Spread the Word: The MJCCA Presents the 16th Annual Book Festival of the MJCCA
Presented by Greenberg Traurig LLP
"The MJCCA Book
Festival is the premier literary event in the South."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In its 16th spectacular year, the Book Festival
of the MJCCA, presented by Greenberg Traurig LLP and in partnership with the
Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, returns to the Marcus Jewish Community
Center of Atlanta (MJCCA, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody) from November 3 – 17,
2007, boasting a cultural, arts and literary event of epic proportions from
beginning to The End.
This year's lineup features Pulitzer Prize-winning,
bestselling authors, up-and-coming literary voices, humorists, journalists,
historians, novelists, and politicians – just to mention a few. Festival goers
will enjoy engaging speaker programs, author meet-and-greets, book signings,
panel discussions, storytelling, the annual Community READ, movie screenings, a
holiday gift market, and more.
How to Purchase Tickets
Many
Book Festival events are free to the public; please consult a complete schedule at atlantajcc.org for pricing.
Tickets
for Book Festival events can be purchased online at atlantajcc.org or by calling 678.8124005. We encourage
festival attendees to reserve tickets early as Book
Festival event seating is limited.
Event and Program Locations
While the majority of events will take place at the MJCCA's Zaban Park
campus in Dunwoody, several will be held in venues throughout metro Atlanta. Attendees should
refer to atlantajcc.org/bookfestival
for a complete event schedule. The addresses of all Book Festival event venues
are as follows:
MJCCA Zaban
Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, 30338,
770.396.3250
MJCCA
North Metro, 3159 Royal Drive,
Ste. 330, Alpharetta, 30022, 678.948.4000
Selig Center,
1440 Spring Street, NW, Atlanta,
30309, 404.870.1872
Sweetwater
Brewing Co., 194 Ottley Dr., Atlanta,
30324, 404.691.2537
Greenfield Hebrew Academy,
5200 Northland Dr., Atlanta, 30342, 404.843.9900
Barnes & Noble: Official Bookseller of the 16th
Annual Book Festival of the MJCCA
The Book Festival of the MJCCA is proud to partner with
Barnes & Noble, the official book- seller of the 16th Annual Book Festival
of the MJCCA. From October 18 – 21 and October 29 – November 18, a portion of
your sales at any one of the four participating Barnes & Noble locations
noted below, will be donated back to the MJCCA in support of our many services
and programs. Don't forget to mention the MJCCA when you checkout.
BUCKHEAD:
The Peach, 2900 Peachtree Rd. NE,
Atlanta, 30305 • 404.261.7747
ALPHARETTA:
Mansell Crossings, 7660 Northpoint
Parkway, Alpharetta, 30022 • 770.993.8340
PERIMETER:
120 Perimeter Center West, Atlanta,
30346 • 770.396.1200
NORCROSS:
The Forum, 5141 Peachtree Parkway,
Norcross, 30092 • 770.209.4244
Barnes & Noble will also be
selling books onsite throughout the festival. Autographed copies of our
exceptional Book Festival selections will also be available.
Random House Audio Presents Atlanta Listens
The Book Festival of the MJCCA is pleased to have been
chosen as one of only two book festivals to launch an exciting new program by
Random House Audio, "Atlanta Listens." Atlanta Listens offers traffic-weary,
word-wise Atlantans a more peaceful, enjoyable, educational, interesting, and
exciting commuter experience. Look for the "Make Your Commute More…" campaign
throughout Atlanta
and make your drive time more enjoyable while listening to an audiobook.
Register and Read Featured Book
Festival Selections
This year, we have added a wonderful
book club initiative to our Book Festival. We are pleased to feature an
impressive selection of books perfect for book clubs and
discussion groups. These are the
season's best, most thought-provoking books that
book club members can read and
discuss together, and then meet the author in person during the Book Festival.
Please register your book club online at
atlantajcc.org/bookfestival.
NEW THIS YEAR: Holiday Gift
Market at the 16th Annual Book Festival of the MJCCA
Sunday, November 11 • Zaban Park
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Festival attendees will enjoy the debut of the new Holiday
Gift Market at the Book Festival of the MJCCA, an event-within-an-event timed
to coincide with the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Artists
will offer unique, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted originals, while vendors will
provide an expansive assortment of wonderful goods and services including
jewelry, decorative accessories, electronics, toys (read: Webkins!), and other
gift items perfect for every age and interest.
