school teacher and the author of Ain't It Funny, multiple Who Was? books, and the award-winning Chloe by Design series. When not writing or teaching, Margaret enjoys hiking, bingeing too many shows, and spending time with her family. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, son, and their wise cat, Goosie.YASHA'S AMAZIN' BAR MITZVAH offers a poignant and authentic portrayal of the Russian American experience in the 1980s while speaking to the universal challenges of growing up and finding one's place in the world. “Like Yasha’s parents, my parents fought hard to achieve the ‘American Dream’,” says Margaret. “However, in spite of attending night school for months to learn English, holding degrees from the Soviet Union equivalent to MA+ in the US, and achieving a level of employment in the United States that allowed them to save up to buy a house in the suburbs, to many, my parents’ Russian accents were still their main identifying feature. As for me, while I did not have a Russian accent, it took a long time for people to stop seeing my differences—food, clothes, experiences—as anything besides being ‘other’. In time, like Yasha, I learned to embrace the reality of being a hyphenated American—someone who is Russian and Jewish and just as American as others." When author Margaret Gurevich set up to write YASHA’S AMAZIN’ BAR MITZVAH  she was basing the story on her own experiences growing up during the end of the Cold War. Gureveich’s latest novel is a touching and humorous story following the journey of a young Russian American boy as he navigates the challenges of adolescence, cultural identity, and the pursuit of his dreams.  Set in 1986, thirteen-year-old Yasha Reznik is struggling to adjust to his new life in the suburban town of Rockwood, New Jersey. Having moved from the close-knit Russian community of Brighton Beach, Yasha finds himself feeling out of place and yearning for the familiarity of his old neighborhood. His parents may see their move as the fulfillment of the "American Dream," but for Yasha, it feels like anything but. As Yasha prepares for his Bar Mitzvah, he faces the typical trials of adolescence, compounded by the cultural differences that set him apart from his peers. Despite his efforts to fit in, including adopting the name "Jake," he is still seen as an outsider. The only person who truly understands him is Bernie, a resident at the senior citizen home where Yasha volunteers for his Bar Mitzvah project. Bernie shares Yasha's passion for the New York Mets, and together they dream of seeing the team win the World Series. Determined to make this dream a reality, Yasha embarks on a quest to secure tickets to the game, all while grappling with his own identity and the complexities of friendship. ****If you would like to contact the show [email protected] us on Social MediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0ETs2wpOHbCuhUNr0XFTw?view_as=subscriberInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_d.m.needom/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedomSupport the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedom©2026 Better To...Podcast with D. M.Needom Support the show