Milton Levit Family Campus 5601 S. Braeswood Houston, Texas 77096 713.729.3200 jcchouston.org
Underwritten by the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation Supported by the JCC Patrons of the Arts
Center for Jewish Living and Learning
  Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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AdvanceTicket Purchase Recommended
Save Money on Programs Buy a Book & Arts Fair Series Pass for Admission to all Programs
$50 JCC Member/$70 Public $10 Discount for Seniors/Students on Series Passes $2 Discount for Seniors/Students on Single Tickets
IES SERI
ASS ES P
SER
Online
jcchouston.org Visit the JCC Information Desk or the Box Office 30 minutes prior to the start of a program
By phone
713.551.7255 Unless otherwise specified, Book & Arts Fair programs take place at the Jewish Community Center Joe Weingarten Building Milton Levit Family Campus, 5601 S. Braeswood Thanks to Our Corporate Sponsors Official Airline of the JCC
The Jewish Herald-Voice
Bookstore Volunteer Managers Linda Chess Robin Greenspan Louise Kershman Ruth Morris Sheila Sack Carol Sternberg Cynthia Stetzer Beverly Sufian
Family Day & Children’s Programming Donna Silverman
Brochure Marci Gilbert
Hosts Susan Altschuler Joyce Gilbert Ellen Grabois Leah Lax Shirley Warshaw
/ Betsy & Ed Schreiber
Hoffer Furniture
Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
Film Susan Schneider Irene Weingarten Hospitality Carolyn Kaplan
Community Read Sue Goott Mignon Wolf
Arts & Culture Steering Committee Barbara Winthrop Rose
In person
/
CHAIR Patti Hanfling
Community Partners Liz Aussenberg Robin Greenspan
PAS S
NO GE R CHAOR F ING N OPEIGHT N
2010 JEWISH BOOK & ARTS FAIR STEERING COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR Deborah Kaplan Inside the Authors Studio Debra Dluhy
Set Design Susan Schneider
Library Liaison Diane Gelman
Set Up/Take Down Elinor and Jack Goldberg
Niche Marketing Leah Gross
Special Needs Initiatives Annette Kavin
Patron Brunch Sarah and Denis Braham
Teen Involvement Michelle Renfrow
Patron Campaign Vicky and Michael Richker
Volunteer Recruiters Cindy Fox Lillie Hurwitz Lolly Friedman Miller Tracy Stein Lauren Vines
Program Committee Chairs Gerald Blumenthal Brooke Feather Ali Katz Gordon Sack
JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER President Dan C. Steiner
Executive Vice President Joel Dinkin
Center for Jewish Living & Learning Committee Carol Emery
Assistant Executive Director Marilyn Hassid
Assistant Judy Weil
Bookstore Manager Barbara Lindenberg
Assistant Executive Director Jonathan Fass
Program Coordinators Ariela Emery Brittany Horwitt
Dance Director Maxine Silberstein
Theatre Manager Jerry Lynch
Program Coordinators Naomi Barancik Michele Faudem
Brochure Design by Bettina Stap
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Bertha Alyce Center Brith Shalom Adult Education Committee Bureau of Jewish Education Jewish Federation of Greater Houston Business and Professional Women’s Breakfast Club B & P Connections Chevra Kadisha Community Relations Committee - Jewish Federation of Greater Houston Congregation Beth El
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Congregation Beth Israel Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood Congregation Brith Shalom Sisterhood Congregation Emanu El Sisterhood Congregation Or Ami Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest Holocaust Museum Houston Houston Chapter of Hadassah Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism JCC West Houston Jewish Family Service JFS Alexander Institute
Jewish Feminist Reading Group Monday Dialogues National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services State of Israel Bonds Temple Sinai The Emery/Weiner School TORCH United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston United Orthodox Synagogues Sisterhood West Houston Lodge of B’nai B’rith Yiddish Vinkel as of print deadline
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OCTOBER
OCTOBER
30 SATURDAY
31 SUNDAY
6:30 PM
1:30 PM
Film
Deutser Art Gallery Exhibition Opening ~ Dedication of the Gerald Rauch Cultural and Performing Arts Wing
Sharon
Director: Dror Moreh Israel, 2007, 90 minutes, Hebrew, English subtitles Who is Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon? What were his thoughts as he made historic decisions that would lead to a possible peace agreement? Director Dror Moreh, one of the new generation of independent filmmakers in Israel, started with 70 hours of exclusive footage to introduce us to this very private man—farmer, husband, warrior, and father of the settlers’ movement who turned into a strategic statesmen. Committing himself to peace in the Middle East, and with eyes wide open, he single-mindedly destroyed his life’s work. More than just a political documentary, Sharon is a classic tragedy with Moreh and his camera struggling to get to the heart of the puzzle that was Sharon in his later years.
Rafael Goldchain
I Am My Family: Photographic Memories and Fictions Rafael Goldchain’s exhibit, I Am My Family: Photographic Memories and Fictions, is a family album of traditional portrait photographs where the only subject is Goldchain himself. Using genealogical research, makeup, hair styling, costume, and props, Goldchain transforms himself over and over again into his ancestors, capturing their personification with the camera. His powerful images take us into his familial history, and in essence, our history, of a family decimated and scattered by the traumatic events of the 20th century.
Free to Series Pass Holders • $8 JCC Member • $10 Public
4:30 PM
Dennis Danziger A Short History of a Tall Jew
6:30 PM – Artist Talk 7:30 PM – Dedication
In this darkly comic tale of love and loss, former sitcom writer Dennis Danziger (Taxi, Kate and Allie) gives us Philip Lachman, age 39, single dad and high school teacher who is traversing LA in search of kindness—from his children, his students, and perhaps even the love of a woman who could be his second, and last, wife. He ultimately finds his way through the labyrinth of love and life by learning how to let go. Winner of LA’s Lit Crawl II and frequent contributor to The Huffington Post, Danziger will read excerpts from his novel, answer questions and, because he’s a teacher at heart, will walk everyone through a mini-lesson on how to write your own story—fiction or fact.
Reception and book signing follows in the bookstore
BOOKSTORE HOURS SUNDAY – THURSDAY: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM FRIDAY: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM SATURDAY: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public 3
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OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
OPENING NIGHT
6:15 PM
31 SUNDAY
Alan Morinis Every Day, Holy Day
FR EVE EE NT!
If we stop to think about each day, we can reflect on our thoughts and actions, and grow spiritually according to the Jewish practice of Mussar, an eminently wise, practical, and effective way to cultivate awareness, gratitude, personal growth, and ethical action on a daily basis. Alan Morinis, the respected leader in the Mussar Movement, designed Every Day, Holy Day as a daybook with 365 “traits of the day” to infuse daily life with more purpose and meaning, making it an essential companion to anyone who wants to experience this life-changing contemplative practice.