The Literacy Project: Spread the Good Word
One of the key tenets of the Book Festival is to promote
literacy throughout the Atlanta
community. In keeping with this mission, the MJCCA's Community Service
department will be collecting gently-used adult books and new children's books
throughout the Book Festival. These books will later be donated to supplement
or build libraries in local Atlanta
shelters. We urge attendees to share the gift of the written word to
those in our community who could use it the most. Collection bins will be located
at the MJCCA customer service desk throughout the festival.
NEW THIS YEAR! Book Festival October Preview Events:
Thursday, October 18
7:30 pm * Greenfield
Hebrew Academy,
5200 Northland Drive, NE,
Atlanta, 30342
MASTER OF THE OUTRAGEOUS
Dick Morris,
Outrage: How Illegal Immigration, the UN, Congressional
Ripoffs, Student Loan Overcharges, Tobacco Companies, Trade Protection and Drug
Companies Are Ripping Us Off…And What To Do About It
Prominent political consultant Dick Morris, known as the
mastermind behind Bill Clinton's meteoric rise to the presidency, discusses his
latest book, Outrage: How Illegal Immigration, the UN, Congressional
Ripoffs, Student Loan Overcharges, Tobacco Companies, Trade Protection and Drug
Companies Are Ripping Us Off…And What To Do About It.
In Outrage, Morris points an accusing finger at
the multitude of abuses Americans are subjected to– in politics, big business
and elsewhere. Morris, called by Time Magazine as "the most influential
private citizen in America,"
writes with startling clarity, tracing the duplicity of those who would have us
trust them with our money, our votes and even our lives, then offering ways we
can uncover and fight these abusers of public trust.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
Sunday, October 21
7:30 pm * Zaban
Park
Rodger Kamenetz,
The History of Last Night's Dream: Discovering the Hidden
Path to the Soul
(Co-sponsored by Hillels of Georgia)
Rodger Kamenetz, author of the landmark international
bestseller The Jew in the Lotus and the National Jewish Book
Award-winning Stalking Elijah, will discuss his latest book, The
History of Last Night's Dream: Discovering the Hidden Path to the Soul.
In The History of Last Night's Dream, Kamenetz opens
up the whole field of word and image, psychology and imagination, and points to
an ancient but now hidden way of using dreams to rediscover the soul. The book
is an adventure into the history and meaning of dreams and the gifts they have
to offer us.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
16TH Annual Book Festival of the MJCCA 2007
Event/Program Schedule
Friday, November 2
5:00 pm and 6:15 pm * Zaban Park
Friday Night Lights!
A Family Shabbat Dinner with Author Meredith L. Jacobs
5:00 pm: Meet Meredith Jacobs, the original modern Jewish
mom, while your children create decorations for the Shabbat table.
6:15 pm: Family Shabbat Dinner
Meredith Jacobs,
The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat: Connect and
Celebrate –
Bring your Family Together with the Friday Night Meal
Believing that modern Jewish families are in danger of
losing touch – with each other and with their Judaic culture and traditions –
family and parenting expert Meredith L. Jacobs has become a modern Jewish mom
on a mission: to bring the family Shabbat back home. Jacobs believes that one
important way families can stay connected is by sharing the Shabbat experience
during Friday evening meals.
The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat is funny and
warm, and filled with Jacobs's creative advice and ideas on how you can create
a more memorable Shabbat for your family. The book also includes delicious,
easy-to-prepare recipes, family art projects, prayers, summaries of the weekly
Torah portions, and lists of activities and discussion topics designed for you
and your children to enjoy together.
Reservations are required; contact Jessica Dickson at
770.396.3250 or email jessica.dickson@atlantajcc.org.
Tickets: Adults: $15 each; Children between the ages of 3 –
12: $7 each (Children under 3 are free.) Price includes dinner.
