LA JOLLA, California (Press Release) – The 16th Annual San Diego Jewish Book Fair will run November 3-10, and 14-15, 2010. A complete schedule of Book Fair speakers can be found online at sdjbf.org.
The event has continuing support from the Viterbi Family Foundation and the U.S. Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management and is presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus.
North County events November 14 and 15, sponsored by the Leichtag Family Foundation, will be held at Temple Solel in Cardiff and the Dove Library in Carlsbad; all other events, including the free-of-charge Family Day will be held at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla. Each author presentation is followed by a book signing.
The San Diego Jewish Book Fair is one of the largest and most respected Jewish book fairs in the nation, and the largest literature-related event in San Diego County. More than forty best-selling writers, journalists, and commentators are scheduled to speak on topics ranging from world events to family relations.
Kicking off this year’s book fair is Mosab Hassan Yousef, eldest son of the founder of Hamas. He recounts his experiences as a member of the terrorist family and his conversion to a new way of life promoting peace in Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue and Unthinkable Choices.
The Book Fair also features noted activist Todd Gitlin, who examines the U.S.-Israel relationship in The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel and the Ordeals of Divine Election; best-selling absurdist novelist, Gary Shteyngart (Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel) in conversation with Mark Oppenheimer (Wisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate) about their off-beat views on being wordy in America; stand-up comic Joel Chasnoff (The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah: A Memoir) performing a side-splitting comedy act; San Diego cooking star Sam Zien providing food for thought and thought for food while promoting his new book Sam the Cooking Guy: Awesome Recipes & Kitchen Shortcuts; Dr. Erica Brown’s answer to countering negative Jewish stereotyping, Confronting Scandal: How Jews Can Respond When Jews Do Bad Things; and multiple award-winning novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein whose 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction is fearless, funny and brilliant.
Evening Author Lectures
Lectures by featured authors take place each evening of the Book Fair at 7:30 p.m. with book signings to follow. General admission is $14-$17 for each Evening Author Lecture unless otherwise indicated. All evening lectures take place at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus, except for the lecture on November 15 at the Dove Library in Carlsbad.
Wed., November 3: Mosab Hassan Yousef, the eldest son of the founder of Hamas, was born into terrorism but is today a changed man. His conversion began after leaving prison in Israel, when he discovered the message of loving one’s enemies. His work with Israel’s Shin Bet to prevent the kind of havoc he once wreaked and to save countless lives is told in Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue and Unthinkable Choices. Yousef found that hating hearts can change, while changed hearts can lead to peace and freedom in Palestine.
Thurs., November 4: Todd Gitlin, a new Left activist, has never been afraid of controversy. His latest book examines the U.S.-Israel relationship. Although the countries share clear strategic interests, Gitlin claims they also share a raison d’etre: both nations exist as Chosen Peoples entrusted to deliver an enlightened message to a dark and troubled world. The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel and the Ordeals of Divine Election makes the case that the two nations can thrive only when they take seriously the belief in their “chosenness,” and the responsibility it entails.
Sat., November 6: Oh, Say Can You…Read? Two of America’s smartest and oh-so-funny writers ponder and poke fun at what it means to be – or not to be – a well-read, articulate person in America. In his latest novel, A Super Sad True Love Story, Gary Shteyngart (The Russian Debutante’s Handbook, Absurdistan) depicts a completely illiterate America – nobody reads and everybody speaks in acronyms (OMG!!) Joining him will be Mark Oppenheimer, whose Wisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate tells his true-life tale of finding an outlet for his precocious hyperarticulation. Be prepared to LOL (Laugh out Loud!)
Sun., November 7: Joel Chasnoff cut his comedy teeth opening for Jon Stewart and Lewis Black of The Daily Show. But his real education came in his 20s when he joined a tank brigade of 18-year-old Israelis: baby-faced officers, tough-as-nails sergeants, and mama’s boys who feign injury and diarrhea to avoid guard duty and KP. The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah: A Memoir tells it all! This gifted comedian performs his side-splitting comedy act and talks a bit about his hilarious coming-of-age tale, bringing us face-to-face with the absurdity of life sometimes found in Israel and its army.
Mon., November 8: San Diego’s biggest cooking star Sam Zien brings us Sam the Cooking Guy: Awesome Recipes & Kitchen Shortcuts and a conversational smorgasbord. The 12-time Emmy winner will delve deeply into his life – e.g., he never expected to be a cook, let alone a cooking instructor – his thoughts on keeping kosher (he doesn’t), and much more. Spend a delightful evening with a guy who has found a way to make cooking casually understandable.
Tues., November 9: Want to know how to counter negative Jewish stereotyping? Especially the kind reinforced by the likes of Jack Abramoff, Elliott Spitzer, and Bernie Madoff? Dr. Erica Brown, Wexner Foundation faculty member and Jewish Federation Scholar-in-Residence, shows how in Confronting Scandal: How Jews Can Respond When Jews Do Bad Things. Rather than circling the wagons in the face of civic scorn, Jews must proactively hold all people to the highest civic and Judaic standards, as presented in Deuteronomy, “And you shall do what is just and good in the eyes of God.”