Jonathan Alter
The Promise: President Obama, Year One
Patron Sponsors: Sheila and Gordon Sack Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Jonathan Alter, Newsweek’s Senior Editor and author of its popular “Conventional Wisdom Watch”, returns to the JCC Jewish Book & Arts Fair to speak on his second book about an American president. Alter chronicles the first year of President Barak Obama’s administration from late 2008’s pre-inauguration through the passage of the health care reform bill in March 2010. How is his book different from the other recent books written about Obama’s campaign and first year in office? This fast-paced and insightful narrative offers a unique access inside the White House, detailing his management style and his thought process using “decision trees” of thoughts to formulate the economic bailout, the war in Afghanistan and the health care bill. Alter provides information from hundreds of interviews, including ones with the President’s aides, that give new anecdotes and details. The spotlight of this book centers on President Obama and his inner circle. In addition to his work with Newsweek, Alter is a contributing correspondent for NBC News and author of The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope.
8:00 PM
Jeffrey Zaslow
Girls Night Out
The Girls from Ames
Donna Frankoff Memorial Lecture Friendship is a powerful force—as we see in this New York Times bestseller about 11 childhood friends from Ames, Iowa. The women in this story remain strong through college, marriage, divorce, and the death of one. Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow recounts their stories, illustrating how the bonds of friendship shape the lives of these women. The Girls from Ames is the story of a group of ordinary women who built an extraordinary friendship. Zaslow is also the co-author with Randy Pausch of The Last Lecture, and Highest Duty, the memoir of Captain “Sully” Sullenberger.
Underwritten by Mrs. Lila Rauch in memory of Gerald Rauch Patron Sponsors: Patti and Marc Hanfling Free – tickets required Pick up tickets at the JCC or at area synagogues
Photo Credit: Gary R. Miller, Southfield, MI.
7:30 PM
1 MONDAY
Patron Sponsors: Susie and David Askanase /
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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2 TUESDAY
3 WEDNESDAY
7:15 PM
6:15 PM
Eric Metaxas
6:30 PM Reception, European Eats & Beer Sampling
Inside the Authors Studio
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
Exclusively for 21-35 Year Olds IDs Checked at the Door!
In this biography of anti-Nazi activist, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we learn the story of a man who leaves America for Germany to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Through personal letters, journal entries, and firsthand accounts and with a passionate narrative voice, Eric Metaxas pieces together Bonhoeffer’s story, juxtaposing his life as a Lutheran pastor and spy. Metaxas is a best-selling author who also writes for The New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, and the Washington Post and is founder and host of Socrates in the City in New York City.
Rachel Shukert
Everything is Going to Be Great An Underfunded, Overexposed European Grand Tour Like so many of us, Rachel Shukert graduates jobless from NYU with a degree in acting. She catches her big break with a non-paying, non-speaking role in a play touring Europe. A fluke at customs in Vienna lands her an unstamped passport and free reign to “find herself.” Freewheeling through Vienna, Zurich and Amsterdam, Shukert navigates the tricky relationships, drunken mishaps, and miscommunication that every twentysomething faces when sent off to negotiate the real world. Shukert, also the author of Have You No Shame?, the critically acclaimed essay collection about growing up Jewish in Nebraska, is a performer and playwright whose writing has appeared on NPR and in numerous publications including Gawker, Heeb and The Daily Beast.
Patron Sponsors: Sylvia and Aubrey Farb Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
8:00 PM
Jonathan Schneer
The Balfour Declaration: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
$15 (includes a copy of the book)
The Balfour Declaration is the key action in history that committed Great Britain to support “a National Home for the Jewish People” in Palestine. Issued on this very date in 1917, this Declaration still reverberates today. With new material retrieved from historical archives, scholar Jonathan Schneer, a specialist in modern British history, details the public and private battles and discusses the repercussions of this declaration to many countries and, of course, Israel. We learn of the generals and prime ministers, soldiers and negotiators, who shed blood and cut deals to grab or give away the precious land, providing a riveting volume about the ancient faiths and timeless treacheries that continue to drive global events today.
Free entry to Series Pass Holders; Book available for purchase at the door
AUDITORY EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FOR HEARING IMPAIRED If you need assistance in hearing clearly, equipment is now 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. Made possible through the generosity of The Center for ENT Doctors Weber, Moses, Hung, and Powitzky Goldstaub Community Special Needs Fund Sharla and Henry Westheimer Family Philanthropic Fund
Underwritten by /Shari and Joe Epstein
CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY
Patron Sponsors: Theba and Buster Feldman • Susan and Jack Lapin Karol and Daniel Musher Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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3 WEDNESDAY
4 THURSDAY
12:30 PM
8:00 PM
Joel Hoffman
Joshua Braff
ALTERNATE LOCATION And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible’s Original Meaning
Peep Show David Arbus is graduating high school. What should he do? The son of divorced parents, Arbus is torn between his mother who is trying to erase her past by living within a Hasidic sect in New York City, and his father who is struggling to maintain his dignity in a less-than-savory business, operating a porn theatre in Times Square. A healthy 17 year old with an interest in photography, David joins the family business. As entertaining as it is moving, Peep Show looks at the fierce loyalties of two secret worlds, stripping away the curtains of both. Joshua Braff, the author of The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green, returns with another coming-of-age-story.
At Merfish Teen Center 9000 S. Rice Melton Lunch and Learn Reading the Bible can be a daunting task, and linguist and translator Joel Hoffman is here to help. The author uses his knowledge and skills to correct some of the common errors in translating the language of the Bible from Hebrew into English. The first three chapters explain how the Bible is translated from Hebrew to English, and continuing chapters apply his concepts to actual phrases that should be reworded. Attentive readers will find this book extremely helpful to properly understand the Bible. Hoffman is a Ph.D. in Linguistics and has served on faculties at Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College.
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
8:00 PM Old Jews Telling Jokes At Congregation Or Ami 3443 Wilcrest Drive
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
6:15 PM
ALTERNATE LOCATION
Sharon Pomerantz Rich Boy
Laughter is part of our history, from the ghettos of Europe to Hollywood, to the Catskills, and to our family dinner tables. Jewish jokes are entertainment, the oral history of a culture, insightful social criticism, and survival tactic rolled into one. Some jokes are risque and off-color, but funny and familiar. Infused with a lifetime of Jewish experience, these jokes just plain make us laugh. Hollywood director and producer Sam Hoffman launched a website for Jews over 60 years old telling jokes. His new book offers up the best of the collection that continues to increase each year. When not collecting jokes, Hoffman has produced, directed, and assistant directed such films as The Royal Tenenbaums, School of Rock, and Groundhog Day.