OPENING NIGHT KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Saturday, November 3
7:30 pm * Zaban Park
Alan Dershowitz,
Blasphemy: How the Religious Right is Hijacking Our
Declaration of Independence
Finding Jefferson: A Lost Letter, a Remarkable Discovery,
and the
First Amendment in an Age of Terror
What Israel Means to Me
(Sponsored by Greenberg Traurig LLP)
Renowned attorney and criminal law professor, Alan
Dershowitz, has been called "the most distinguished defender of individual
rights," "the top lawyer of last resort," and "America's most public Jewish
defender." In a recent episode of "Law & Order," even Sam Waterston's
fictional character, ADA McCoy, got in on the act, calling Dershowitz the "Babe
Ruth of civil liberties," a true testament to both his legal prowess and his
status as a popular American pop-culture icon. While much of Dershowitz's
notoriety is due largely to the famous or infamous clients he has defended
during his career (OJ Simpson, Claus von Bulow, Michael Milken and Mike Tyson –
just to name a few), Dershowitz continues to represent numerous indigent
defendants and takes half of his cases pro bono.
Dershowitz is a prolific and passionate defender of Israel's
right to exist, and Americans' rights to expect the freedoms and liberties
guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He is
always ready to defend individual rights and tell us why we can't subvert these
same rights for those we find less than appealing.
Dershowitz is the celebrated author of 20 works of fiction
and non-fiction, including six bestsellers. During his appearance at the Book
Festival of the MJCCA, he will discuss his three most recent books:
Finding Jefferson: A Lost Letter, a Remarkable
Discovery, and the First Amendment in an Age of Terrorism, is Dershowitz's
personal story of how three of his passions — collecting, freedom of speech,
and his idol, Thomas Jefferson — led to his discovery and subsequent purchase
of an important Jefferson letter that illuminated a pressing First
Amendment issue.
In Blasphemy: How the Religious Right is Hijacking the Declaration
of Independence, Dershowitz accuses the Religious Right of using words and
phrases found in the Declaration of Independence as indications that the
founding of the nation – the intentions of our Founding Fathers, that is – was
based on Christian precepts.
In What Israel Means to Me, Dershowitz has
called on some of the world's most famous and distinguished scholars, writers,
performers, politicians and journalists to share their feelings about the
Jewish state in 80 unique essays full of passion, love, history and philosophy.
Non-Member: $22/Member: $15
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Sunday, November 4
10:30 am * Zaban Park
The 5th Annual Get Caught Reading Storytelling
Fest
Always a magical highlight of the Book Festival, The Get
Caught Reading Storytelling
Fest promotes the love of lifelong reading for our children,
and encourages parents
to begin reading to and with their children as early as
infancy. Share a morning of stories, crafts, music, and entertainment by your
children's favorite classic storybook characters.
Free with the donation of a children's book.
Sunday, November 4
11:00 am * Zaban Park
Rabbi Jen Krause,
The Answer: Making Sense of Life, One Question at a Time
Krause asks seven important questions, and challenges us to
look for answers within ourselves. She touches on relationships, happiness, and
our purpose in the world – those big question marks hanging over everyone's
heads. A popular speaker at New York's 92nd Street Y whose work has been
featured in Newsweek, O and U.S. News & World Report, Krause keeps readers
interested, and ready to question and search for answers.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
Tuesday, November 6
11:45 am * Zaban Park
Naomi Ragen,
The Saturday Wife (Official MJCCA 2007 Book Club
Selection)
Before beginning The Saturday Wife, author Naomi
Ragen asked her readers to share their most outlandish, religion-related
experiences -multimillion dollar bar mitzvahs, demanding congregants, and other
zany and hilarious synagogue stuff. She took the best, mixed in her own
observations, and came up with The Saturday Wife, a hilarious novel that makes
you squirm at the truth even as you laugh at the people you almost feel you
know.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
**Lunch is available for a nominal fee, please call
678.812.4005. Reservations strongly encouraged.
Tuesday, November 6
6:30 pm * Zaban Park
Expert Parenting Advice from a Parent Who Knows
Sharon Duke Estroff,
Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah?: The Essential
Scoop on Raising Modern
Jewish Kids
(Sponsored by Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center)
Estroff is that rarity, an advice columnist who really knows
her subject. There's no guesswork or pop psychology at work here – just good,
solid words of wisdom all parents will treasure and use. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
praised the book, calling it, "A warm book full of tangible advice that will
fashion children into committed Jews and menschen; in short, into people who
will be a blessing in their own lives and in the lives of all those whom they
meet."
