Jewish cultural arts month

A CELEBRATION OF JEWISH AUTHORS, BOOKS, ART & MUSIC

Monday, December 5 - Sunday, December 18, 2011 | Uptown JCC

Authors from around the nation visit the New Orleans JCC to read from their work and talk about their ideas. The annual JCC Book Festival is the centerpiece of this effort featuring Jewish authors and authors of books with Jewish content. As a member of the Jewish Book Council, a group that supports over 150 book festivals throughout the United States, the JCC is given access to over 140 authors of books for all ages.

Recent guests at the JCC have included such noted authors as Dennis Ross, Madeline Albright, Steve Roberts, Judith Viorst, and Walter Isaacson. Book week also brings a special “book lovers” luncheon with an author-in-residence, events for children and families, and a bookstore, featuring the largest, most comprehensive Jewish book selection for all ages in the region. Jewish religious school children from across Metro New Orleans participate in our annual Bookmark Contest and winners receive “book bucks” to spend in the bookstore.

Booklover's Luncheon

Mary Glickman Presents "Home in the Morning"

In her bestselling debut novel, "Home in the Morning," transplanted Northerner Mary Glickman highlights Jewish experiences and tells the sweeping story of a father and son in the turbulent twentiethcentury American South. Jackson Sassaport is a man who often feels caught in the middle, between his opinionated Yankee wife and the African American girl who first stole his teenage heart, and between the desire to stand up for his beliefs and the pressure to acquiesce to his prominent Jewish family's imperative to not stand out in the segregated South. Jackson learns to balance the secrets and deceptions of those around him, but one fateful night in 1960 will make the man in the middle reconsider his obligations to propriety and family, and will start a chain of events that will change his life and the lives of those around him forever. Mary Glickman's riveting novel traces the ways that race and prejudice, family and love intertwine to shape our lives.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6 | 12 NOON
$30 With Reservation By Saturday, December 3 (NEW date - originally December 1)
$35 After December 3
$15 Book Presentation Only
Booksigning to follow presentation

Preorder "Home in the Morning" through Octavia Books by clicking on the book's title.

To register and pay online for Booklover's Luncheon and Bagels and Books, complete the Registration Form.

KidLit

Julie E. Schwartz and Teri Tanenbaum Present "The Haz -Mat Attack Pack "

Every boy or girl who dreams about saving the world from evil, will want to find out how Joey, Brett and Max actually become their favorite TV superheroes, The Haz-Mat Attack Pack. Combining computer games, super heroes, action and adventure, the intrepid trio fights terrible Toxika, an opponent whose idea of a good time is to spread acid, poison, and other dangerous pollutants. The boys need all of their strength and smarts to prevail — as well as a little help from a friend.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 | 4:00 – 5:30 PM
A Free After School Event for Grade School Children

Preorder "The Haz-Mat Attack Pack" through Octavia Books by clicking on the book's title.

Featured Author Event

A writer and journalist for more than 25 years, Tom Fields-Meyer spent twelve years at People magazine as an Associate Editor and Senior Writer, writing stories about famous celebrities and newsmakers. However, it was a story about his own family that inspired the greatest outpouring. "Following Ezra" is an intimate memoir and a true love story written by a father who chronicles his son's remarkable experience of learning and growth. Although this is a book about raising an autistic son, it is more about raising a child and discovering what you can find when you look at the world in a new way. Full of hilarious stories and touching moments, "Following Ezra" is a testament to the power of humor and love to overcome obstacles and bind a family.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8 | 7:00 PM
Free and Open to the Community
Booksigning to follow presentation

Preorder "FOLLOWING EZRA: What One Father Learned About Gumby, Otters, Autism, And Love From His Extraordinary Son " through Octavia Books by clicking on the book's title.

Bagels and Books

Myla Goldberg Presents "The False Friend"

Myla Goldberg, bestselling author of "Bee Season," presents her latest book, "The False Friend," an astonishingly complex psychological drama with a simple set up: two eleven-year-old girls, best friends and fierce rivals, go into the woods. Only one comes out.

Deeply resonant and emotionally charged, "The False Friend," explores the complexities of moral judgment, the fallibility of memory, and the adults that children become—leading us to question the truths that we accept or reject, and the lies to which we ultimately succumb.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 | 10:00 AM
$10 With Reservation Before Thursday, December 8
$15 After December 8
$5 Presentation Only
Booksigning to follow presentation

Preorder "The False Friend" (hardcover) or "The False Friend" (paperback) through Octavia Books by clicking on the the book title.

To register and pay online for Bagels and Books and Booklover's Luncheon, complete the Registration Form.

Community Chanukah Celebration

Featuring a performance by singer and musician Craig Taubman

Craig Taubman's dynamic music and moving performance style have been an inspiration to the Jewish community for over 22 years. Craig's songs bridge traditional Jewish themes and ancient teachings with passages and experiences of contemporary Jewish life. He speaks a language that is both comfortable and acceptable to children and adults.

Craig's two most recent recordings "Friday Night Live" and "One Shabbat Morning" have helped to reinvigorate Shabbat services in Los Angeles and across the nation. Craig is also the producer of the popular Celebrate Series, and enjoys a successful career in television and film composing. Traditional Chanukah delicacies will be served following Craig's performance, including latkes, hot dogs, and more.

DECEMBER 18, 2011 | 5:00 PM
Free and Open to the Community

The JCC Bookstore

While attending the events, please patronize the JCC Bookstore, featuring an extensive selection of the latest and best in Jewish literature for children, young adults, and adults.
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (5:00 PM on Fridays), and before and after all events.
Date: Monday, December 5 - Sunday, December 11
Location: Grant Board Room

We are pleased that Octavia Books is once again generously providing our books for the bookstore. Click here to preorder author books. All books are also available for purchase at Octavia Books.

Art on the Avenue Festival Boutique

Art on the Avenue Festival Boutique, featuring fabric art, glass, jewelry, photography, mixed media, and more by local New Orleans artists.

Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (5:00 PM on Fridays), and before and after all events.
Date: Monday, December 5 - Sunday, December 18
Location: JCC Lobby

Special Thanks

The Feil Family Foundation / Lakeside Shopping Center for their support of Jewish Cultural Programming.

2011 Jewish Cultural Arts Month Committee

Debbie Schlackman, Committee Chair
Margie Bissinger
Sandy Heller
Carol Good
Babs Isaacson
Liv Newman
Nelsie Stern
Robin Goldblum
Lisa Pulitzer
Patty Barnett
Margot Garon

For more information contact Debbie Pesses, Jewish Enrichment Director, at 504.897.0143 - debbie@nojcc.org.