EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Connect Magazine Ann and Stephen Kaufman
Jewish Book & Arts Festival 46 Years of Authors, Music, Theatre & Films
NOVEMBER 3–13, 2018
Underwritten by The Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation
erjcchouston.org October 2018
Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival
PROLOGUE
Sneak Preview Night: Mike Reiss . . . . . . . 4
ARTS & CULTURE Tamar Alder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Love, Gilda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Orna Feinstein Art Opening . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Jewish Plays Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Live Unorthodox Podcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story . . . . . 11 GI Jews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 God of Vengeance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
FICTION & LITERATURE
MEMOIR
Orlando Ortega-Medina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Opening Night: Nell Scovell . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Community Read: Rachel Kadish . . . . . . 8
Jocelyn Wurzburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Jenna Blum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Stephanie Wittels Wachs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Friday Night Lights: Matt Goldman . . . . . 12
Closing Night: David Litt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Jeff Oliver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Keith Gessen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Book Lovers Lunch: Rosellen Brown . . . 16 Book Lovers Lunch: Susie Orman Schnall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Andrew Gross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
NON-FICTION Max Wallace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Ben Reiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
AFTERWORD Meir Shalev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Deborah Karchmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Bugsy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Lorenzo Cohen & Alison Jefferies . . . . . 10
Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
FAMILY, PARENTING & TEEN PROGRAMMING
John Schwartz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ariel Burger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Catherine Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Sally Kohn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Oliver Lapin Family Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
HOUSTON AUTHORS
Jane Isay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Lisa Greenwald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Jeff Oliver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Jenn Abelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Catherine Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Local Children’s Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Local Literati . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
JEWISH TEXT Rabbi Amy Scheinerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Shachar M. Pinsker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Jamie Bernstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Caroline Moss & Michelle Markowitz . . . 21 Marc Agronin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Unless otherwise specified, programs take place at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Milton Levit Family Campus Joe Weingarten Building 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, Texas 77096
Purchase a Book Festival Subscription
Save on events and receive guaranteed seating for Opening Night! Buy a Full Book Festival Subscription to have access to all Book Festival programs* and receive guaranteed reserved seating in the subscriber section for Opening Night with Nell Scovell. *Ticket reservations required for each event. There will not be a pass for automatic entrance. Book Lovers Lunch and Friday Night Lights with Matt Goldman are excluded from all subscriptions.
Full Festival Subscription $80 Member | $110 Public FREE for Students with Student ID $10 Series Pass discount for Seniors 60+
Pick 5 Subscription $50 Member | $75 Public
BOOKSTORE HOURS
Pick 3 Subscription $30 Member | $45 Public
Discounts for Individual Senior Tickets available at time of purchase
TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR SUBSCRIPTIONS
Sunday–Thursday 10:00 AM–9:30 PM* Friday 10:00 AM–2:00 PM Saturday 7:30 PM–10:00 PM
* 7:00 PM closing on Nov. 8
ONLINE: erjcchouston.org | BY PHONE: 713.729.3200 IN PERSON: Visit the Information Desk or the Box Office 30 minutes prior to the start of a program. Advance ticket purchase recommended. See pages 22-23 for individual ticket prices. RESERVED SEATING EVENTS New this year, all our events in the Kaplan Theatre will be reserved seating. Reserve or purchase your tickets early to ensure a seat. Seats will be released five minutes prior to the start of each program.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3
OPENING NIGHT
8:00 PM | Nell Scovell Just the Funny Parts:… And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boys’ Club Donna Frankoff Memorial Lecture
Most known for her work behind the scenes of TV shows such as The Simpsons, Late Night with David Letterman, NCIS, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, writer, producer and director Nell Scovell brings us a 30-year account that is part memoir, part howto, and part survival story about how she fought her way to the top of a highly competitive, predominantly male vocation in the entertainment industry. An Amazon Best Book of the Year So Far, Scovell’s wit and honesty come full-force as she delivers insights into the creative process and offers tips on navigating a difficult workplace. Scovell stepped out from behind the scenes when the David Letterman sex scandal broke in 2009. Since then, Scovell has collaborated with, and written for, important figures such as Sheryl Sandberg (as the co-author of Lean In), President Barack Obama, Candice Bergen, Conan O’Brian, and Kermit the Frog. Closed captioning provided for Opening Night
Patron Sponsors: Sherry and Gerald Merfish FREE EVENT
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patrons of the Arts: Guaranteed Premier Reserved Seats All Book Festival Subscribers: Guaranteed Reserved Seats FREE: Limited Seating | First Come, First Served
3
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 SNEAK PREVIEW NIGHT
Mike Reiss Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons Thursday, October 11 | 7:30 PM
Four-time Emmy winner, an Amazon’s Best Book of the Year So Far, Mike Reiss, who has worked on The Simpsons continuously since its pilot episode in 1989, shares stories, scandals and gossip about working with America’s most iconic cartoon family. He explains how episodes are created and provides an inside look of the show’s writers, animators, actors, celebrity guests and Jewish themes. Reiss also provides a personal highlight reel of achievements, observations, and favorite stories. Unique interviews with Judd Apatow, Conan O’Brien and several other Simpsons legends are also featured.
2:00 PM | Orlando Ortega-Medina Jerusalem Ablaze: Stories of Love and Other Obsessions Marilyn Hassid Emerging Author
This collection of 13 enthralling short stories unapologetically grapples with subjects such as sexuality, death, obsession and religion. Orlando Ortega-Medina, who is of Judeo-Spanish Cuban descent, develops flawed characters in each tale, who are all striving to make sense of their lives. This newest collection of stories was shortlisted for the 2017 Polari First Book Prize. Ortega-Medina has a Juris Doctor law degree and resides in London, where he practices US immigration law.
Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation
2:00 PM | Tamar Adler Something Old, Something New: Classic Recipes Revisited With An Everlasting Meal, Tamar Adler advocated for the pleasures of leftovers and the myriad uses of flavorful scraps, providing culinary tips for using food you might ordinarily throw away. In her new cookbook, Something Old, Something New, Adler continues her preservative quest by rekindling classic recipes. The book is a culinary history, filled with delicious recipes and Adler’s smart, witty prose. Adler is a contributing writer to Vogue and The New York Times Magazine and has won a James Beard Award and an IACP Award.