The favored son of struggling parents in a Philadelphia Jewish neighborhood in the 1970s, Robert Vishniak finds himself on scholarship at an elite New England university, mingling with the wealthy. As a result, doors open, leading Robert to the highest circles of Manhattan society. After much professional success, he encounters a woman from the old neighborhood who re-awakens his old identity. This threatens to unravel his carefully constructed new persona. Rich Boy, Pomerantz’s debut novel, is the first novel published by Twelve, a distinguished publisher who releases only 12 books per year. Patron Sponsors: Sharon and Gerry Laderman Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Patron Sponsors: Kimberly and Adam Siegel Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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Photo Credit: Myra Klarman
Sam Hoffman
Optional lunch at 12:00 PM. $10 prepaid with reservation by Nov. 1. Call 713-729-3200 x3288.
Become a JCC Patron of the Arts at jcchouston.org
5 FRIDAY
4 THURSDAY
8:00 PM
1:00 PM
Plumes: Ostrich Feathers, Jews, and a Lost World of Global Commerce
Ahead of Time
Sarah Abrevaya Stein
Film
Director: Robert Richman USA/Israel, 2009, 73 minutes, English, Hebrew with subtitles
In the late 1800s, ostrich feathers were to hats as diamonds are to wedding rings. African feathers were a hot commodity, and Jewish merchants were the salesmen. Sarah Abrevaya Stein, Professor and Maurice Amado Chair in Sephardic Studies at UCLA, recounts the tales of these merchants who ran the bustling global trade in ostrich feathers that flourished from the 1880s until the First World War. When the market crashed in the early 1900s, the result was an economic catastrophe. In this remarkable book, awarded the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature in 2010, Stein draws on rich archival materials to bring to light the prominent and varied roles of Jews in the feather trade. She discovers that Jews fostered and nurtured the trade across the global commodity chain.
This poignant documentary about Ruth Gruber, the youngest person in the world to receive a Ph.D., covers seven decades of her life as a photojournalist and foreign correspondent. Gruber entered the Soviet Arctic in 1935 as the first journalist to do so, escorted Holocaust refugees to America in 1944, covered the Nuremburg Trials in 1946, and documented the Haganah ship Exodus in 1947. Using never-seen-before archival footage, we witness how her relationships with world leaders provided her unique access and insight into the modern history of the Jewish people. Gruber, presently a lively 98 year old, has been a much beloved speaker at the JCC Jewish Book & Arts Fair. Ahead of Time is the directorial debut of award-winning cinematographer, Robert Richman (An Inconvenient Truth).
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Free to Series Pass Holders • $8 JCC Member • $10 Public
Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation
BE’TAY AVON SENIOR ADULT LUNCH PROGRAM Come have lunch and a program with the Be’tay Avon Crowd. Lunch and Program • $5 JCC Member • $7 Public RSVP required for lunch. Call Esther Bethke at ext. 3258
6 SATURDAY
8:00 PM
GREAT SAVINGS! Purchase a Jewish Book & Arts Fair Series Pass for only JCC Member Public --- Admission to all programs:
Film
$50
The Little Traitor
31 Authors 2 Concerts 4 Films Dror Moreh • JONATHAN ALTER • Dennis Danziger • Alan Morinis • Jeffrey Buy a Book & Arts Fair Zaslow • Eric Metaxas •Series Pass Joshua Braff Advance • ticket purchase recommended • Sam Hoffman Joel Hoffman • Sharon Pomerantz • Sarah Abrevaya Stein • Save money on programs Robert Richman • The Macaroons • Lynn $10 Discount for Seniors/Students on series passes Roth • Jordan Hill • Karen Fisman • $2 Discount for Seniors/Students on single tickets Adin Steinsaltz • Online Dani Shapiro • Alana Newhouse & Liel Leibovitz • David Dow jcchouston.org • Matthew Goodman • Judith Viorst • Miryam Kabakov •in person Tom Segev • Nehemia Gordon Keith Johnson • toErica Brown Visit the JCC and Information Desk or the Box Office 30 minutes prior the start of a program • Smadar Levi •by Bryan Edward Stone phone • The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground • 713.551.7255 Mitchell Kaplan • Martin Fletcher
Director: Lynn Roth Israel/USA, 2007, 88 minutes, English, Hebrew wth subtitles Based in Palestine in 1947, a few months before Israel became a state, The Little Traitor is about the unlikely friendship of a young boy and a British Sergeant. Militant but sensitive, twelve year old Proffy Liebowitz (Ido Port, Dear Mr. Waldman) is seized by British Sergeant Dunlop (Alfred Molina, Law & Order Los Angeles) for being out past curfew, but instead of turning him in, Dunlop takes him home. As Dunlop becomes a father figure, Liebowitz’s friends find their friendship problematic and call him a traitor leading to a trial that will change Liebowitz’s life forever. Based on the novel Panther in the Basement by Amos Oz, director Lynn Roth seamlessly blends the touching tale of friendship, trust and betrayal against the larger backdrop of the last days of the British occupation of Palestine. Free to Series Pass Holders • $8 JCC Member • $10 Public Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
$70
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Sunday, November 7 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM*
OLI V FAM ER LA ILY PIN DAY
*Adult programming continues throughout the day
Concert, Authors, Books & Fun! 9:30 AM (Ages 3–6) Joseph Had a Little Overcoat With activity and snack
9:30 AM (1 –3 Jordan Hill st
10:30 AM (1 –3 grades) Karen Fisman st
rd
An Adventure in Latkaland: A Hanukkah Story with Hanukkah treats
1:00 PM (2 –3 Jordan Hill nd
grades)
11:30 AM (2 –5 Jordan Hill nd
Imaginary adventures
10:30 AM (Ages 3–6) The Macaroons Concert 10:30 AM (PreK–1 grades) Lauri B. Rosen with illustrator, Bill Megenhardt
th
grades)
Drama games
11:30 AM (Ages 3–6) Joseph Had a Little Overcoat With activity and snack
st
Pixie & Trixie Bug reading & activity
11:30 AM (K–1 grades) Lauri B. Rosen with illustrator, Bill Megenhardt st
Pixie & Trixie Bug reading & activity
Family Day is endowed in loving memory of Oliver Lapin by his family All events take place at JCC Houston • 5601 S. Braeswood All family events are FREE and open to the public, with the exception of The Macaroons concert
For concert tickets or information call 713.551.7255 or visit jcchouston.org
grades)
Drama games
1:00 PM (3 –4 grades) Karen Fisman rd
rd
rd
th
An Adventure in Latkaland: A Hanukkah Story with puppet making activity
2:00 PM (1 –2 grades) Lauri B. Rosen with illustrator, Bill Megenhardt st
nd
Pixie & Trixie Bug reading & activity
3:00 PM (3 –5 Jordan Hill rd
th
grades)
Storytelling with improv
The Macaroons concert is underwritten by the Barbara and Mark Paull Families and the Goldye M. and Samuel W. Spain Children’s Performing Arts Fund
7 SUNDAY
7 SUNDAY 10:30 AM
10:30 AM & 1:00 PM
The Macaroons
An Adventure in Latkaland: A Hanukkah Story
Family Concert
Karen Fisman
A Children’s Performing Arts Series Event
In the spirit of Eric Kimmel’s Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins, Karen Fisman’s new book is described as a “fast-paced fantasy plot” full of humor and delight. On the first night of Hanukkah, Jacob Stern and his family are visited by a mysterious stranger who leaves behind a golden dreidl. Later that night, with a spin of the dreidl, a girl named Sarah suddenly appears, taking Jacob on an extraordinary adventure to Latkaland where the two children must draw on their wits, bravery, and the lessons of history to overcome the fearsome obstacles they encounter. In its easy chapter format, An Adventure in Latkaland is a marvelous tale inspired by the story of the Maccabees.
