While the books are gone and events have paused, the memories still remain from a busy month of reading and events during the Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival at the Simon Family JCC. The book festival ran October 30–December 2 and brought hundreds of people to the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus to hear Emmy Award-winning writers, bestselling authors, and popular journalists speak about an array of topics. With more than 200 titles to choose from in the pop-up book shop, there was something of interest for everyone.
Some of the Festival’s highlights included visits from authors.
Matt Goldman
Gone to Dust: A Novel
Kicking off the Jewish Book Council author events and the Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival, Matt Goldman spoke about his debut novel, Gone to Dust, and his experiences working as a writer on Seinfeld. The evening was moderated by Jay Klebanoff who says, “…hosting Matt Goldman after enjoying his book, provided a unique opportunity to ask about story and character development and get inside his head for a bit. It was a fringe benefit that he is a really nice and unassuming person.”
John Schwartz
This is the Year I Get My Financial Life in Order
With canceled flights and a mid -November snowstorm keeping him in New Jersey, John Schwartz, a New York Times journalist, joined community members via Skype to discuss how to get one’s financial life in order. The takeaway? Start saving for retirement early and pass financial knowledge on to children as soon as possible.
Jane Isay
Unconditional Love: A Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges ofBeing a Grandparent Today
Jane Isay spoke to Tidewater grandparents at a luncheon where she shared stories from her experiences as a family relationship expert.
“This year’s book fair was a treat for the eyes…and the soul. Whether browsing the array of beautiful cookbooks or pre-reading the children’s books for our granddaughters, there appeared to be something for everyone,” says Alene Jo Kaufman. “However, the highlight for me was spending time with Jane Isay. Her down-to-earth, heartfelt sharing of stories was meaningful and motivating. Jane illustrated “grandparenting” nuances that will enhance and enrich our family’s lives.”
Jenn a Blum
The Lost Family
New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum spoke to a captivated audience about her latest novel, The Lost Family. Blum provided stories about her experience as an interviewer for the Steven Spielberg Survivors of the Shoah Foundation and how those stories helped to build characters within her compelling novels. The day after the event, Blum visited Norfolk Academy and spoke to creative writing students about writing processes and character creation.