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Tuesday, November 6
8:00 pm * Zaban Park
Hal Runkel,
Screamfree
Parenting
(Sponsored by MIBAB Orthodontics)
Hal Runkel, a licensed marriage and family therapist, is
America's newest parenting expert. Runkel brings a powerful, revolutionary
approach to parenting that has shown remarkable results for the many thousands
of children and parents he has counseled in his breakthrough clinical work. His
new book provides parents all that they will need to handle the 21st century
child – without resorting to coercion, force, fear, begging, bribery, or
screaming.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
(Attend both expert parenting programs for a special price:
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10)
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Wednesday, November 7
11:45 am * Zaban Park
Author Panel Discussion: Two Novels Trace Jewish Life in
Old Iran
Gina Nahai,
Caspian Rain (Official
MJCCA 2007 Book Club Selection)
Nahai's fourth novel chronicles the struggles of an Iranian
family living in the Jewish slums before the Islamic revolution. Narrated by
the family's young daughter, Caspian Rain is an emotional
tour-de-force of love, loss, family dysfunction and class struggle.
Dalia Sofer,
The Septembers of Shiraz (Official MJCCA 2007 Book
Club Selection)
Sofer's debut novel echoes her family's real-life escape
from Iran in 1982. In extraordinary detail, Sofer portrays the tensions of life
in a war-torn land, and the anguish of leaving one's history behind for a
strange new world.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
**Lunch is available for a nominal fee, please call
678.812.4005. Reservations strongly encouraged.
Wednesday, November 7
6:30 pm * Zaban Park
The Power of Grandparents
Paul Golin,
Twenty Things for Grandparents of Interfaith Grandchildren
to Do
(In Partnership with Pathways: The Interfaith Family
Network of Greater Atlanta)
There are more children in the U.S. today born to
intermarried parents than to two Jewish parents. Join an important conversation
led by Paul Golin, associate executive director of the Jewish Outreach
Institute (JOI.org) and co-author of this thought-provoking and useful guide
for grandparents of interfaith grandchildren.
Free to the public.
Wednesday, November 7
8:00 pm * Zaban Park
Baseball Memories:
In Conversation With…former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell and
baseball aficionado
Abe Schear
Abe Schear,
I Remember When: A Collection of Memories From Baseball's
Biggest Fans
Atlanta real estate attorney Abe Schear's lifelong love of
baseball led to the creation of this nostalgic book of favorite baseball
memories culled from the many diverse individuals he has interviewed over the
years. From celebrities, baseball greats and politicians, including former
President Jimmy Carter, to stadium vendors and groundskeepers, Schear's book is
a love poem to America's favorite game. He is joined at the podium by former
Atlanta mayor and avid baseball fan, Sam Massell, for an evening of
recollections on the romance that is baseball.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
Thursday, November 8
10:00 am * Zaban Park
Books for Breakfast
Dr. Fred Broder,
Does Your Life Need a Laxative?: Dr. Fred's Practical
Prescriptions for Happiness
It's no secret that every once in a while, we all need a
little help going… through
some of life's more challenging moments. This may come in
the form of an uplifting pep talk, a hearty pat on the back, or, in the case of
Dr. Fred Broder,
this unpretentious self-help book that offers practical
advice on how you can
improve your attitude, relationships and the decisions you
make.
Free to the public.
11:00 am * Zaban Park
Dr. Rick Blue,
Dr. Blue's Guide
to Making Relationships Work
In his new book, Dr. Blue keeps the psycho-jargon down to a
soft roar and instead, chooses to soft peddle his no-nonsense advice in a few
meaningful sentences set off by descriptive photographs. Blue is best known in
Atlanta for his successful weekly radio program on STAR 94.1 FM. He is
currently a practicing psychologist in Atlanta where he specializes in
relationship counseling.
Free to the public.
Thursday, November 8
11:45 am * Zaban Park
A Hometown Hero's Fight for Children
Melissa Fay Greene
There is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue
Her Country's Children
AIDS is killing Africa. The pandemic is tearing apart the
fabric of traditional society, destroying economies, and leaving tragedy in its
wake. Greene documents her discovery of the horror of the situation and her
heroic efforts to stem the disease among Ethiopia's orphans. Greene, herself,
adopted two Ethiopian children. Her journalist's instincts and mother's love
combine to make this a compelling and inspirational indictment of the world's
disregard for the plight of Ethiopia's orphaned children.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
**Lunch is available for a nominal fee, please call
678.812.4005. Reservations strongly encouraged.
Thursday, November 8
7:00 pm * Sweetwater Brewery, 194 Ottley Drive, Atlanta, GA
30324
Brew Ha-Ha
Laugh out loud with three hysterically funny
authors/humorists/comics that definitely have the cure for whatever ales you.