4:00 PM | Film Love, Gilda
Directed by Lisa D’Apolito | USA, 2018, 84 min | Documentary This film is a true autobiography of the renowned comedienne and original Saturday Night Live cast member Gilda Radner. Director Lisa D’Apolito discovered a collection of diaries and personal audio and video tapes documenting Radner’s childhood, comedy career, her relationships, and ultimately, her battle with cancer. Weaving together these found treasures and interviews with friends such as Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Alan Zweibel, and Martin Short, the film portrays the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story.
4
IN HONOR OF MAXINE SILBERSTEIN Underwritten by Janet and Elton Lipnick Additional November 4 events continue on pages 6-8
Health and Wellness, Fiction, Contemporary Issues and Arts and Culture. We are thrilled to have had so much input while planning for each of these categories. This year there are ample opportunities to come together to connect about topics or stories that we each find relevant and meaningful in our own lives. I am excited to share with you the opportunity to bring our amazing Houston Jewish community into the spotlight as we are hosting a live Podcast of the show Unorthodox. Houston will provide the backdrop for the recording of an episode of this wildly popular Podcast that takes a glimpse into modern Jewish life from several perspectives. I hope you will join me in being a part of this monumental event! Our youngest readers have a new opportunity to become involved this year through the formation of our Kids Book Club. This book club, rooted in Jewish values, will give students the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation surrounding literature as well as the opportunity to have in-depth experiences such as author meet and greets and making book recommendations in the Bookstore!
What a pleasure to welcome the community to the 46th Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival. This year promises to be an exciting one, with an incredible variety of topics and authors for everyone! My personal goal this year is for everyone to bring a friend (or more) to the Book Festival program that you are most excited about! Sharing these unique cultural experiences with those we care about will deepen our connection to community and to one another. Some of the changes that you will see this year concern when our Book Festival events take place. We invite everyone to attend our first author event, a Sneak Preview Night on October 11 as we host author Mike Reiss on his book Springfield Confidential. This event will be a preview of the types of events and authors that will be showcased in November. Additionally, we are thrilled to bring more author events to you throughout the year. Our Spring Series, called Chapter and Verse, will feature four outstanding non-fiction authors to keep the spirit of the Book & Arts Festival going throughout the year. Our committee members have been hard at work not only to select the authors, but also to create meaningful programming surrounding them. Each committee member was also part of a sub-committee to focus on authors who promise to provide interest and insight in the following areas: Judaism and Israel,
I am also pleased to share opportunities for personal growth through programs such as Catherine Price’s How to Break up with Your Phone and an event specifically for grandparents, as Jane Isay presents Unconditional Love: A Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges of Being a Grandparent Today. My special thanks to John Dreyfus, my energetic, creative, and caring co-chair. Your ideas and energy are boundless and I am thankful for the opportunity to work with you and learn from you. I am grateful for the entire Book & Arts Festival committee and would like to give special thanks to those that chaired our sub committees: Sabrina Engel, Beverly Fanarof, Sue Goott, Ellen Leventhal, David Morris, Maura Ryan and Sallye Wolf and all the incredible work done by Stefani Twyford and Lori Farris to make our Community Read an evening that is not to be missed! And to all the amazing volunteers throughout the festival, we are thankful to be the recipients of your time and effort. We couldn’t do it without you! And certainly never to be forgotten is the brilliant team of the J's Arts & Culture Department. Andrea, Jasmine, Barb, and especially Amy, you make this volunteer position such a pleasure. We have learned and grown together so much these past 2 years, and I am grateful for it. None of this would be possible without the support of our Patrons of the Arts, the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation and all of our underwriters and community partners. Your ongoing support brings arts and culture alive in our community, which is such an incredible gift! I look forward to seeing you all at the Festival!
Hilary Kamin
Chair, Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival
The best is yet to come and there is still an opportunity to join the team and get in on the excitement. Volunteer to be part of this 46 year literary tradition at the J. Contact jross@erjcchouston.org for more information.
Oliver Lapin Family Day SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 | 9:30 AM–12:00 PM Endowed in loving memory of Oliver Lapin by his family Ethan Berlin Hugely Wugely Spider Contrary to the tale about the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Berlin’s debut children’s book introduces us to Hugely-Wugely Spider, who is much bigger than the other spiders, and, therefore, the odd one out. His size becomes a challenge when attempting to climb the water spout, but when the rain jeopardizes to wash out all his little friends, Hugely-Wugely Spider comes to the rescue. Berlin is an Emmy Award-nominated comedy writer and performer, who teaches comedy writing classes at NYU and the People’s Improv Theater.
Supported by the Rosita and Albert Gaon Sephardic Heritage Program Endowment Fund MISHPACHA & ME AND PJ LIBRARY EVENT 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Ages 0-5
Enjoy songs and a spider themed snack after the book reading.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Kindergarten & 1st Grade
After the presentation, join us for spider web themed adventure play and an opportunity to learn the insect’s role in nature.
Carrie Jones The Spy Who Played Baseball
10:00 AM–11:30 AM | 2nd Grade 11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Kindergarten & 1st Grade New York Times best-selling author, Carrie Jones, brings us a story about an atypical baseball player named Moe Berg, whose Jewish identity sets him apart from other major league players in the 1930s. Other differences include his law degree, his knowledge of several languages and his love of travel. He’s also a spy for the U.S. government. At the onset of World War II, Moe gives up baseball for a life full of danger and secrecy. Jones lives in Bar Harbor, Maine. After the presentation, join us for baseball and spy related activities as we travel the bases from first to home. 6
See pages 22–23 for prices.
Rivka Fishman Sara the Bucket Filler
11:30 AM–12:00 PM | 2nd Grade Every person in the world has an invisible bucket that holds their good thoughts and feelings. Join Sara as she learns how to fill other people's buckets-by giving compliments, helping without being asked, expressing love, and being kind. A Houstonian, Rivka Fishman has been teaching for 18 years and is a recipient of the Grinspoon – Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.
Local Children’s Authors
9:30 AM–10:00 AM | Kindergarten–2nd Grade 11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Ages 0 -5 Throughout the morning, children will have an opportunity to hear from Houston’s own children’s authors, Rivka Fishman, Salvo Lavis, and Ellen Leventhal with presentations and activities tied to their books.
Mishpacha & Me and PJ Library Go to the Book Festival! November 6, 8, 13 | 10:00 AM–11:00 AM & 4:00 PM–5:00 PM Ages 0-5
Join Mishpacha & Me and PJ Library for story time during the Festival with celebrity guest readers, music, and crafts in the J Bookstore.