What do you get when the members of a critically-acclaimed band start having kids? We get an equally talented band writing and performing music for kids. The Macaroons, a spin-off of The LeeVees, best known for their garage rock spirited album, Hanukkah Rocks, featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, now take on such puzzling questions as “What’s inside a mezuzah?” and “What should you do if you drop your matzoh ball on the ground?” The Macaroons address these and so much more on their delicious debut album, Let’s Go Coconuts. With their big harmonies, irresistible melodies and a guitar-based sound that recalls everything from the Kinks to Queen, The Macaroons bring their catchy pop-rock and super-fun music to the Kaplan Theatre stage. Young ones and their parents will love rocking out to JDub’s first children’s music release and a PJ Library selection. Underwritten by the Barbara and Mark Paull Families and the Goldye M. and Samuel W. Spain Children’s Performing Arts Fund
10:30 AM, 11:30 AM & 2:00 PM
Lauri B. Rosen with illustrator, Bill Megenhardt
Free to Series Pass Holders • $8 JCC Member • $12 Public Pre-paid Group packages for 10+ available. Call 713.551.7255 by Nov. 4.
9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM
Jordan Hill
Pixie & Trixie Bug In a magical, green garden down on Rollingbrook Way, twins, Pixie and Trixie Bug live with all their garden friends. With creative rhyming text and gorgeous, colorful illustrations, Pixie & Trixie Bug shares that no matter who you are, how you are, what you look like, what you like to eat or do or wear, everyone is unique and special, just like me and you. Lauri B. Rosen is Houston’s Magical Kids Bookstore creator and owner of Children’s Chapters. Pixie & Trixie Bug is the first book in a series of children’s picture books she has done with illustrator Bill Megenhardt.
Storyteller
“Once upon a time…there was a traveler between worlds, a wanderingwondering minstrel, a maggid of sorts, a high-energy professional storyteller…and his name was Jordan Hill.” That’s how you’re greeted when you visit Jordan Hill’s website. A storyteller with specialties in astronomy and Jewish stories, Hill is an educator in Jewish studies & math, a jazz, rock & klezmer musician, and can do all of it in three languages. Born in Johannesburg, he grew up in Dallas and is a Brandeis University graduate. “Storytelling,” says Hill, “is very much an intrinsic part of Jewish culture.” With his waist-length dreadlocks and mesmerizing style, Jordan Hill captivates children of all ages.
November 7 is sponsored by Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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7 SUNDAY
7 SUNDAY
4:30 PM
Dani Shapiro Devotion: A Memoir
In her newest memoir, Dani Shapiro’s mid-life spiritual journey starts with her son’s questions about God, mortality, and the afterlife. Lacking answers but with a desire to respond to her son, she seeks the help of a yogi, a Buddhist, and a rabbi. Through honest self-reflection on faith and doubt, Shapiro’s readers take stock of their own spiritual inventory and perhaps find some answers of their own. Neither showboating nor seeking pat answers, Shapiro, author of the best-selling memoir Slow Motion, continues her tradition of insightful and penetrating writing. Devotion was an O, The Oprah Magazine book pick, a Today Show best book in Winter 2010, and received four stars from People Magazine. Patron Sponsors: Jane and Larry Wagner
11:30 AM
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Global Day of Jewish Learning
Center for Jewish Living and Learning
with Houston Rabbis and Educators
Jewish communities in North America and around the world join together for a Global Day of Jewish Learning to celebrate Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s completion of the Talmud translation and commentary that he has been working on for 45 years. This unprecedented event is intended to remind us that while Jews are dispersed around the globe, we are bound together through our sacred texts and values. The broad-reaching goals of the Siyyum are to promote Jewish education, to unite the Jewish community, and to foster partnerships among local Jewish organizations and synagogues around a common theme. Rabbis and educators from all over Houston will host tables of ten for a one-hour lively learning session on a topic based on Tractate Ta’anit. The study session ends with a live broadcast with Rabbi Steinsaltz. Whether you are an experienced learner or engaging in study for the first time, this opportunity is a once-in-alifetime experience. Free
Events continue year round. See pages 17 and 18 for programs through December.
Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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7 SUNDAY
8 MONDAY
7:30 PM
5:30 PM
Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life
Houston authors abound, and each season compelling books come to our attention. We want the community to get to know these authors, too. Join us to celebrate Houston authors Alan Berkowitz, Gerald Blumenthal, D.E. Cummings, Ron DeVere, Cele Keeper, Sheldon Rubenfeld, Lester Smith, Anna Steinberger on behalf of Emil Steinberger z”l, Renee Wallace and Sara B. Wolf and their new works at a reception in the bookstore. You’ll have a chance to meet our hometown heroes and learn about their new books. Books will be available for purchase and authors will be signing in the store.