Enjoy complimentary beer tasting of some of Sweetwater's award-winning brews
during the program.
A.J. Jacobs,
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to
Follow the Bible as
Literally as Possible
Senior editor for Esquire magazine, A.J. Jacobs, follows up
his 2006 bestseller, The Know-It-All, with this irreverent, wickedly
funny memoir that chronicles his year-long attempt to live a truly biblical
life including following all 700+ laws and rules of the Bible to the (Hebrew)
letter. From having his clothes "kosherized" to growing a beard even Moses
would envy, Jacobs soon discovers that he often has to break one commandment in
order to preserve another. His visits with other "literalists" such as the
Amish and Appalachian snake handlers is both humorous and insightful.
Cynthia Kaplan,
Leave the Building Quickly: True Stories
Fans of comedienne and actress Cynthia Kaplan's first book
of bestselling essays, Why I'm Like This, will be pleased that her
much-anticipated follow-up, Leave the Building Quickly, is filled with
more hysterical, laugh-out-loud essays featuring Kaplan's favorite cast of
quirky characters, her friends and family.
Howard Jacobson,
Kalooki Nights
In his ninth novel, British comic Jacobson deftly weaves an
ironic story that is heartbreaking, caustic and outrageously funny. It's 1950
and Max Glickman knows what it means to be a Jew. In fact, Max knows so much
about being Jewish that he has spent his life's work, drawing a Jewish cartoon
aptly titled Five Thousands Years of Bitterness, lampooning it. It isn't until
his childhood friend, Manny, commits a horrendous crime,
does Max begin to confront his own indifference to Judaism.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
Saturday, November 10
6:45 pm * Zaban Park
Exhibition and Wine & Cheese Reception
Meet "A Living Lens" Editor Alana Newhouse and view
unforgettable photographs from the book on the Main
Street Gallery.
Alana Newhouse,
A Living Lens: Photographs of Jewish Life From the Pages
of The Forward
(Sponsored by Atlanta Jewish Times)
Gone but not forgotten are the street peddlers on New York's
Lower East Side, the stars of the Yiddish theater, and the Jewish soldiers in
the Czar's army. Culled from over 40,000 photos in the archives of The Forward,
Jewish America's newspaper of record, editor Alana Newhouse has chosen a
sampling of unforgettable images evoking the world our immigrant ancestors
found when they reached America's shores. Emory professor Deborah Lipstadt has
an essay in the book, as do other chroniclers of Jewish life.
Free to the public.
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Saturday, November 10
8:00 pm * Zaban Park
A Conversation With… Prominent Atlanta Oncologist Dr.
Bruce Feinberg
(Please Note: due to illness, Dr. Nuland will not be
appearing at this year's Book Festival.)
Dr. Sherwin Nuland,
The Art of Aging: A Doctor's Prescription for Well-Being
From the doctor who brought us How We Die, comes a
new volume telling us how we can live longer and better as we reach an age
traditionally considered to be a time to give in and give up. No way, says Dr.
Nuland. He reminds us of important life lessons, and gives examples of people
whose energy and dedication have kept them youthful and active well into their
80s and 90s. Without dismissing the problems that come with aging, Nuland
declares we do not need to be held captive by preconceptions, but each of us
can shape our own future.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Sunday, November 11
9:00 am * Zaban Park
Books for Breakfast
Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin,
A Dream of Zion: American Jews
Reflect on Why Israel Matters to Them
From former president Jimmy Carter
to a few prominent American Jews, support for Israel is on the decline, and
Rabbi Salkin believes that we must now, more than ever, show our support for
the Jewish state. Salkin has solicited thoughts and statements from prominent
Jewish thinkers, scholars, teachers and leaders from all walks of life about
what Israel means to them and what keeps them connected to it.
Free to the public.
Sunday, November 11
11:00 am – 4:00 pm * Zaban Park
Holiday Gift Market at the 16th Annual Book
Festival of the MJCCA
Festival attendees will enjoy the debut of the new Holiday
Gift Market at the Book Festival of the MJCCA, an event-within-an-event, timed
to coincide with the start of the busy holiday shopping season. Artists will
offer unique, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted originals, while vendors will provide
a variety of wonderful goods and services. For more information about the
Holiday Gift Market at the Book Festival of the MJCCA, please call
678.812.4005.