11:00 AM | Jane Isay Unconditional Love: A Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges of Being a Grandparent Today Author and family relationships expert Jane Isay contends that being a grandparent is the opportunity to transform missed chances into delight. Her new book draws from her personal experience, dozens of interviews and the latest findings in psychology. Isay meditates on the joys of being a grandparent, and creates a practical guide for grandparents and their adult children to thrive in their relationships with their grandchildren. Prior to her writing career, Isay was an editor for several New York publishing houses. Parents and grandparents, we hope you’ll join us as your children are at Oliver Lapin Family Day!
Oliver Lapin Family Day is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. All events take place at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC. Family events are FREE and open to the public. 7
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 6:00 PM | Art Opening
7:00 PM | Local Literati
Orna Feinstein: Recent Work
Join us as we hear from local Houston writers and inquire about their most recent literary endeavors, followed by a reception and book signing in the Bookstore. New this year, we will be featuring a keynote speaker, Mimi Swartz, presenting her book, Ticker.
Join us in the Deutser Art Gallery for an Art Opening and Meet the Artist reception. Orna Feinstein is an internationally recognized artist and a printmaker fascinated with nature’s inherent abstractions. Her work gracefully visualizes the geometric complexities of nature, both on the micro and macro scale, while expanding the classic two-dimensional format of monoprinting into the realm of sculpture and installation. Feinstein will present at Local Literati immediately following the reception.
Mimi Swartz shows just how complex and difficult it can be to replicate one of nature’s greatest, creations, the heart as experienced by one the world’s foremost heart surgeons, O.H. “Bud” Frazier. Swartz is the executive editor for Texas Montly, and op-ed writer for The New York Times and a two time National Magazine Award winner. Featured local authors include Peter Berkowitz, Orna Feinstein, Holly Gershbein and Lauren Austin, Gayle Kamen-Weinstein, Elizabeth Krohn, Beth Liebling, Penny Milbouer, Roni Singer, Lois Farfel Stark and Nancy Zuromski.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5 6:00 PM | Theatre Jewish Plays Project | Discussion with Jewish Plays Project Director David Winitsky Be a “fly on the wall” at this discussion of the top 10 selections from this year’s Jewish Playwriting Contest, sponsored by the Jewish Plays Project (JPP). Featuring JPP artistic director David Winitsky, The J’s Theatre Committee members and leading Houston theatre professionals, the conversation provides a rare opportunity to learn more about Jewish theatre in America.
8:00 PM | Community Read Rachel Kadish | The Weight of Ink Winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award and an Amazon Best Book of the Year choice, Rachel Kadish’s new novel weaves together the lives of two London women separated by centuries. An emigrant from Amsterdam in the 1660s, who becomes a scribe for a blind rabbi, and an unwell historian who has a passion for Jewish history, intersect when the historian is approached by a former student who has discovered seventeenth-century Jewish documents. Uncovering the identity of the scribe, who marked her pages as “Aleph,” will be the historian’s ultimate endeavor. Join the community by reading The Weight of Ink before the Festival, or make it your book club’s choice this fall! Let us know if your book club will be reading along. Contact awolfe@erjcchouston.org for VIP book club benefits. Purchase the book at the J to receive FREE entry to the Community Read program. 8
See pages 22–23 for prices.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 11:00 AM | Jocelyn Dan Wurzburg Jocie
In collaboration with Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood ALTERNATE LOCATION
Congregation Beth Yeshurun | 4525 Beechnut Street In her book, Jocelyn Wurzburg takes us along her journey to become a civil rights activist during the Martin Luther King Jr. era in Memphis. With no support from her family, she found her values turning upside down. Wurzburg eventually got divorced, became an attorney, and jumped into civil rights, women's rights, and social justice. She formed The Memphis Panel of American Women – an award-winning human relations organization and served on the Social Action Commission of Reform Judaism.
Optional lunch after the program through Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood | Reservations required by October 30 to bethyeshurun.org/sisterhood-torah-fund
7:30 PM | Live Unorthodox Podcast Unorthodox, Tablet Magazine’s flagship podcast, is a compelling weekly take on Jewish news, politics, and culture with equal parts seriousness and irreverence. Unorthodox is hosted by Tablet editor-at-large and Los Angeles Times columnist Mark Oppenheimer and features deputy editor Stephanie Butnick and senior writer Liel Leibovitz (A Broken Hallelujah, JBAF 2010 & 2014). Each episode features a Jew and gentile of the week, news of the Jews and more. Join us for a live recording of the world’s leading Jewish podcast with Oppenheimer, Butnick and Leibovitz, along with their guests live on the Kaplan Theatre stage.
Patron Sponsors: Sara & Peter Norris
GET CULTURED: THE J’S ARTS & CULTURE EVENTS FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR 20S AND 30S
Happy Hour Reception with the hosts of Unorthodox | 6:45 PM Exclusive reception for people ages 21-thirty something Join us afterwards for the Unorthodox Live Show! 9
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7 4:30 PM | Lisa Greenwald Friendship List #2: 12 Before 13
Exclusively for 4-7 Graders In collaboration with the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston ALTERNATE LOCATION
Congregation Beth Yeshurun 4525 Beechnut Street Inspired by the success of their birthday bucket list, Ari and her BFF Kaylan set 12 new goals for the year. And number one is “keep our friendship strong.” But after a life-changing summer at camp, Ari feels torn between Kaylan and her camp friends. And as she confronts everything from boys to bat mitzvahs, Ari needs to figure out how to be her best self—before her friends come together at her thirteenth birthday party. Lisa Greenwald works at The Birch Wathen Lenox School library in Manhattan.
7:30 PM | Max Wallace In the Name of Humanity: The Secret Deal to End the Holocaust
Shirley and Bill Morgan Family Holocaust Memorial Fund Holocaust historian and New York Times bestselling author, Max Wallace’s latest piece derives from a riveting collection of recently declassified documents, and an account from the only living eyewitness, to the mystery behind why Heinrich Himmler demolished Auschwitz’s crematoria and gas chambers – the largest killing machine in human history. An edict that has puzzled historians for more than six decades comes to light through an astonishing story involving secret negotiations of an unlikely trio – the unsung angels – who foiled the Final Solution.
Auditory Equipment Available for Hearing Impaired
7:30 PM | Lorenzo Cohen & Alison Jefferies Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life and Health with the Mix of Six ALTERNATE LOCATION
The Health Museum | 1515 Hermann Drive Co-authors and Houstonians Lorenzo Cohen and Alison Jefferies introduce the concept of the “Mix of Six": the six areas of health and wellness that can statistically reduce cancer risk and support cancer treatment. While each plays an independent role, the synergy created by all six factors can delay or prevent cancer, support treatments, and improve quality of life. Cohen and Jefferies work together closely at the MD Anderson Cancer Center; Cohen is the director of the Integrative Medicine Program, and Jefferies is a former president of the Faculty.