Alana Newhouse & Liel Leibovitz
Hometown Heroes
Tablet, a daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas, and culture launched in June 2009 as a project of the not-for-profit Nextbook Inc. Its sister organization, Nextbook Press, publishes a line of Jewish-themed books. Tablet Senior Editor Alana Newhouse and Liel Leibovitz, editor and author of The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel, and the Ordeals of Divine Election, will discuss Jewish fiction, writing, and the new digital world. Newhouse joined Nextbook in 2008 and oversaw its redesign and relaunch as Tablet magazine. Previously, she spent five years as culture editor of the Forward. Houston audiences will remember her appearance speaking on A Living Lens: Photographs of Jewish Life from the Pages of the Forward, the maiden publication of the Forward-branded books she started with W.W. Norton. A graduate of Barnard College and Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, Newhouse has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and Slate. Leibovitz, executive producer, video and interactive media designer, is a native of Tel Aviv. He completed his doctoral studies in communications at Columbia University researching the ontology of video games, which means he spends more time playing games than a grown man should.
Free
as of print deadline
6:15 PM David Dow
The Autobiography of an Execution Current Litigation Director of the Texas Defender Service, University of Houston Law professor and lawyer for more than 100 death penalty cases, David Dow offers us a candid look into how the death penalty affects lawyers, clients, and our society. The emotional toll on all parties is palpable as Dow details a handful of real-life outcomes while respecting attorney-client privilege. Through his personal story, he describes the paradox of his day job defending death row inmates and coming home each day to his loving wife and son. Publishers Weekly states, “Dow’s book is a sobering, gripping and candid look into the death penalty.”
Patron Sponsor: Deborah Kaplan Free
Patron Sponsors: Maida and Paul Asofsky Susan and Stanley Schneider
The Jewish Community Center
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Annual Jewish Book & Arts Fair
Become a JCC Patron of the Arts and receive a free Series Pass plus additional perks when you opt for the benefits. Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
GO GREEN... Purchase a 100% recyclable reusable book bag for .99 11
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8 MONDAY
9 TUESDAY
8:00 PM
6:15 PM
Miryam Kabakov
Matthew Goodman
Keep Your Wives Away from Them: Orthodox Women, Unorthodox Desires
Hold Love Strong: A Novel Marilyn Hassid Emerging Author
Reconciling queerness with religion has always been an enormous challenge. When the religion is Orthodox Judaism, the task is even more daunting. This 14-essay anthology reveals the stories of Jewish women who fall on all ranges of the “coming-out” spectrum. Some have come out of the closet, some live double lives, and some are trying to maintain a straight life. Other books have explored being queer in Judaism, and this one shows the repercussions of the identity – what happens after the struggle, when the real work of building integrated lives begins. Editor Miryam Kabakov is a social worker and Jewish educator whose compelling collection, that includes an essay by Houstonian Leah Lax, is an appealing read for a general audience, students of women’s and gender studies, and for anyone struggling personally with the same issue.
Abraham Singleton struggles with devastation and life’s obstacles as he comes of age in the Ever Park projects while watching The Cosby Show and dreaming of a future as a Huxtable. Born to a 13-year-old mother, Abraham is a keen observer and a deeply empathetic young man who grapples with the inescapable truths of his childhood, yet understands the promise contained in education, love and personal expression. Hold love strong is the pledge issued to him at birth. With his deftly crafted characters and rich language, Matthew Goodman’s debut novel shows that deep spirit, determination, and drive allow us to overcome anything. Hold Love Strong was selected as a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers book and a USA Today New Voices Pick. HEEB Magazine listed Goodman among its 100 young Jewish people of note. Patron Sponsors: Marilyn Hassid and Marc A. Gessner Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
9 TUESDAY
10:30 AM
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
ALTERNATE LOCATION
Judith Viorst
Life Lessons from Under Eight till Almost Eighty At Congregation Beth Yeshurun • 4525 Beechnut
Beloved author of classic children’s books such as Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Judith Viorst’s adult poetry collections have always offered funny, touching, and true reflections on each decade of life. Viorst, has tickled us with her musings on the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. She returns to speak about these stages of life in addition to her 8th decade that she plays with in her new book, Unexpectedly Eighty. She describes how 80 isn’t too old to flirt, to drink, and to dance and the wonder of seeing the world with new eyes—not because of revelations, but because of a successful cataract operation. Her clever stories attest that life is for living, and we should value our friends and family.
Read. Drink. Enjoy! Grab a bite before or after a program Open daily until 8:00 PM except for Fridays and Saturdays Email nosher@jcchouston.org or call 713.729.3200, ext. 3232 to pre-order your meal and it will be ready for you!
Patron Sponsors: Lorraine and Sidney Brown Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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10 WEDNESDAY
8:00 PM
6:15 PM
Tom Segev
Simon Wiesenthal The Life and Legends Shirley and Bill Morgan Family Holocaust Memorial Program
Photo Credit: ©DanPorges
9 TUESDAY
Israeli journalist, historian, and Haaretz columnist Tom Segev offers us the first fully documented biography of Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. A man who many considered a hero for punishing Nazi criminals, others saw as someone who couldn’t let go of the past. Segev gained access to Wiesenthal’s thousands of private papers and archives, including records of the U.S., Israeli, Polish, and East German secret services that reveal the intriguing secrets of Wiesenthal’s life. The research includes his investigative techniques, unlikely friendships, and reasons behind the rivalry with Elie Wiesel. This eagerly-anticipated book is proof of Amazon Review’s observation that Tom Segev’s books are always worth the wait. Segev last appeared at the Jewish Book & Arts Fair with the release of One Palestine, Complete, named as one of the top 10 books for 2000 by The New York Times. Patron Sponsors: Zahava Haenosh Patti and Dan Steiner Mitzi Shure and Jerry Wische
Rodger Kamenetz
Burnt Books : Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav and Franz Kafka
Acclaimed author of The Jew in the Lotus, Rodger Kamenetz has long been engaged in the study and practice of Jewish spirituality. The more he learned about the life and work of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (greatgrandson of the Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism), the more aware he became of unexpected connections between the lives and works of Franz Kafka, a secular artist fascinated by Jewish mysticism, and Rabbi Nachman, a religious mystic who reached out to secular Jews. Both men died young of tuberculosis. Both invented new forms of storytelling that explore the search for meaning in an illogical, unjust world. Both gained prominence with the posthumous publication of their writing. And most intriguing of all, both left strict instructions that their unpublished writings were to be burned after they died. Kamenetz offers us a groundbreaking dual biography of the venerated Hasidic storyteller, Rabbi Nachman, and the iconic modern master, Franz Kafka, that uncovers surprising parallels between the two tragically abbreviated lives. Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
8:00 PM
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson A Prayer to Our Father
Starting in Jerusalem, follow the journey of faith of a white Jewish Bible scholar and African-American Christian pastor as together they uncover the roots of the most beloved Christian prayer—the only prayer written by Jesus—The Lord’s Prayer. Their adventure takes them to the Galilee where Jesus taught the multitudes to pray. Along the way they discover a Hebrew version of The Lord’s Prayer, preserved in secret by Jewish rabbis for over a thousand years. The richness of meaning that the Hebrew version unlocks reveals a powerful message of spiritual growth for Jews and Christians alike. Patron sponsors: Nancy and Steve Lerner
The Jewish Community Center of Houston Jewish Book & Arts Fair is a member of the Jewish Book Fair Network. The Jewish Book Council serves to promote the reading, writing, publication, distribution, and public awareness of books that reflect the rich variety of the Jewish experience. The Jewish Book Network is a membership organization of over 100 participating sites, JCC’s, synagogues, Hillels, Jewish Federations and other related organizations that host Jewish book programs. To learn more, visit www.jewishbookcouncil.org Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public 13
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11 THURSDAY
1 3 SATURDAY
6:15 PM
8:00 PM
Confronting Scandal: How Jews Can Respond When Jews Do Bad Things
Lumaraz: Music of Old and New North Africa to the Middle East
Smadar Levi in concert
Dr. Erica Brown
With prominent Jewish names in the news shining a negative light on Judaism, how do we respond? Why do their actions make us uncomfortable? Dr. Erica Brown tackles these thorny issues and more by looking at Jewish history to show us what Jewish texts and philosophy say about managing shame and the wrongdoings of others. In a call to answer to a higher authority, Brown also addresses practical ways to strengthen our own ethical behavior, engender greater self-respect, and finally, gain the respect of others.