Sunday, November 11
10:15 am * Zaban Park's Morris and Rae Frank Theatre
The Chosen: Movie Screening
A film based on the book by Chaim Potok; Starring Robby
Benson and Rod Steiger
Two Orthodox Jewish boys meet through a playground accident
during World War II. One's father is a passionate supporter of the founding of
the State of Israel; the other's father is a Chasidic Rebbe, leader of a devout
group of followers opposed to the proposed state. The film follows Robby
Benson, who plays the Rebbe's brilliant son, Danny, as he befriends and grows
up with Reuven. Originally released in 1982, The Chosen is a deeply-moving,
spiritual film about relationships, religious tolerance and the many different
ways we express love and respect.
Free to the public.
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Sunday, November 11
12:45 pm * Zaban Park
Author Panel Discussion: Two Nice Jewish Boys From
Hollywood Speak Their Minds
Robby Benson,
Who Stole the Funny?: A Novel of Hollywood
We knew he was an actor, but a director and a writer, too?
The multitalented Mr. Benson has penned a fictional parody of his experiences
on the set with Monica and Chandler, Rachel and Ross, and the rest of those
urbanites we envied through the 80s and 90s.
There's even a satirical glossary, with tongue-in-cheek
definitions of Hollywoodisms. You'll never watch a sitcom in quite the same way
again.
Jeffrey Stepakoff,
Billion Dollar Kiss: The Kiss That Saved Dawson's Creek
and
Other Adventures in TV Writing
During the 1990s, Stepakoff lived a charmed life as a
co-executive producer of Dawson's Creek, and a writer on Major Dad and The
Wonder Years. Billion-Dollar Kiss is Stepakoff's hilarious, behind-the-scenes
look at what Hollywood insider's now refer to as television's glory years. It's
a kiss-and-tell story that's not to be missed.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Sunday, November 11
3:00 pm * Zaban Park
Author Panel Discussion: Rising Literary Voices
Rudy Delson,
Maynard & Jennica
Populated by a cast of outlandish New Yorkers, Maynard
& Jennica is a funny, almost cynical look at life in today's fast lane,
deftly woven with a sweet and familiar love story about a misanthropic musician
and a Princeton grad who calculates she's been lonely 68.53% of her adult life.
Joshua Henkin,
Matrimony: A Novel
Rich boy meets poor girl. Love, marriage, betrayal and faith
infuse the pages of a story well told and peopled with believable characters
grappling with the huge personal issues of every generation. Henkin holds a
mirror up to human interactions in marriage, friendship and more, with
startling intensity.
Peter Charles Melman,
Landsman
How does a Jew fight in the Civil War to keep another
minority enslaved? Melman traces the story of a barely literate gambler turned
reluctant soldier as he survives battles, but later injured, returns to the New
Orleans home he had fled. Not every Jewish hero is Mama's ideal, but this petty
criminal surprisingly develops a moral core.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Sunday, November 11
7:00 pm * Zaban Park
Markus Zusak,
The Book Thief (Official MJCCA 2007 Book Club
Selection)
(Sponsored by Greater Atlanta Hadassah)
Nine-year-old Liesel Meminger steals books, even before she
learns to read. The child encounters death when he comes to take her younger
brother. Death is the narrator that keeps the story moving as Liesel loses both
parents to the Nazis, moves on to a foster family, and continues to steal books
throughout the heartbreak and horror of the war. Conceived as a book for young
adults, this story has found a larger audience among adults mesmerized by
Liesel's reactions to the world crumbling around her. This is one Holocaust novel
that should be on everyone's must-read list. Dessert reception hosted by The
Davis Academy.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Monday, November 12
7:30 pm * Zaban Park
THE ESTHER G. LEVINE COMMUNITY READ 2007 SELECTION
Created to honor a long-time MJCCA Book Festival leader, the
Community Read is intended to speak to the entire community, regardless of
religious or political affiliations.
Three Women, Three Religions, One Quest For Common Ground
Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver & Priscilla Warner,
The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew – Three
Women Search for Understanding
Three women – a Palestinian Muslim, an ex-Catholic (now an
Episcopalian) and a Jew – came together to write an interfaith children's book,
but realized that they had a lot of learning to do regarding their own
religions and their own religions and stereotypical thinking before they could
collaborate on a book. This work traces their meetings, as they probe each
other's thoughts and beliefs, questioning their own along the way, and how they
ended up stronger in their own faiths and with a far greater understanding of each
other's. Their inspirational story makes us want to examine our own prejudices,
and reminds us that people can have very different beliefs and still be able to
get along.
