Thursday, October 15, 2026
What began as a friendship between two mothers whose children attended kindergarten together is now bringing a Long Island-inspired novel to the Bellmore-Merrick community, as author Jacqueline Friedland prepares to discuss her latest book, “Breathing Underwater,” at an event hosted by her longtime friend, Rabbi Sara Birnbaum.
The book talk and signing, hosted by the Sisterhood and Rosh Chodesh Circle at Congregation Beth Ohr, will explore themes of motherhood, caregiving, ambition and unexpected connections. Organized by Birnbaum in partnership with Blue Door Books, an independent bookstore in Cedarhurst, the event will also include a wine and cheese reception for Sisterhood members at 6 p.m., ahead of the public discussion.
Birnbaum, who became the synagogue’s rabbi in July, and Friedland have remained friends for about 15 years. Both also pursued new careers later in life — Friedland leaving law for writing and Birnbaum returning to school to become a rabbi — a shared experience that made the book particularly meaningful to Birnbaum.
“I hope they’re inspired to follow their dreams,” Birnbaum said of what she hopes attendees will take away from the discussion. “There’s different avenues, and there’s so many possibilities out there.”
The novel follows McKenna, a Division I college swimmer falsely accused of wrongdoing, and Leo, a teenager with autism who believes he can clear her name. As their lives become intertwined, Leo's mother, Berry, finds herself caught between them.
A Syosset native, Friedland initially envisioned the story taking place at Stony Brook University before creating the fictional Meadowbrook University, drawing inspiration from by Huntington, Stony Brook and the surrounding communities.
The idea for the book originated after Friedland heard a radio report about college students experiencing homelessness. As a mother of college-age children, she wondered how students could manage the demands of higher education without knowing where they would sleep.
While researching swimming, she also learned about the heightened risk of drowning among children with autism. Having grown up around families with autistic children through her mother's work, Friedland decided to incorporate a character with autism into the story. Although Leo was initially intended to play a smaller role, she said he ultimately became central to the plot.
The title, Friedland explained, reflects a broader message of resilience and learning to navigate life's challenges rather than avoiding them. She hopes readers recognize that difficult experiences can also provide opportunities for growth.
“It's not the point to avoid hardship,” Friedland said. “The point is really to figure out ... how are we going to get through those moments, and how are we going to learn to cope and to grow and to come out of whatever we went into better than we started.”
The event also offers an opportunity to share the synagogue's enthusiasm for literature with the wider Bellmore-Merrick community. The Sisterhood hosts a monthly book club, and Birnbaum hopes to organize additional author discussions in the future.
Birnbaum said opening the event to nonmembers is part of a broader effort to make the synagogue's programming accessible to residents throughout the area, rather than focusing solely on attracting new members.
Friedland, meanwhile, looks forward to meeting readers and hearing their perspectives. After spending much of her time writing alone, she welcomes the chance to answer questions about her stories and creative process.
“I think the more books we can read as a society, the better off we all are,” Friedland said. “I believe that books teach kindness and empathy, and they expand our worlds.”
The discussion and book signing will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Congregation Beth Ohr, 2550 South Centre Ave. in Bellmore. The event is open to the public. To register, visit cbohr.org.