Maurice Amado Foundation Residency and Concert Smadar Levi is a Moroccan-Israeli singer who grew up in Sderot. The theme of peace plays a prominent role in her thinking and as a performer for Seeds of Peace, she understands the importance of communicating about it with future generations. Smadar has taken the “peace talk” another step forward by setting her own brand of music to never-beforepublished poetry of 7th-18th century writers first translated by Princeton Professor Bernard Lewis. These works written in medieval Islam-Arabic, Turkish, Persian, and Hebrew provide a fascinating glimpse into a time when men sat in tents, discussing and solving the challenges of peace in their day. The concert features Smadar’s new compositions along with traditional Sephardic and Mizrachi works. Two familiar faces join Smadar and her band on stage—Esta’s Ori Beanstok (guitar, oud, dumbek) and Shlomo Deshet (percussion).
Patron Sponsors: Sherry and Gerald Merfish Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
8:00 PM
The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid From Chicago Fights Hezbollah
Photo Credit: Susie Flax
Joel Chasnoff
Underwritten by the Maurice Amado Foundation
The 38th Annual Jewish Book & Arts Fair is proud to partner with Taping For The Blind, Inc. Three books and the corresponding author programs have been selected for audio access. The Girls from Ames (Jeffrey Zaslow) By Fire, By Water (Mitchell James Kaplan) Unexpectedly Eighty (Judith Viorst)
When 24-year-old Joel Chasnoff from Chicago volunteered to fight for the Israel Defense Forces, he did not know that the experience would be book material. A stand-up comic whose career failed to get off the ground, he opts for a serious change of pace. Chasnoff ’s memoir takes us through his mishaps at training camp, mandatory snack breaks, and living with teenage boys who have not been away from home before. After a tour in Lebanon fighting Hezbollah, Chasnoff realizes he has lived his own coming-of-age story. With stage and screen credits in eight countries, serving as the warmup act for Jon Stewart and Lewis Black, and a new memoir filled with humor and compassion, it’s hard to believe his career ever stalled.
For people with print and visual handicaps, please contact Taping For The Blind, Inc. for information on audio book access for featured authors.
713-622-2767 • www.tapingfortheblind.org
Patron Sponsors: Elena and Joel Dinkin Susan and David Morris
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Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
Free to Series Pass Holders • $18 JCC Member • $25 Public • Reserved Seating
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14 SUNDAY
14 SUNDAY 1:30 PM
11:00 AM
Bryan Edward Stone
Film
The Klezmatics: On Holy Ground
The Chosen Folks: Jews on the Frontiers of Texas Texas History is big, and the Jewish people have been part of it since the Spanish Inquisition. Bryan Edward Stone’s book on Texas Jewry reveals the story behind how Texas became a state with one of the largest populations of Jewish people in the South and West. Through biographies, memoirs, and photographic histories of notable Texas Jews, Stone, an exceptional thinker and storyteller, describes the evolution of how Jews came to Texas, long before Jacob H. Schiff launched the idea of using Galveston as a new port of entry for European Jews. An Associate Professor of History at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and a Visiting Professor at the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, Stone publishes frequently on Texas Jewry.
Director: Erik Greenberg Anjou USA, 2009, 106 minutes, English
Houstonians will remember filmmaker Erik Greenberg Anjou’s intimate look at Cantor Jack Mendelsohn in the film, A Cantor’s Tale. Once again, Anjou delves deep into the lives of extraordinary musicians as individuals and together as the 2006 Grammy Award Winning New York based band, The Klezmatics. Although best known for klezmer music, a vibrant genre that mixes Yiddish culture with folk beats, their Grammy was awarded for Best World Music for their first English language album, Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie. On Holy Ground documents the band’s journey to become a global sensation. The film shows how they redefined Jewish music for over two decades and follows the ups and downs of live shows. It highlights stories of the band members’ lives unrelated to music – battling middle age, raising families while working, and getting along with bandmates.
Patron Sponsors: Bobbi and Vic Samuels Susan and Ed Septimus Gail and Gary Swartz Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Talk back follows the screening with Director Erik Anjou and Klezmatics members Paul Morrissett and Lorin Sklamberg.
Underwritten by /Ziggy Gruber Patron Sponsors: Paula and Irving Pozmantier Free to Series Pass Holders $8 JCC Member $10 Public
38th Annual Jewish Book & Arts Fair Advance Ticket Purchase Recommended ONLINE: jcchouston.org IN PERSON: Visit the JCC Information Desk or come to the box office 30 minutes prior to the start of a program. BY PHONE: 713-551-7255 Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
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14 SUNDAY
14 SUNDAY
COMMUNITY READ
CLOSING NIGHT 7:30 PM
Mitchell James Kaplan By Fire, By Water: a novel Set in 15th century Spain, Luis de Santangel, chancellor to the court, friend of King Ferdinand, and a converso--a Jewish convert to Christianity-is tired of the Spanish Inquisition. With violence all around, his Jewish heritage makes him an easy target. A friend and financier of Christopher Columbus, de Santangel is intrigued with the tantalizing new world. His attraction to a beautiful Jewish woman and growing knowledge of Judaism make for unique challenges. Kaplan, a screenwriter, brings fifteenth-century Spain to dazzling, engrossing life in his exquisitely crafted sweeping debut story of love, God, and faith.