Wed., November 10: In The Arab Lobby: The Invisible Alliance That Undermines America’s Interests in the Middle East, scholar Mitchell Bard leads a tour of the scarily secret history of a group that includes former elected officials and diplomats, academics, human rights organizations, Christian groups, UN agencies, and even law enforcement officials. From trying to prevent America’s recognition of Israel in 1948 to covertly aiming to increase U.S. oil dependency, the lobby’s 80-year mission has been to coerce the U.S. to ignore Saudi human rights abuses, terrorist support and opposition to American interests.
Mon., November 15 at the Dove Library in Carlsbad: Rebecca Goldstein has received the MacArthur Fellowship (a.k.a. the Genius Grant), the Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Radcliffe Fellowship. In 2008, she was designated a Humanist Laureate by the International Academy, and has also been a National Jewish Book Award winner. Join Rebecca Goldstein as she discusses her latest book 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, which Publisher’s Weekly calls “rollicking…irreverent and witty” as it details the story of Cass Seltzer, an atheist who is in for a lot of soul searching. Admission is $6-$8.
Other Highlights
Thurs., November 4, 2:00 p.m. – Marilyn Berger, This is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes Former Washington Post reporter and renowned journalist Marilyn Berger recounts the life of Dr. Rick Hodes, “the Jewish Father Theresa,” who has cared for the sickest of the sick and the poorest of the poor in Ethiopia for nearly 30 years, proving that there is still kindness and empathy in what is often an unjust world.
Mon., November 8, 4:00 p.m. – Oscar Andrew Hammerstein III, The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family. Meet Oscar Hammerstein III, a scion of Broadway’s greatest family and the grandson of the lyricist of The King & I, Carousel, The Sound of Music, and other legendary shows. In an unprecedented biography and talk, Oscar III will discuss the scandals and tragedies of the Hammerstein clan and ultimately how the Hammerstein family built Broadway and turned Times Square into the theatre capital of the world.
Tues., November 9, 12:00 noon – Angella Nazarian, Life as a Visitor
Imagine being Jewish in Iran! Meet Huffington Post writer Angella Nazarian as she shares her story of fleeing revolutionary Iran to America, and what it took to embrace the new while staying true to her roots. She shares an emotional journey from past to present, from the exotic to the familiar, and from a country’s political struggle to her own inner struggle in search of home, family and a sense of belonging.
Sun., November 14, 2:00 p.m. (at Temple Solel in Cardiff) – Sheila Isenberg, Muriel’s War: An American Heiress in the Nazi Resistance
Who was Muriel Gardiner? She was the remarkable woman who inspired Lillian Hellman’s Julia. She was a product of Chicago’s high society and daughter of a dynasty of millionaire meat packers. Most importantly, she was the benefactor of countless WWII refugees, a daring woman who smuggled passports and money and offered her home as a safe house for anti-Fascist dissidents.
Special Event:
An Understanding of the Science and Struggles in Stem Cell Research
This event promotes a clearer understanding of the science, the law, the politics, and the moral, religious and ultimately personal and life-changing considerations of this controversy.
Tues., November 9, 4:00 – Laurie Strongin, Saving Henry: A Mother’s Journey. First, the human side…Laurie Strongin shares the story of her son Henry, who bravely battled a fatal genetic disease while his parents fought a seven-year race against time, science and politics to save their son. Their persistent advocacy for stem cell research – including joining Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi to urge Congress to pass the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act – makes available to others the lifesaving technique that their child needs.
Tues., November 9, 5:00 – Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, Stem Cells for Dummies. Following Laurie Strongin will be Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, Director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program and Professor of Cellular & Molecular Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. In clear, concise language, Dr. Goldstein explains what stem cells are and what they do, the legalities of harvesting them for use in research, and the future prospects for medical stem cell therapies.
Family Day – Go Kibbutz Krazy! Family Day on Sun., November 7, 11:00-2:30 p.m., celebrates the 100th year anniversary of the kibbutz movement as the Nierman Preschool Campus at the JCC is transformed into the “Kibbutzim” of our sister city Sha’ar Negev. The day features visiting children’s authors Ann Redisch Stampler, Zachary Shapiro, and Sylvia Rouss; storytelling; a special music performance by J*Company Youth Theatre; a Bedouin tent for hummus making and tasting, the opportunity to join a “factory worker” on an assembly line in a special Tzedakah project; and Israeli-themed crafts and games. Family Day is underwritten by Dr. Andrew and Erna Viterbi. Admission to Family Day is free.
The Bookstore– The bookstore will offer thousands of titles for sale and is open to the public Nov. 3, 6:00-9:30 p.m., Nov. 4, 9:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Nov. 5, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., and Nov. 7-10, 9:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. The books have been carefully selected by members of the Book Selection Committee after months of reading, research, and attendance at national and international booksellers conventions. Most have been published within the year or have been released for the first time in paperback in the past year. Proceeds from the sale of books support the programs of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture.
General Information– There is an admission charge for some authors, but the Book Fair, Family Day, and a variety of guest lectures are free and open to the public. The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus, is located at 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla. Temple Solel is located at 3575 Manchester Ave., Cardiff; and the Dove Library is at 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the JCC Box Office at 858-362-1348 or visit the web site at sdjbf.org
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Preceding provided by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture