2012 Jewish Book Festival

Coming soon, authors for the much anticipated 2013 JCA Book Festival!

• Click here to become a patron

The JCA takes pleasure in bringing outstanding authors to Jacksonville. This year‘s books are diverse and we think there is something for everyone – from where we turn for guidance as we face the challenges of our aging society, to speculation on whether Columbus was Jewish, to having one of the foremost authorities on Italian cooking talk about his family, to hearing about taking tragedy and turning it into something positive for the betterment of society, to looking at a wide ranging survey of comedy as an art form.  The schedule:

Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. -- Rabbi Richard F. Address, author of “Seekers of Meaning – Baby Boomers, Judaism, and the Pursuit of Healthy Aging.” Using key texts from the Torah, Rabbi Address shows that the foundation of a  happy and  healthy life is the meaning we seek in the community of others and in our most fundamental relationship with God. This evening is co-sponsored by River Garden Hebrew Home.

Monday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. -- Steve Berry, author of “The Columbus Affair.” A family’s secret, a ruthless fanatic, and a covert arm of the American government – all are linked by a single puzzling possibility:  What if everything we know about the discovery of America was a lie? Publishers Weekly said “An engrossing thriller from bestseller Berry.” Please bring a dairy lunch. We’ll provide coffee and dessert.  Reservations are required by Nov. 1.

Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. -- Guiliano Hazan, author of “Hazan Family Favorites - Beloved Italian Recipes.” Giuliano Hazan, son of Marcella Hazan, shares recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation along with reminiscences of Shabbat dinners at his grandparents’ house.A “Today Show” regular, he shows how various cultures encountered during the family’s wanderings from Turkey to Italy and the United States have influenced the recipes they still enjoy today. Disclosure:  many of the recipes do not observe kosher principles.

Wednesday. Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. -- Edie Lutnick, author of “An Unbroken Bond   - The Untold Story of How the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald Families Faced the Tragedy of 9/11 and Beyond.” Edie Lutnick co- founded and heads the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund that has raised and distributed over $250 million to victims of terrorism, disasters and emergencies.  A labor lawyer by training, Edie’s life changed forever when her younger brother perished in the World Trade Center and her other brother’s firm was nearly destroyed. Through dedication and Tzedakah, Edie and her brother, Howard, committed their leadership of Cantor Fitzgerald and its Relief Fund to changing the lives of thousands.

Sunday, Nov. 18, at 10 a.m. -- Patrons’ Brunch featuring David Misch, author of “Funny:  The Book – Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Comedy.” David Misch has been a comic folksinger and stand-up comic. His screenwriting credits include “Mork and Mindy,” “Police Squad,” “The Muppets Take Manhattan” and “Saturday Night Live.” He teaches musical satire at UCLA and “Practical Foundations of Comedy” at USC. The book posits that humor is a defining characteristic of humanity.

All books will be available for sale and signing.  Events, except for the Patrons’ Brunch, are free and open to the whole community.

The Book Festival is made possible by the support of patrons. Won’t you plan to contribute so we can continue to bring outstanding authors like these to Jacksonville? Your contributions are tax deductible.

Patron Categories: 
Publisher -- $1,000 to $2,500
Editor -- $500 to $999
Proofer -- $250 to $499
Reader -- $100 to $249

For information on becoming a patron, please call Thelma Nied at 730-2100 ext. 227.