Photo Credit: Renee Rosensteel
4:30 PM
Join hundreds of readers and be part of the Community Read by signing up at jcchouston.org. Purchase the book now at Essence, the JCC Gift Shop, at the Hadassah Office or at the Book Fair before the presentation and receive a free ticket to Kaplan’s talk. Patron sponsors: Tanya and Joe Blanga G
E – ONE BO OPL O PE
K
A AT TIME
Reception at 4:00 PM for Community Read Participants
CONN ECT IN
Free to Series Pass Holders $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
ONE BOOK ONE JEWISH COMMUNITY
Walking Israel: A Personal Search for the Soul of a Nation Longtime chief of the NBC Tel Aviv News Bureau, Martin Fletcher brings a unique perspective on Israel as he walks the 100-mile coastline from Lebanon to Gaza. With a backpack, change of clothes, and a cell phone, Fletcher sets out on his personal journey of discovery of Israel along what he considers to be the most interesting hundred miles in the world. Fletcher believes, “The farther you move from the centers of power, and the closer you get to the real people, the less their stories fit the political platitudes.” Sharing history and musings down memory lane with the “Joe Shmoes” he meets along the way takes us far away from the center of officialdom, negotiations, and endless agreements and disputes. He fills his book with life lessons learned from observing Israeli Arabs, Holocaust survivors and life with the kibbutzniks. With humor, historical insight, and stories of the people he meets, Fletcher offers us his interpretation of Israel in a spectacular and unique way. One of the most respected foreign correspondents today, Fletcher has covered wars and natural disasters in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, winning five Emmys throughout his 35-year career. Patron Sponsors: Frank Crystal / Joel Goldstein Carol and Michael Goldberg Joyce Greenberg Barbara Winthrop Rose and Jay Steinfeld Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein
Center for Jewish Living and Learning
Free to Series Pass Holders • $10 JCC Member • $14 Public
Events continue year round. See pages 17 and 18 for programs through December. Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
Martin Fletcher
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C E N T E R FO R J E W I S H L I V I N G & L E A R N I N G
literature film a r t music dance learning
center for jewish living & learning
LEARNING
H A N U K K A H C E L E B R AT I O N
Women’s Beit Midrash Rabbi Michele Faudem & Ariela Davis 10 Mondays beginning Oct 4 • 7:30 – 9:00 PM • $60m/$70p
Celebrate Hanukkah with Shalom Sesame
Kulanu Mini Courses
Sunday, Dec 5 3:00 PM FREE with a New, Unwrapped Gift to Donate to Houston Families in Need
Join a group of women for the study of Biblical and Rabbinic texts each Monday night at our newly established Women’s Beit Midrash. The Women’s Beit Midrash is a new initiative to encourage the study of texts. A basic knowledge of Hebrew is helpful.
Join us as Shalom Sesame returns to Houston just in time for Hanukkah! Our Hanukkah Celebration will include the première of the new Shalom Sesame series just released exclusively to Jewish Community Centers across North America, followed by activities and treats for the whole family.
Does Judaism Believe in Karma? Rabbi Judy Abrams, Ph.D. Four Wednesdays beginning Oct 6 • 7:30 - 8:30 PM • $30m/$40p The Jerusalem Talmud presents many extensive texts on the idea of Karma: that the energy we send out is the energy that returns to us. This class will examine the many stories and teachings about Jewish Karma and how it works. No Talmud study background or Hebrew is needed for this class.
The Jewish Community Center is pleased to partner with Maqom, a school for adult Talmud study founded and directed by Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, Ph.D.
לבטיה של חברה מתהווה ורד גדות:מנחה באוקטובר5–שישה שבועות החל מיום שלישי ה ) בנובמבר9– וב2–(לא יהיה שיעור ב 21:00 – 19:30 משעה $45m/$60p cast of Shalom Sesame
.במסגרת קורס זה נעקוב אחר בניית החברה הישראלית והתגבשות דפוסים פוליטיים בה : בנוסף ניגע בנושאים כגון.נבדוק את השפעות העליות השונות על החברה בינקותה .שנות העשרים – תקוות ואכזבות’ המרד הערבי’ הישוב ומדיניות בריטניה ועמדות ביישוב בשאלה הערבית .אמצעי הלימוד יכללו בין היתר מקורות ספרותיים’ סרטים ובולים
FA M I LY F U N Something Fun for Families on December 24!
Beginning Hebrew - Level 1 Inst: Karen Greenspan 10 Mondays beginning Oct 4 • 7:00 – 8:30 PM • $175m/$225p This introductory course is a program of letter recognition, reading proficiency, building vocabulary and learning basic phrases using the Hebrew textbook series Aleph Isn’t Tough. No class 11/8.
NEW Conversational Hebrew Inst: Naomi Barancik 10 Tuesdays beginning Oct 5 • 9:30 – 10:30 AM • $117m/$150p This course will teach basic, everyday spoken Hebrew. You will learn to build simple sentences and have a basic conversation. No prior knowledge of Hebrew necessary, just a willingness to learn. No class 11/23.
Beginning Hebrew - Level 3 Inst: Karen Greenspan 10 Wednesdays beginning Oct 6 • 7:00 - 8:30 PM • $175m/$225p
Craig mixes it up in a delightful Jewish musical celebration for children and their families in a concert of songs from his new Kol Kef (All Fun) CD. Craig’s energetic, silly, and fun style of song leading brings new life to old favorites. Craig’s performance is full of groovin’ music, hilarious shtick, and some fun surprises! For information about Craig, go to www.craigparksmusic.com.
Please contact Naomi Barancik at 713.729.3200, ext. 3288 or nbarancik@jcchouston.org to enroll in any of these CJLL programs.
In this course we will continue to practice reading skills and vocabulary building with a focus on reading Torah. No class 11/10, 11/24.
Advance Advance ticket ticket purchases purchases online online at at jcchouston.org jcchouston.org
Craig Parks in his Kol Kef Concert Friday, Dec 24 11:00 AM $8 Kids – Adults Free
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Exploring Our Heritage Bagels & Grits: How Jews Built a Home in the South
An Evening with David Grossman Author of To the End of the Land Monday, Oct 18 • 8:00 PM • $10m/$15p
Lecture by Dr. Stuart Rockoff, Director of the History Department at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
From one of Israel’s most acclaimed writers comes a novel of extraordinary power about family life—the greatest human drama— and the cost of war. In To the End of the Land Ora, a middle-aged Israeli mother on the verge of her son’s release from army service, sets out for a hike in the Galilee leaving no forwarding information for the soldiers who might darken her door with the worst possible news. Never have we seen so clearly a presentation of the reality and surreal of daily life in Israel and the burdens that fall on each generation anew.