If you need assistance in hearing clearly, equipment is available to enhance your ability to hear the program. Just ask at the Box Office when you arrive and it will be provided for you with courtesy and sensitivity. Closed Captioning provided for Opening Night.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8 12:15 PM | Lunch & Learn Rabbi Amy Scheinerman The Talmud of Relationships, Volumes 1 & 2
Presented with the Bobbi and Vic Samuels Center for Jewish Living & Learning ALTERNATE LOCATION
Merfish Teen Center | 9000 S. Rice Avenue Innovative teacher Rabbi Amy Scheinerman invites us into the Talmudic study house to continue the Jewish valuesbased conversations that began 2,000 years ago. Volume 1 reveals how the ancient Jewish texts of Talmud can facilitate modern relationship building with parents, children, spouses, family members, and ourselves. Volume 2 focuses on how the Talmud can facilitate modern relationship building with family members, strangers, and the broader Jewish community. Scheinerman provides religiously inspiring and intellectually stimulating scholar-in-residence presentations around the country.
Optional Lunch | Reservations required by November 5. Visit erjcchouston.org/cjll for details.
5:00 PM | Film
7:30 PM | Jenna Blum
Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story
The Lost Family: A Novel
Directed by Stephane Kaas | Netherlands, 2017, 67 min Documentary In his short stories, Israeli writer Etgar Keret plays with fantasy and reality. His own life, too, seems a modern fairy tale. An official selection of the Haifa Film Festival, this hybrid documentary by Stephanie Kass and Rugter Lemm investigates why storytelling is an essential aspect of Keret’s life. In addition to short stories, Etgar Keret is known for graphic novels and scriptwriting for film and television.
In collaboration with Congregation Beth Israel ALTERNATE LOCATION
Congregation Beth Israel 5600 N Braeswood Blvd One of Oprah’s Top 30 Women Writers, Jenna Blum depicts a tale about love and loss through one family that spans a generation. In 1965, Peter Rashkin is Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor. His popular restaurant is named after his wife, who was murdered, along with his two children during the Holocaust. Wracked with guilt from surviving Auschwitz, Peter prefers a solitary life until he meets a stunning, young model. Their whirlwind romance transforms into Peter’s second chance to have a family.
Patron Sponsors: Lauren and Jeremy Blachman
11
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 1:00 PM | Film GI Jews
Directed by Lisa Ades | United States, 2018, 87 min Documentary Produced and directed by long-time documentary filmmaker Lisa Ades, this film tells the profound and less-known story of the 550,000 Jewish American men and women who served in World War II that were active participants in the fight against Hitler, bigotry and intolerance. Like all Americans, they fought against fascism, but they also fought to save their brethren in Europe. After years of struggle, these people emerged more strongly American, more spiritually Jewish, and more determined to fight for equality and tolerance at home.
7:30 PM | Friday Night Lights Matt Goldman | Gone to Dust: A Novel Experience Shabbat dinner in a sophisticated setting while enjoying a particular artistic genre. This first program in a series of three will feature the genre of literature. Menu will be kosher style with fish and vegetarian options, but not under the supervision of HKA. ALTERNATE LOCATION
The Grotto | 4715 Westheimer Known for his Emmy Award-winning writing for Seinfeld, Matt Goldman delivers his debut private eye murder mystery. Set in Minnesota, private detective Nils Shapiro attempts to solve the brutal murder of suburban divorcee Maggie Somerville, whose body was found covered with hundreds of emptied vacuum cleaner bags – making it impossible to detect any DNA evidence. After inspecting Maggie’s cell phone records, Nils links the most frequently called number to a mysterious young woman whose true identity could shatter the Somerville family.
Advance purchase required by November 2 | Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Book Festival subscription
BECOME A PATRON OF THE ARTS! 12
See pages 22–23 for prices.
Become a Patron of the Arts! Help the J present a diverse season of dynamic programs to stimulate the mind, strengthen the community and showcase Jewish and Israeli culture. Benefits include VIP seating, discounts, advance notice of special events and invitations to exclusive meet-and-greets with some of the world’s most memorable people, plus Program Membership to the J.
Learn more at erjcchouston.org/pota
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10 7:00 PM | Jeff Oliver The Two-Plate Solution: A Novel of Culinary Mayhem in the Middle East Houston Connect 68: Exclusively for 6-8 graders
This humorous culinary adventure, written by long-time TV cooking show producer Jeff Oliver, showcases a diverse cast of chefs competing in a high-stakes TV cooking show in Israel. The producers’ plan is for the chefs’ competitive foes to be fake “terrorists,” but instead, actual terrorists show up on set, and threaten the producers to naturally integrate them into the show or risk death. The author incorporates many laughable twists in the plot as the chefs literally cook for their lives.
8:00 PM | Theatre God of Vengeance
Staged Reading with Live Music by Lisa Gutkin | Written by Sholem Asch Maurice Amado Foundation Music Residency and Performance
Lisa Gutkin Photo by D. Escobedo
Staged reading of Isaac Goldberg’s 1918 English translation of Sholem Asch’s controversial Yiddish play, God of Vengeance, whose initial 1923 Broadway run was closed due to charges of obscenity, and whose story inspired the Tony Award winning play, Indecent, by Paula Vogel. The play relates a family’s attempts to leave behind a shady past so their daughter can marry into Jewish respectability. Lisa Gutkin, the Grammy winning composer of the Klezmatics and of the music of Indecent will perform her compositions and arrangements along with local musicians Donald Jacobs (clarinet) and Villie Schumann (accordion), including additional new scoring composed especially for this event.
Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation
8:00 PM | Jenn Abelson I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope Exclusively for Teens
ALTERNATE LOCATION
Merfish Teen Center | 9000 S. Rice Avenue This memoir is about Chessy Prout, who, in 2014, was sexually assaulted at a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire. After reporting the incident to police and testifying against her attacker in court, Chessy received unexpected backlash from her school community. In an effort to help other survivors find their voice, she broke her anonymity. Chessy’s story powerfully advocates for solutions to upend the current rape culture. Co-author, Jenn Abelson, has been an investigative reporter for the Boston Globe Spotlight Team for 16 years. 13
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 12:00 PM | John Schwartz This is the Year I Put My Financial Life in Order This part memoir, part research-based guide to attaining lifelong security was written by New York Times Correspondent and former Daily Texan editor, John Schwartz, from Galveston. He shares personal stories such as nearly going bankrupt, to eating on a budget-conscious diet, and walks us through his personal journey to financial literacy. He covers everything from investments to retirement, and from insurance to wills. Schwartz hopes to help readers, from college graduates to those approaching retirement age, become their own best financial advisor.
2:00 PM | Keith Gessen A Terrible Country: A Novel
Photo by Nina Subin
Andrei Kaplan returns to Moscow to care for his ailing grandmother in the summer of 2008. As her health declines, his feelings of dislocation from both Russia and America deepen. Andrei learns to navigate Putin’s Moscow and meets a beautiful activist named Yulia. He becomes entangled with a group of leftists, testing his politics and allegiances. A Terrible County asks what you owe the place you were born, and what it owes you. Keith Gessen, a Russian American professor of journalism at Columbia, is a contributor to The New Yorker and The London Review of Book and co-editor of n+1 Magazine.
4:00 PM | Ben Reiter Astroball: The New Way to Win It All When the senior writer for Sports Illustrated declared on the magazine’s June 2014 cover that the Houston Astros would win the World Series in 2017, everyone thought he was crazy. How had Ben Reiter predicted the outcome so accurately? And how did the Astros pull off the impossible? This book reveals how some unassuming outsiders went beyond the stats to find a new way to win. By linking together sports, business, and innovation, we learn about the next wave of thinking in baseball and beyond. Photo by Taylor Ballantyne
14
See pages 22–23 for prices.
Patron Sponsors: Joseph G. Epstein PLLC & Betsy and Ed Schreiber
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 4:00 PM | Jeff Oliver The Two-Plate Solution: A Novel of Culinary Mayhem in the Middle East ALTERNATE LOCATION
Congregation Or Ami | 3443 Wilcrest Drive This humorous culinary adventure written by long-time TV cooking show producer, Jeff Oliver, showcases a diverse cast of chefs competing in a high-stakes TV cooking show in Israel. The producers’ plan is for the chefs’ competitive foes to be fake “terrorists,” but instead actual terrorists show up on set and threaten the producers to naturally integrate them into the show or risk death. The author incorporates many laughable twists in the plot as the chefs literally cook for their lives.
6:00 PM | Deborah Karchmer The Accidental Bookbinder–Stories Bound to Last Bella Becho Book & Print Bindery is an award-winning book bindery. For 13 years, Deborah Karchmer, its founder, has been on an amazing journey repairing, restoring and creating books. Most often, it is the identity of the author and the circumstances surrounding the book that is the real story. Deborah will share inspirational stories and discuss how creativity and modern technology are just as important as a book press.
7:00 PM | Stephanie Wittels Wachs Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss In her beautiful, yet surprisingly funny memoir about addiction, grief, and family, Houston-native Stephanie Wittels Wachs recounts her most life-altering moment: a phone call informing her that her younger brother and famous comedian (most known for his writing for Parks and Recreation), Harris Wittels, had died from a heroin overdose. In her book, Wachs alternates between her brother’s struggle with addiction and the turbulent year following his death. Wachs profoundly explores the unique love that is shared between siblings. 15
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12 12:00 PM | Book Lovers Lunch Rosellen Brown The Lake on Fire
Susie Orman Schnall The Subway Girls: A Novel
Rosellen Brown’s newest novel portrays a set of siblings who are nineteenth century Jewish immigrants that escape their failing farm in Wisconsin in an attempt for a better life in Chicago during its Gilded Age. They soon realize that chasing the American dream is not any easier, despite the city’s outward charm. The tale examines family, love, and the revolution, strangely coinciding with today’s current events and tumultuous social landscape. Brown currently teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A past JBAF author, Brown also wrote Tender Mercies.
This historical fiction novel about the fascinating Miss Subways advertising program begins in 1949 when disillusioned Charlotte discovers the Miss Subways beauty contest and is lured into its endless opportunities. Nearly 70 years later, Olivia, an advertising executive, encounters the historic campaign, and connects with Miss Subways, potentially saving her job and future. The narrative focuses on two strong women, a generation apart, searching for the balance between love, happiness and ambition. Schnall has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and Glamour.
Patron Sponsor: Joyce Cramer Advance purchase required by November 7 | Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Book Festival subscription
A Membership for Every Budget Join and get member rates on Book Festival events and more for an entire year! Visit erjcchouston.org/membership for more information.
16
See pages 22–23 for prices.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12
5:00 PM | Film
7:30 PM | Catherine Price
Bugsy
How to Break Up with Your Phone
Directed by Barry Levinson | USA, 1991, 136 min | Drama Warren Beatty and Annette Bening star in the incredible true story of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, the playboy gangster who built Las Vegas and betrayed the Mob for love. Also starring Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley and Elliot Gould. Join us for this special movie and author pairing. Purchase a ticket to Andrew Gross’s Button Man and see Bugsy FREE!
Presented with Mishpacha & Me and Mishpacha NEXT In her life-changing guide for any smartphone owner, awardwinning freelance journalist Catherine Price presents a feasible plan to break up – and then make up – with your phone. Discover how phones and apps are designed to be addictive, and how the time we spend on them damages our abilities to focus, think deeply, and form new memories. Price teaches the audience how to make customized changes to your settings, apps, environment and mindset that will empower you to take back control of your life. Hear from Catherine Price in a keynote presentation, followed by a panel with Price and local experts, including Renee Attaway, a Speech Language Pathologist, Rabbi Brian Strauss, and others speaking on technology use as it relates to parenting.
7:45 PM | Andrew Gross Button Man New York Times and international bestselling author Andrew Gross brings us his new historical thriller about a garment entrepreneur Morris Rabishevsky, who in the 1930s rises from New York City’s Lower East side and confronts the most ruthless crime boss, Louis Buchalter, who has seized control of the garment unions. The family saga reflected in the story is based on the author’s own family story and the history of the era, with real-life mobster appearances like Louis Lepke and Dutch Schultz.
Patron Sponsors: Karol and Daniel Musher
Modern Jewish Authors Ms. Nada Chandler | 10 Sessions Sundays, 10:30 AM–11:30 AM October 7–December 16, 2018 | The J Thursdays, 11:15 AM–12:15 PM October 11–December 20, 2018 Merfish Teen Center $140 Member I $210 Public So many Jewish authors to explore, and just in time for the J’s Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival! We are not the people of the books for nothing, and this class provides an opportunity to keep abreast of the latest works of Jewish fiction. For those who have taken the course before, authors will not be repeated.
