Ten author presentations, thousands of books bound for the Simon Family JCC

by | Oct 11, 2013 | Featured

Sunday, Nov. 3–Sunday, Nov. 17

The Cardo of the Sandler Family Campus will be filled with books of all shapes and sizes, as the Simon Family JCC presents The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival 2013.

Thanks to the festival’s partner Barnes & Noble, the JCC will sell thousands of books, including children’s books, novels, non-fiction, local interest, cookbooks, and others. Of course, the works of the 10 authors who are making presentations will also be available.

“The book festival is a great way to kill two birds with one stone,” says Michele Goldberg, cultural arts director. “Come out for an evening or for an event for the kids, and do some holiday shopping while you’re here.”

The author presentations mirror the diversity of the categories of books on display, and range from comedy to the worldwide threat of Hezbollah to recipes. Young children will learn about the real of meaning of Chanukah and enjoy five short stories by a Sesame Street editor. Older children and teens will be engaged at a presentation about a boy and his experiences in multiple concentration camps during the Holocaust.

The book committee works closely with the cultural arts department of the JCC, producing the JCC’s largest cultural arts undertaking each November, carefully selecting books to sell and authors that they feel will be a good fit for this community. Authors are chosen after a Jewish Book Council Meeting in New York City each June.

Sponsors of the Book Festival include the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel (providing authors’ accommodations), Altmeyer Funeral Homes (providing transportation for the authors while in town), The Jewish Book Council, Beth Sholom Village, and Barnes & Noble.

All events are free, with the exception of several luncheons, as noted.

For additional information about the Book Festival, visit SimonFamilyJCC.org or call 321-2338.

Click here to view all of the book festival events

*of blessed memory

The Simon Family JCC is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

by Leslie Shroyer