Join us at 6:00 pm for a pre-event community interfaith
dialogue.
For more information and for reservations, please contact
Erica Gal at 770.395.2538.
Free to the Public; Reservations Strongly Recommended
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
Tuesday, November 13
7:30 pm * JFGA North Metro Campus
3159 Royal Drive, Suite 330, Alpharetta, GA
Bloomers, Blue Jeans & Bacardi Blends
Join us for an evening with Amy Cohen. Enjoy
Bacardi-blended cocktails and buy designer jeans at deeply discounted prices.
Amy Cohen,
The Late Bloomer's Revolution
(Hosted by Liquidchefs)
Amy Cohen knew from a young age that leading a successful
and happy life was as
simple as following the blueprint etched in her mind: marry
the man of her dreams,
raise a few bright, adorable children, enjoy a successful
career, and live in a tony
Manhattan loft. However, at 35, Amy found herself with none
of those things. Instead, she was grief-stricken following her mother's death,
suddenly single after the man she thought she'd marry ended their long-term
relationship, and fired from her high profile television writing job.
Cohen's touching, funny and incredibly hope-filled memoir is
one of loss and found, and perfectly illustrates what can happen when life gets
in the way of even the best laid plans. Cohen has written a true-life,
modern-day fable with a simple moral: it's never too late to be, do or achieve
what you desire.
**Soon to be an HBO Films starring Sarah Jessica Parker
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
Wednesday, November 14
6:30 pm * Zaban Park
In Conversation With… Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Hank
Klibanoff
And Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Hank Klibanoff,
The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle and
the Awakening of a Nation
Hank Klibanoff, managing editor of the Atlanta Journal
Constitution and veteran journalist on the "race beat" from 1954 to 1965,
co-authored this gripping account of how America and the world were finally
made aware of the Civil Rights movement. Through extensive interviews, oral
histories and memoirs, news stories and editorials, Klibanoff offers up a riveting
account of the birth of the black press in addition to first-hand accounts of
the murder of Emmett Till, the march in Selma, mob violence at the University
of Mississippi, and the church bombing in Birmingham.
Free to the public.
Wednesday, November 14
8:00 pm * Zaban Park
A Literary Giant for a New Generation
Nathan Englander,
The Ministry of Special Cases (Official MJCCA 2007
Book Club Selection)
(Sponsored by Decatur Book Festival)
Upscale children want to erase their parents' humble
beginnings – this is a frequent
theme in Jewish literature. But Englander makes it literal –
Kaddish Poznan, the son of a prostitute, earns his living defacing the
gravestones of Jewish whores and pimps for their "respectable" children. When
Kaddish's son is taken from home, and no record of capture exists, the
frustrated Kaddish learns what it really means to erase an identity. A deeply
disturbing novel of identity, death, terror, love and symbolism.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
Thursday, November 15
10:00 am * Zaban Park
Books for Breakfast
Scott Miller,
Refuge Denied: The St. Louis Passengers and the Holocaust
On the eve of the Holocaust, 900 Jewish refugees fleeing
Nazi Germany, boarded the Hamburg-America Line's MS St. Louis, seeking safe
haven across the Atlantic. First denied entrance by the Cuban government, the
passengers of the St. Louis turned to the United States, where they were also
rejected. The St. Louis was forced to return to Europe. Of the 900 passengers
aboard the St. Louis, only the 288 sent to England escaped death at the hands
of the Nazis.
In 1996, Scott Miller of the United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum, began a nine-year investigative odyssey to discover what
happened to each of the St. Louis passengers. Part detective thriller, part
historical epic, this riveting book finally brings the story of the St. Louis
full circle, giving voice to 936 formerly silent people.
Free to the public.
11:00 am * Zaban Park
Dr. Scott Isaacs,
Hormonal Balance: Understanding Hormones, Weight and Your
Metabolism
Dr. Scott Isaacs, medical director at Atlanta's The
Intelligent Health Center, pioneered the idea that hormones play a key role in
weight loss and weight control. Writing in clear, simple terms, Dr. Isaacs
profiles each hormone system, discussing what can go wrong and how imbalances
can affect weight and even perpetuate obesity. The book explains how to reverse
symptoms of hormonal imbalance through diet changes and other remedies, and
then expands the discussion, teaching readers how to deal with everything from menstrual
cycles to diabetes by recognizing and remedying hormonal problems.
