October 1973: Leonard Cohen is world famous, highly admired – yet unhappy and at a creative dead end. Rather than resort to a more routine rock star response, he swapped his Greek island lifestyle for the chaos and bloodshed of the frontlines of the Yom Kippur War, armed only with his guitar and some local musicians. As we approach the 50th anniversary of this unique concert tour journalist Matti Friedman tells this little-known story in Who By Fire, alongside never-before-seen extracts from Cohen’s own unfinished manuscript and rare photographs. It was a life-changing experience for the singer-songwriter and an unforgettable one for the hundreds of young men and women he encountered. A Tablet columnist, former New York Times essayist and author of award-winning books Pumpkinflowers, The Aleppo Codex, and Spies of No Country, Matti returns to Jewish Book Week with this fascinating account.

An event from Jewish Book Week 2023.