October 28 – December 4
For more than 40 years, this annual celebration of Jewish writers, books, and ideas has featured authors from various backgrounds who have written about diverse topics. Featured author events allow the community to engage with bestselling and up-and-coming writers, their ideas, and their work.
Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and will take place at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Pre-registration or tickets are required
for all events. To register for events, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.
Support United Jewish Federation of Tidewater by purchasing books online. UJFT and Simon Family JCC receive 10% of each purchase through its storefront at BookShop.org/Shop/JewishVA. Books may also be purchased in person at the Simon Family JCC. Book signings will take place following each author event.
The Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival is funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission and is held in coordination with the Jewish Book Council, the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature.
For more information about the festival or to sponsor or volunteer, contact Hunter Thomas, UJFT’s director of Arts + Ideas, at HThomas@UJFT.org or 757-965-6137. To learn more or to register for events, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.
Rachel Beanland
The House is on Fire
Monday, October 28, 7:30 pm
During Richmond’s winter social season in 1811, the city’s theater caught fire mid-performance. Among the crowd, four characters from dramatically different backgrounds make crucial decisions that intertwine their fates. Based on a true story, The House Is on Fire reveals how tragedy can offer rare chances for redemption. JewishVA.org/Beanland
Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa
The Counterfeit Countess:
The Jewish Woman Who Rescued Thousands of Poles During the Holocaust
Thursday, November 7, 12 pm
$10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by October 30.
Discover the incredible true story of Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg, a Jewish woman who masqueraded as a Polish countess to save thousands during the Holocaust. Historians Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa unveil her remarkable journey of courage and ingenuity in this compelling presentation. JewishVA.org/White
Presented in partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission.
Claire Sufrin, editor
Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas
Thursday, November 14, 12 pm, Online
Pre-registration required to receive link.
Sources is an award-winning print and digital journal published by the Shalom Hartman Institute that promotes informed conversations and thoughtful disagreement about the issues that matter most to the Jewish community. Join Editor Claire Sufrin for a conversation about the journal’s publication process and its most recent editions. JewishVA.org/Sufrin
Presented in partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning and Jewish Community Relations Council.
Stuart E. Eizenstat
The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements That Changed the World
Monday, November 18, 7:30 pm
Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat takes readers inside the room of high-stakes global negotiations—from the Vietnam War to the Iranian Nuclear Accord—revealing untold drama, strategies, and lessons from top diplomats and world leaders through gripping firsthand accounts and exclusive interviews. JewishVA.org/Eizenstat
Presented by the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival as part of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, and Community Partners’ 14th annual Israel Today series.
David and Susan Schwartz
The Joy of Costco
Wednesday, November 20, 12 pm
$10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by November 12.
Did you know that Costco sells more than half of the world’s cashews? Or that they sell seven times more hotdogs than all Major League Baseball stadiums combined? David and Susan Schwartz are two of Costco’s biggest fans, and they’ve got some facts to share! JewishVA.org/Schwartz
Lenore Skenazy
Free Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow
Thursday, November 21, 6:30 pm
$10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by October 30.
With real-world examples, Lenore Skenazy describes how parents and educators can step back so kids can step up. Positive change is faster, easier, and a lot more fun than one would believe. Skenazy has helped millions of American parents feel brave and optimistic again—and the same goes for their kids. JewishVA.org/Skenazy
Presented in partnership with Strelitz International Academy.
Eddie Shapiro
Here’s to the Ladies: Conversations with More of the Great Women of Musical Theater
Wednesday, December 4, 7:30 pm
Featuring live music in partnership with Zeiders American Dream Theater and ROGE Theater Reinvented.
$10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Pre-registration required by November 26.
In Here’s to the Ladies, theater journalist Eddie Shapiro sits down for intimate, career-encompassing conversations with some of Broadway’s most prolific and fascinating leading women. Join him for a Cabaret-style evening of songs and stories celebrating the lives of some of the most remarkable women of Broadway and the songs they brought to life. JewishVA.org/Shapiro