Visit erjcchouston.org/cjll for details 17
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
CLOSING NIGHT
7:30 PM | David Litt Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years The former Barack Obama speechwriter (and one of the youngest White House speechwriters in history), David Litt’s comic, coming-of-age memoir revisits his experience in the White House and charts a path forward. Winner of an Esquire Best Book of 2017, Litt draws from his years as Obama’s go-to comedy writer and takes us behind the scenes of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. After nearly a decade of experience, Litt asserts that politics is completely, hopelessly absurd-but also important. Despite all the moments of disillusion, he still believes in the words that drew him to the Obama campaign: “People who love this country can change it.” Litt is currently the head writer/producer for Funny or Die.
IN HONOR OF MARILYN HASSID Underwritten by Janet and Elton Lipnick
18
See pages 22–23 for prices.
PATRON OF THE ARTS | JOIN TODAY!
Patrons of the Arts are dedicated individuals and families who make Jewish arts, culture and education a priority in their philanthropic giving. Becoming a Patron helps the J continue to present a diverse and stimulating array of programs in arts, culture and education each year. Support from Patrons of the Arts allows the J to contribute to the vibrancy of Houston as one of the greatest arts cities in the United States. $3,600 | Emerald All benefits of Diamond Plus, plus… • Membership in the Continuity Society $2,500 | Diamond Plus All benefits of Diamond, plus… • NEW Exclusive Meet and Greet opportunities with special guests throughout the year • NEW Series Pass for DocuJews • Up to four family guests, under the age of 16, for annual family performance $1,800 | Diamond All benefits of Platinum, plus… • NEW Series Pass for Arts in the Afternoon • Reserved Parking for the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival and the Houston Jewish Film Festival • Sponsorship of a particular author, film or performance • NEW Priority Ticket Purchase options for select events • Concierge service for seat reservations $1,000 | Platinum All benefits of Gold, plus… • NEW Series Pass to the Performing Arts programs (Theatre, Music & Dance)
$600 | Gold • Season Pass to the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival • Season Pass to the Houston Jewish Film Festival • Two tickets to one of each of the Performing Arts (Theatre, Music & Dance) performances • NEW Two tickets to an Arts in the Afternoon program • NEW Advance Ticket Purchase options for select events • Reserved Seating for Opening & Closing Nights of the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival • Patrons of the Arts Kick-Off Event • Easy Online Registration Code for tickets • Exclusive email newsletter • Recognition on Patron of the Arts collateral • Program Membership $180 | Next Generation (For those 40 and younger) – AGE INCREASED TO 40 • Season Pass to the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival • Season Pass to the Houston Jewish Film Festival • Two tickets to one of each of the Performing Arts (Theatre, Music & Dance) performances
• Series Pass for Rice University Program in Jewish Studies Lecture Series and Chapter and Verse
• Two tickets to select Get Cultured events
• NEW 10% Discount to Laykie’s Café at the J during Arts & Ideas programs
• Reserved seating for Opening & Closing Nights of the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival
BENEFITS FOR UP TO TWO PEOPLE Patron Benefits are non-transferable
All Patrons Gold level and above receive two program memberships with their contribution.
• NEW Advance Ticket Purchase options for select events
• Patron of the Arts Kick-Off Event • Easy Online Registration Code for tickets • Exclusive email newsletter • Recognition on Patron of the Arts collateral • Member pricing for all Arts & Ideas programs
For more information or to join, visit erjcchouston.org/pota. We're excited to share that we have launched a brand new ticketing platform,
Introducing... PatronManager
PatronManager. This new software will make ticket buying more user-friendly and add new functionality to redeem your Patron of the Arts benefits online, as well as manage your annual support commitment. Plus, you'll enjoy early access to some of our most popular performances and events.
AFTERWORD
Stay tuned for these authors throughout the year!
Chapter and Verse
This new program offers Sunday brunch and conversation as we hear from contemporary Jewish authors on relevant issues of today.
Meir Shalev | My Wild Garden
Sunday, January 27, 2019 | 10:30 AM In his most recent work, renowned Israeli author Meir Shalev writes about his Jezreel Valley garden with humor and affection. Here, where the politics of the Middle East is one of planters, ants and flowers, Shalev tells of the colors, fragrances and sounds that rise up from his garden and ruminates on the relationship between land and humanity. He also teaches a little literature, history, mythology and practical horticultural tips along the way. An exclusive opportunity to hear about this bestselling nonfiction book, currently only available in Hebrew, before it is published in English next year. Meir Shalev is one of Israel’s most celebrated writers and has been the recipient of numerous distinguished book awards in Israel and abroad. He will be in Houston from January 26-30 as our visiting Literary Scholar-in-Residence.
Shachar M. Pinsker A Rich Brew: How Cafés Created Modern Jewish Culture Sunday, February 10, 2019 | 10:30 AM
Unlike the synagogue, the community center, or the Jewish deli, the café is rarely considered a Jewish space. Yet, coffeehouses profoundly influenced the creation of modern Jewish culture from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries. A Rich Brew explores the Jewish culture created in these social spaces, drawing on a vivid collection of newspaper articles, memoirs, archival documents, and photographs, as well as stories, novels, and poems in many languages set in cafés. Shachar M. Pinsker is an Associate Professor of Hebrew Literature and Culture at the University of Michigan.
Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz The Path of the Prophets: The Ethics Driven Life Sunday, March 17, 2019 | 10:30 AM
Illuminating the ethical legacy of the biblical prophets, Path of the Prophets identifies the prophetic moment in the lives of 18 biblical figures and demonstrates their compelling relevance to us today. While the Bible almost exclusively names men as prophets, Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz celebrates heroic, largely unknown biblical women such as Shiphrah, Tirzah, and Hannah. Rabbi Schwartz is the director of The Jewish Publication Society and the spiritual leader of Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia, New Jersey.
Ariel Burger Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom Sunday, April 14, 2019 | 10:30 AM
This profoundly hopeful, thought-provoking, and inspiring book takes us inside Elie Wiesel’s classroom. As Wiesel’s teaching assistant, Ariel Burger gives us a front-row seat witnessing these remarkable exchanges in and out of the classroom. Burger first met Wiesel at age fifteen. Witness chronicles the intimate conversations between these two men over decades, as Burger sought counsel on matters of intellect, spirituality, and faith, while navigating his own personal journey. Burger is a writer, artist, teacher and rabbi.
