About Ozzie

About Ozzie Nogg

poppa My Poppa was a son of the shtetl. Lithuanian trained, an old-world Rabbi, he came to America and embraced it. At home at the table, he spoke Talmud and riddles. He gave answers and expected us to supply the questions.

momma While Momma dished up kasha, cholent and blueberry verenikehs, Poppa offered slices of wisdom, humor and insight. Simple truths that spoke of perseverance, disappointment, hope and joy. Ordinary stuff, common to all of us no matter what our background.

Years ago I listened but did not grasp the value of Poppa's gifts. Today, I claim his teachings as a priceless legacy. His words echo in my stories. So, too, does the comforting voice of my mother and the whispered lullaby of my Bubbie. In Joseph’s Bones I try to honor their memory and sustain our tradition. Read and enjoy!

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Ozzie Nogg’s personal stories and feature columns, exploring Jewish tradition, identity and values, run in weekly newspapers around the country.

In 2002, her short story, “Blue Plate Special,” appeared in Margin: Exploring Modern Magical Realism Magazine. The story was later nominated for both a Pushcart Prize and the E-2-Ink Prize from Mildhorse Press.

To her brothers and cousins who lived through the events chronicled in Joseph’s Bones and might question their veracity, she responds, “It’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

Ozzie’s Blog

(Sample blog entry)

The Circle That Is Simchat Torah

Every year on Simchat Torah, we march with scrolls and flags around the synagogue, read of Moses’ death, finish the Book of Deuteronomy, and then — without pause — start the Torah cycle over again with Bereshit and the Creation story.

This seamless segue can affect me in various ways, depending on my mood.

If my world is in balance, then the rhythmic progression from ending to beginning feels logical — even comforting. If I’m hurting, this life-goes-on-in-spite-of-everything stuff strikes me as the Ultimate Cosmic Cliché. And if I’m bone weary, the unbroken circularity makes me ache for a time out.

But the world (thank you, Broadway) will not stop and let me get off. Still, when I look closely at the text we read on Simchat Torah, I realize there is a way to at least put things on hold.

Come with me.

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For more of Ozzie’s writing, visit Ozzie’s Blog!

Jewish writer, Ozzie Nogg, shares personal essays, off-beat Talmudic tidbits, and random observations on life, all inspired by her upbringing as a rabbi's daughter who now (sigh . . . ) views the world through trifocals.

NEW!
Take a peek at
my book of stories:
Joseph's Bones

Here's what they're saying about Joseph's Bones:

"Readers of Joseph's Bones will not only enjoy the charm of Ozzie Nogg's writing. They will be transported along with her to sweet reminiscences of life with their own families in times gone by. This book is a delight; it informs and inspires. Do not be misled by its small size; its message is love, tenderness, and joy writ large. You will want to read it more than once."

— Rabbi Jules Harlow
Editor and translator of Sim Shalom, the Conservative movement's prayer book

“…One of the most moving, well-written memoirs of life in small Jewish communities, Joseph's Bones is a wonderful read. I laughed, I cried, I loved it! This honest, intimate work proves that Ozzie Nogg is Omaha's gift to Jewish literature.”

— Dr. Ron Wolfson
Vice President,
University of Judaism

"Three generations of my family sat and read Joseph's Bones together. We laughed, gasped, shed a tear, and genuinely enjoyed sharing them. Ozzie's delightful stories touched all of us."

— Betsy Dolgin Katz
North American Director, Florence Melton
Adult Mini-School