As the Tidewater Jewish community welcomes 5786 and looks ahead to marking a century of Jewish Book Month, the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival launches its first half with a vibrant mix of events that reflect the spirit of renewal, resilience, and discovery. This year, the festival’s opening weeks are a testament to the Jewish identity as the “people of the book.” The festival’s first four events connect the community to the complexities of Israel, the courage of regular people during the Holocaust, the wisdom of Jewish thought, and of course, even some humor.
The conversation begins as veteran journalist and author Yaakov Katz returns to Tidewater for an evening that promises to be both searing and sobering on Thursday, October 23, at 7:30 pm. Katz, co-author of While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East, will explore how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. This necessary conversation is for anyone hoping to figure out what happened and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again. (Free and open to the community.)
The festival’s energy will shift a few days later when comedians Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden, authors of Tiny Pep Talks, take the spotlight on Tuesday, October 28, at 7:30 pm. Why wait for a big milestone to get a pep talk? This event is all about celebrating life’s everyday annoyances, (sending a scary email, parallel parking, and more), with laughter and encouragement. Attendees can expect a night of bite-sized hype, improvised pep talks, and a dessert reception. Bring a friend (yes, that one, she isn’t mad at you) and get ready to laugh. Tickets are $10 for JCC members, $18 for potential members. Pre-registration required by October 20.
Rabbi Shira Stutman, former senior rabbi at Washington DC’s Sixth & I, will share wisdom from The Jewish Way to a Good Life, drawing on Jewish tradition to offer practical inspiration for happiness, community, and loving kindness on Wednesday, November 5, at 7:30 pm. As Jewish Book Month celebrates its 100th year, Stutman’s message is a timely reminder that the Jewish wisdom and values that comprise the heart of all Jewish literature, continue to guide us through every chapter of our lives.
The first half of the festival culminates when historian Elizabeth R. Hyman presents the previously untold story of The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto on Thursday, November 6, at 12 pm. Hyman will uncover the true story of five courageous young women who sparked an uprising and defied the odds. Their legacy, brought vividly to life, is a powerful tribute to resistance and hope. (Tickets: $15 for JCC members, $20 for potential members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by October 29.)
As Jewish Book Month turns 100, and the community embraces the possibilities of a new year, the Jewish Book Festival invites the community to join in celebration, reflection, and discovery. Each event is an opportunity to engage with the ideas and voices that have shaped Jewish life for generations, and to be part of the next chapter.
For details and tickets, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.
Hunter Thomas is director of Arts + Ideas at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. For more information about the festival or to sponsor or volunteer, contact him at HThomas@UJFT.org or 757-625-7821.