AFTERWORD Sally Kohn The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing our Humanity Thursday, March 7, 2019 | 7:30 PM
Sally Kohn, a CNN political commentator and columnist, has made a career out of bridging intractable political differences and learning how to talk respectfully with people whose views she disagrees with passionately. It was time, she decided, to look into the epidemic of hate all around us and learn how we can stop it. In The Opposite of Hate, Kohn talks to leading scientists and researchers and investigates the evolutionary and cultural roots of hate and how incivility can be a gateway to much worse.
Jamie Bernstein Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein Sunday, March 24 | 1:00 PM
Jamie Bernstein, the oldest daughter of revered composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein, offers a rare look at her father on the centennial of his birth in a deeply intimate and broadly evocative memoir. In Famous Father Girl, Bernstein mines the emotional depths of her childhood and invites us into her family's private world. Bernstein is a writer, broadcaster, and filmmaker. She travels the world as a concert narrator. Join us for a screening of West Side Story paired with Bernstein’s talk.
Patron Sponsors: Vicky and Michael Richker
Caroline Moss & Michelle Markowitz Hey Ladies!: The Story of 8 Best Friends, 1 Year, and Way, Way Too Many Emails Tuesday, April 16 | 7:30 PM
Hey Ladies! is a laugh-out-loud read that follows a fictitious group of eight 20-and-30something female friends for one year of holidays, summer house rentals, dates, brunches, breakups, and the planning of a disastrous wedding. This instantly relatable story is told entirely through emails, texts, and direct messages. Michelle Markowitz, a writer and producer, has been featured in the New York Times, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and MTV. Caroline Moss has written for New York Magazine, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, and Business Insider.
Marc Agronin The End of Old Age: Living a Longer, More Purposeful Life Monday, May 13 | 1:00 PM
Photo by Andrew Hallenberg and Jenny Abreu
The acclaimed author of How We Age presents a hopeful and practical model of aging--a guide to understanding how we can all make the journey better. As one of America's leading geriatric psychiatrists, Dr. Marc Agronin’s first-hand experience and the latest scientific research are brilliantly distilled in The End of Old Age-a call to no longer see aging as an implacable enemy and to start seeing it as a developmental force for enhancing well-being, meaning, and longevity.
All authors featured in the Afterword are ticketed events. Sally Kohn, Jamie Bernstein, Caroline Moss & Michelle Markowitz, and Marc Agronin are all included in the Patron of the Arts offering and the Full Book Festival Subscription.
21
SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE GENRE
TIME
PROGRAM
PRICE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11 7:30 PM
SNEAK PREVIEW NIGHT Mike Reiss – Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons
$12m | $18p
8:00 PM
OPENING NIGHT Nell Scovell – Just the Funny Parts:… And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boys’ Club
FREE
Family, Parenting & Teen Programming
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Oliver Lapin Family Day
FREE
Family, Parenting & Teen Programming
11:00 AM
Jane Isay – Unconditional Love: A Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges of Being a Grandparent Today
FREE
Fiction & Literature
2:00 PM
Orlando Ortega-Medina – Jerusalem Ablaze: Stories of Love and Other Obsessions
$12m | $18p
Arts & Culture
2:00 PM
Tamar Adler – Something Old, Something New: Classic Recipes Revisited
$12m | $18p
Arts & Culture
4:00 PM
FILM: Love, Gilda
$10m | $15p
Arts & Culture
6:00 PM
Art Opening: Orna Fenstein
FREE
Houston Authors
7:00 PM
Local Literati
FREE
Arts & Culture
6:00 PM
THEATRE: Jewish Plays Project
FREE
Fiction & Literature
8:00 PM
COMMUNITY READ Rachel Kadish – The Weight of Ink
$12m | $18p
Memoir
11:00 AM
Jocelyn Wurzburg – Jocie *
$12m | $18p Optional Lunch – $42
Arts & Culture
7:30 PM
Live Unorthodox Podcast
$12m | $18p
Family, Parenting & Teen Programming
4:30 PM
EXCLUSIVELY FOR 4-7 GRADERS Lisa Greenwald – Friendship List #2: 12 Before 13 *
FREE
Non-Fiction
7:30 PM
Max Wallace – In the Name of Humanity: The Secret Deal to End the Holocaust
$12m | $18p
Health & Wellness
7:30 PM
Lorenzo Cohen & Alison Jefferies – Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life and Health with the Mix of Six *
$12m | $18p
Jewish Text
12:15 PM
LUNCH & LEARN Rabbi Amy Scheinerman – The Talmud of Relationships, Volumes 1 & 2 *
$12m | $18p Free for Melton Students Optional Lunch – $10
Arts & Culture
5:00 PM
FILM: Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story
$10m | $15p
Fiction & Literature
7:30 PM
Jenna Blum – The Lost Family: A Novel *
FREE
Memoir
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 Memoir
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Due to circumstances beyond our control, programs are subject to change.