Sunday, Dec 12 • 7:30 PM • $10m/$15p Dr. Stuart Rockoff will trace the history of Jews in the South and show how they adjusted to the region’s unique culture while maintaining their own Jewish traditions. He will also explore how the Jewish South has been transformed over the last several decades, with the decline of small-town congregations and the rise of large Jewish communities like Houston.
Rice University/JCC Lecture Series
Marc Tyler Nobleman Author of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman Sunday, Oct 24 • 7:30 PM • $10m/$15p It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Siegel and Shuster!: The Two Jewish Teens Who Created Superman Over a feverishly hot 24 hours in 1934, geeky writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster dreamed up a character who was everything they were not — and who launched both the superhero genre and the comic book industry. Did Hitler personally ban Superman comics? Does Superman have a Hebrew name? Why couldn’t Joe draw on Thursday nights? In this lively talk, Nobleman shares secrets and rare, unpublished photos about the creation of the world’s first comic book superhero.
Exploring Jewish Music
Lecture by Dr. Howard Pollack, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Music at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston
The Jewish Community Center, in collaboration with Rice University, has created an annual lecture series presented by faculty associated with the Jewish Studies Program.
Jewish Americans, many of them children of Eastern European immigrants, played an unusually prominent role in the what many regard as the golden age of American opera and musical theater. This broad survey of musicals and operas from Kern and Hammerstein’s Show Boat (1927) to Bock and Harnick’s Fiddler on the Roof (1964), also including works by Gershwin, Rodgers, Berlin, Weill, Copland, Blitzstein and Bernstein, considers ways in which themes of migration, departure, arrival, assimilation and utopia inform this repertoire.
Advance ticket purchases online at jcchouston.org
The Earthly Jerusalem: Judean, Roman, and Byzantine Remains of the Holy City Lecture by Dr. Shira Lander Thursday, Oct 14 • 8:00 PM
Imagining Jerusalem in Late Medieval and Renaissance Art Lecture by Dr. Diane Wolfthal Thursday, Oct 28 • 8:00 PM
Sunday, Nov 21 • 7:00 PM • $10m/$15p
f o r
$10m/$15p per lecture • $20m/$30p series
Heavenly Jerusalem in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature Lecture by Dr. Matthias Henze Thursday, Oct 21 • 8:00 PM
The Golden Age of American Musical Theater and the Legacy of Jewish Immigration
c e n t e r
Envisioning Jerusalem in the Pre-Modern World 2010 Annual Lecture Series
The lectures will be held at the Jewish Community Center.
Underwritten by the Maurice Amado Foundation.
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SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Annual Jewish Book & Arts Fair 38
th
Calendar
OCTOBER 31
NOVEMBER 1
NOVEMBER 2
NOVEMBER 3
NOVEMBER 4
1:30 PM
7:15 PM
12:30 PM
Sharon
Everything is Going to Be Great:
And God Said: How Translations
Rachel Shukert
Film
6:15 PM
4:30 PM
Dennis Danziger
A Short History of a Tall Jew OPENING NIGHT
7:30 PM
Jonathan Alter
F EVEREE NT!
The Promise: President Obama: Year One
NOVEMBER 7
Eric Metaxas 6:15 PM
Alan Morinis
Every Day, Holy Day
8:00 PM
Jeffrey Zaslow
The Girls from Ames
NOVEMBER 8
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
8:00 PM
Jonathan Schneer
The Balfour Declaration: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict
NOVEMBER 9
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
5:30 PM
10:30 AM
11:30 AM
Reception Celebrate Houston Authors
at Congregation Beth Yeshurun 4525 Beechnut
Oliver Lapin Family Day Global Day of Jewish Learning
4:30 PM
Dani Shapiro
Devotion: A Memoir
7:30 PM
Alana Newhouse and Liel Leibovitz Tablet Magazine
NOVEMBER 14
11:00 AM
Bryan Edward Stone The Chosen Folks
1:30 PM Film
The Klezmatics 4:30 PM
Mitchell James Kaplan By Fire, By Water
7:30 PM
Martin Fletcher Walking Israel
Hometown Heroes
6:15 PM
The Autobiography of an Execution
Keep Your Wives Away from Them: Orthodox Women,
8:00 PM
8:00 PM
Matthew Goodman Hold Love Strong: A Novel
8:00 PM
Miryam Kabakov Unorthodox Desire
Tom Segev
Simon Wiesenthal: The Life and Legends
BOOKSTORE HOURS SUNDAY TO THURSDAY 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM FRIDAY 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM SATURDAY 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Conceal the Bible’s Original Meaning at Merfish Teen Center 9000 S. Rice
OCTOBER 30 6:30 PM
Deutser Art Gallery Opening
Rafael Goldchain
I Am My Family: Photographic Memories and Fiction
7:30 PM
Dedication of the Gerald Rauch Cultural and Performing Arts Wing
NOVEMBER 5
NOVEMBER 6
1:00 PM Film
Ahead of Time
6:15 PM
Joshua Braff
Sharon Pomerantz
Peep Show
Rich Boy
8:00 PM
Sam Hoffman
8:00 PM
8:00 PM
At Congregation Or Ami 3443 Wilcrest Drive
Plumes: Ostrich Feathers, Jews, and
The Little Traitor
Sarah Abrevaya Stein
Old Jews Telling Jokes
Film
a Lost World of Global Commerce
NOVEMBER 10
Judith Viorst
6:15 PM
David Dow
An Underfunded, Overexposed European Grand Tour
Joel Hoffman
SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 11
NOVEMBER 12
NOVEMBER 13
6:15 PM
Erica Brown
6:15 PM
Rodger Kamenetz Burnt Books
8:00 PM
How Jews Can Respond When Jews Do Bad Things
8:00 PM
Nehemia Gordon and Keith Johnson A Prayer to Our Father
Confronting Scandal:
Joel Chasnoff
8:00 PM
The 188th Crybaby Brigade:
Concert
A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah
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Smadar Levi Due to circumstances beyond our control programs are subject to change.
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jcchouston.org
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The Jewish Community Center of Houston 5601 S. Braeswood Houston, Texas 77096-3907 713.729.3200 jcchouston.org
CELEBRATE OUR th * 38 YEAR for just $50! 31 Authors 2 Concerts 4 Films • Book and CD signings follow all presentations • Bookstore features over 4,000 titles for purchase
Come be a part of it!
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$50 JCC Members $70 Public