Free to the public.
Thursday, November 15
11:45 am * Zaban Park
Maggie Anton,
Rashi's Daughters: Book II: Miriam
In the first part of Rashi's Daughters, novelist Anton
introduced us to Medieval France. The first book dealt with Joheved, Rashi's
eldest daughter. Eagerly awaited, the second book now focuses on Miriam, his
second child, her marriage, her work as a midwife, and more of the details of
daily life that made the first volume so fascinating.
Non-Member: $12/Member: $7
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
**Lunch is available for a nominal fee, please call
678.812.4005. Reservations strongly encouraged.
Thursday, November 15
7:45 pm * Selig Center, 1400 Spring Street, Atlanta
The Stern Lecture: Sponsored in Loving Memory of Eva
Prager Stern
Rabbi Irwin Kula,
Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life
Rabbi Kula uses Old Testament wisdom to answer many of our
aching spiritual questions. Yearnings are our desires, both physical and
spiritual, including, love, sex, happiness and more; and he addresses them
frankly, showing through Biblical figures how humans can use their yearnings to
learn to live and love more deeply and fully. Rabbi Kula is a frequent speaker
on NPR and is the President of CLAL – The National Jewish Center for Learning.
Non-Member: $15/Member: $10
Closing Night Keynote Speaker
Saturday, November 17
7:30 pm * Zaban Park
Opening the Window on the Middle East Peace Process:
In Conversation With…Ambassador Dennis Ross and Dr. Ken
Stein
Ambassador Dennis Ross,
Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the
World
(Sponsored by Colonnade Homes;
Hosted by David L. Halpern, CFM, CSNA, Vice President,
Senior Financial Advisor,
Merrill Lynch Global Private Client Group 25)
Ambassador Ross served the Bush I and Clinton
administrations as Special Envoy to the Middle East. His first book, A Separate
Peace, outlined many of his negotiations. Now, as the Bush II
administration nears its close, Ross has again put pen to paper, motivated by
his displeasure at Bush's faith-based policies.
Ross defines statecraft as "the use of the assets or the
resources and tools (economic, military, intelligence, media) that a state has
to pursue its interests and to affect the behavior of others, whether friendly
or hostile. It involves making sound assessments and understanding where and on
what issues the state is being challenged and can counter a threat or create a
potential opportunity or take advantage of one." Ross offers a neoliberal
response to what he sees as the Bush administration's failure to practice
statecraft in a volume that is well crafted, clearly written, and compelling, whether
one agrees with its conclusions or not.
*Complimentary babysitting is available with program
tickets; reservations must be made at least one week in advance. Please call
the MJCCA Book Festival hotline at 678.812.4005.
the 16th
Annual Book Festival of the MJCCA Valued Sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor:
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Agency Sponsors:
The Coca-Cola Company, SunTrust
Festival Sponsors:
Barbara & Ed Mendel, Enclave, Atlanta Listens
David L. Halpern, Greater Atlanta Hadassah
Abe & Linda Schear and Family, Atlanta Gastroenterology,
Macey Wilensky & Kessler, LLP
Georgia Aquarium, Mibab, Swoozie's, LiquidChefs
Media Sponsors:
Atlanta Jewish Times, Atlanta magazine
Official Host Hotel:
Marriott Perimeter Center
Official Bookstore:
Barnes & Noble
Special thanks to:
Jewish Book Council and the Jewish Federation of Greater
Atlanta
About the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta
The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA),
"The Center of the Jewish Community," is committed to strengthening
the quality of life in Atlanta, and is recognized as one of the most
highly-regarded community centers nationally. From preschoolers and adolescents
to young adults and seniors — the MJCCA offers unique and engaging programs,
events, and services for every member of the community. The MJCCA boasts three exceptional
preschools, state-of-the-art fitness centers, summer day and overnight camps,
tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, huge gymnasiums, year-round adult and
youth sports leagues, and is home to the critically-acclaimed Jewish Theatre of
the South. Other MJCCA campuses include East Cobb's Shirley Blumenthal Park and
the recently opened extension of the MJCCA on the JFGA North Metro Campus. The
MJCCA's many benefits to the community are far too numerous to mention here.
Please visit us on the web at atlantajcc.org for a comprehensive look at your
community center.
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