GENRE
TIME
PROGRAM
PRICE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Arts & Culture
1:00 PM
FILM: GI Jews
Fiction & Literature
7:30 PM
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS ° Matt Goldman – Gone to Dust: A Novel *
$5m | $8p $60 (includes dinner and author talk)
Advance purchase required by November 2
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Family, Parenting & Teen Programming
7:00 PM
EXCLUSIVELY FOR 6-8 GRADERS Jeff Oliver – The Two-Plate Solution: A Novel of Culinary Mayhem in the Middle East
$18
Family, Parenting & Teen Programming
8:00 PM
EXCLUSIVLY FOR TEENS Jenn Abelson – I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope *
FREE
Arts & Culture
8:00 PM
THEATRE: God of Vengeance Staged Reading with Live Music by Lisa Gutkin
$15m | $20p
Health & Wellness
12:00 PM
John Schwartz – This is the Year I Put My Financial Life in Order
$12m | $18p
Fiction & Literature
2:00 PM
Keith Gessen – A Terrible Country: A Novel
$12m | $18p
Fiction & Literature
4:00 PM
Jeff Oliver – The Two-Plate Solution: A Novel of Culinary Mayhem in the Middle East *
$12m | $18p or $38 Book Bundle
Non-Fiction
4:00 PM
Ben Reiter – Astroball: The New Way to Win It All
$12m | $18p
Arts & Culture
6:00 PM
Deborah Karchmer: The Accidental Bookbinder – Stories Bound to Last
FREE
Memoir
7:00 PM
Stephanie Wittels Wachs – Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss
$12m | $18p
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Fiction & Literature
12:00 PM
BOOK LOVERS LUNCH ° Rosellen Brown – The Lake on Fire Susie Orman Schnall – The Subway Girls: A Novel
$25 (includes one book and lunch)
Advance Purchase Required by November 7
Arts & Culture
5:00 PM
FILM: Bugsy
$6 (Included FREE with the purchase of a ticket to Andrew Gross)
Health & Wellness
7:30 PM
Catherine Price – How to Break Up with Your Phone
$12m | $18p
Fiction & Literature
7:45 PM
Andrew Gross – Button Man
$12m | $18p
7:30 PM
CLOSING NIGHT David Litt – Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years
$12m | $18p
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Memoir
°Not included in Patron of the Arts offering or Book Festival subscription m – Member p – Public
* ALTERNATE LOCATION Event takes place at an alternate location. Please see full listing for address. 23
THANKS & RECOGNITION 2018 ANN AND STEPHEN KAUFMAN JEWISH BOOK & ARTS FESTIVAL STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR Hilary Kamin
VICE-CHAIR John Dreyfus
BOOK FESTIVAL SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRS Sabrina Engel Beverly Fanarof Sue Goott Ellen Leventhal David Morris Maura Ryan Sallye Wolf BOOKSTORE VOLUNTEER MANAGERS Esther Chess Linda Chess Carol Emery Ellen Gaber Ann Glazier Sandy Gomel Robin Greenspan Louise Kershman Ruth Morris Claire Noll Sheila Sack Leenie Skolnik Paula Stafford Carol Sternberg Beverly Sufian
BROCHURE Emily Feinstein
MUSIC Adrianne Lavis
COMMUNITY READ Lori Farris Stefani Twyford
OLIVER LAPIN FAMILY DAY & PARENTING Amy Lerman
FILM Nada Chandler
THEATRE Maida Asofsky
GET CULTURED Jordan Steinfeld
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Diane Lee Kraitman Mardi Kunik
HOSPITALITY Michael Richker Vicky Richker JEWISH LIVING & LEARNING Joe Pryzant LOCAL LITERATI Gerald Blumenthal
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC PRESIDENT Lauren Blachman
CEO Joel Dinkin
CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER Rabbi Erin Mason
DIRECTOR, ARTS & CULTURE Amy Rahmani
ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAM COORDINATOR Andrea Wolfe
HOUSE MANAGER & ARTIST LIAISON Jasmine Ross
BOOKSTORE MANAGER Barbara Lindenberg
THEATRE COORDINATOR Steve Garfinkel
BOBBI AND VIC SAMUELS CJLL DIRECTOR Rabbi Samantha Safran
ADULT PROGRAM DIRECTOR Morgan Steinberg THEATRE TECHNICIAN Jerry Lynch
24
MISHPACHA & ME COORDINATOR Mari O’Leary
THANKS & RECOGNITION FUNDERS AND SUPPORTERS Underwritten by the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation Supported by the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patron of the Arts and The Maurice Amado Foundation
Official Hotel of the ERJCC
MEDIA SPONSOR
PROUD MEMBER OF
IN KIND COMMUNITY PARTNERS Business and Professional Women’s Breakfast Club/ B&P Breakfast Club Connections B’nai Brith Lodge
Houston Jewish Funerals
Congregation Beth El Congregation Beth Israel’s Adult Education Committee Congregation Beth Israel’s Inclusion Committee Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood
Jewish Family Service Jewish Federation of Greater Houston Jewish War Veterans–Post 574
Congregation Brith Shalom Sisterhood
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section
Congregation Or Ami Hebrew Speakers Professional Organization Holocaust Museum Houston Guild
Houston Yiddish Vinkel
Jewish Feminist Reading Group
Congregation Brith Shalom
Holocaust Museum Houston
Houston Chapter of Hadassah Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism
Seven Acres Jewish Senior Center & Medallion Assisted Living Temple Sinai United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston
HOURS DURING BOOK & ARTS FESTIVAL Mon-Thurs: 9:00 AM–7:30 PM* Friday: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM–7:00 PM
Oliver Lapin Family Day Sunday, November 4: 9:00 AM Opening *8:00 PM Closing on Nov. 5 & 12
As of print deadline
25
Jewish CultureFest
Sunday, December 9, 2018 1:00 PM–6:00 PM Levy Park FREE & Open to the Public Join us for an afternoon celebrating Jewish culture. Featuring live music, local crafts and Judaica, specialty foods, art and mitzvah projects and an amazing Summer Camp Fun Tent! 2018 CultureFest Artist Magda Fishman Photo Credit: Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media
THE GREAT J ADVENTURE AWAITS
29TH ANNUAL CHILDREN SCHOLARSHIP BALL BENEFITING THE IRVIN KAPLAN CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP FUND
SAVE THE DATE
March 2, 2019
ROYAL SONESTA HOTEL Honoring
Marci Rosenberg & Ben Samuels Lindsay Schmulen and Elizabeth Rubinsky Ball Chairs
Esther Freedman and Laurie Pickei Auction Chairs
Black Tie, Seated Dinner | Live Music by Password Silent Auction and Strolling Cocktails Proceeds serve to assist families who are in need of financial assistance in our early childhood care, educational activities, special needs programs and summer day camp at the J.
Tributes EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Annual Fund
This is Payton's Story... "I love camp at the J, it is kind of like family. I look forward to camp every day because I get to see my friends and the counselors....I was so excited when I saw them at Camp Kaleidoscope again this summer."
Tell us your J story at erjcchouston.org/MyJStory The J Annual Fund is the fundraising effort that supports every member of our community. Your membership dues and program fees do not cover the full cost to support the growth of our innovative programs and services. When you give to the Annual Fund, you are helping to make stories like these happen.
To make a donation online, visit erjcchouston.org/annualfund For more information contact Anita Bormaster, Chief Development Officer, at abormaster@erjcchouston.org or 713.595.8192. 27 
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Nonprofit Org . U.S. Postage
5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096-3907 713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org
PAID
Houston, Texas Permit No. 6217
The Ann and Stephen Kaufman
Jewish B ook & Arts Festival 46 Years of Authors, Music, Theatre & Films | NOVEMBER 3–13, 2018 Underwritten by The Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation
OPENING NIGHT
Nell Scovell Just the Funny Parts:… And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boys’ Club
CLOSING NIGHT
David Litt Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years Tuesday, November 13 | 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 3 | 8:00 PM
erjcchouston.org