Jewish Book Festival
Seventh Annual Jewish Book Festival features 18 authors at 16 events
W
e live in uncertain times. The news is filled with dire events — it gets to be too much. Activism and speaking out are a couple of coping tools; being the kind people we know we can be is another. What about a few hours for peace and renewal? How about reading a good book? The Jewish Book Festival, a project of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, in cooperation with the Jewish Book Council, continues to be a key contributor to the cultural life of our community. So, with a love of books, reading and education, we bring you the 7th Annual Jewish Book Festival featuring 18 authors at 16 events! While six of the 16 Festival events will already have taken place by the time you read this article, you can still participate in the other 10 events. Here’s a rundown of the 2021-22 Jewish Book Festival events remaining:
Thursday, Jan. 6, 2 p.m. • The Hilton
Joshua Jay: “How Magicians Think” One of the world’s most accomplished magicians not only reveals the artistry, history and traditions of magic, but also brings us directly into the mind of a magician. He describes how they develop their skills, conjure up illusions and delight their audiences. While doing so, he reveals another kind of secret: what it takes to follow your heart and achieve excellence. Named “Magician of the Year” in 2012, author Jay has made noteworthy appearances on The Tonight Show and The Late Late Show. He has performed and lectured on magic all over the world.
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 7 p.m. • virtual
Sylvia Foti: “The Nazi’s Granddaughter” Growing up in Chicago, Foti was treated like royalty in her tightly knit Lithuanian community. Why? Because her grandfather was hailed as a hero, a martyr for Lithuanian independence, and an unblemished patriot. He’d resisted his country’s German and Soviet occupiers in WWII and survived two years in a Nazi concentration camp, only to be executed in 1947 by the KGB. But author Foti, a journalist and teacher, in 2000, learned a different story, and since then has published research on the deeds of her grandfather, who turned out to be an alleged perpetrator of the Holocaust in Lithuania.
CONNECTIONS 2022
Wednesday, Jan. 19, 12 noon • virtual
Bob Abelman: “All The World’s A Stage Fright” What starts as a stunt to increase readership for the Cleveland Jewish Chronicle becomes much more. Local theater critic Bob Abelman accepts an acting role
with a top-tier theater company so he can write about the experience from the inside. When the play he’s cast in turns out to be Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” he confesses “an irrational, overriding, mind-numbing fear” of Shakespeare. Author Abelman relates his personal battle with the Bard with laughout-loud humor, creating a tale full of twists and turns, endearing characters and behind-the-curtain action.
Tuesday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. • The Hilton
Charles Lichtman: “The Sword of David;” and Alexander Weinstein: “Universal Love” Lichtman, an expert in Middle East affairs, uses that expertise in the creation of his novel “The Sword of David.” Protagonist Chaim Klein unexpectedly finds the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, but then must search for the Ten Commandments tablets. Along the way, he discovers the mystical, awe-inspiring sword of David. Klein must also stop a consortium of Islamic states and terrorists planning a simultaneous attack to obliterate dozens of Western cities and, of course, Israel. Weinstein’s “Universal Love” welcomes readers to a near-future world where technologies have altered the possibilities and limits of how we love one another. These gripping stories spotlight emotions. In one, a young
A Guide to Jewish Living in Greater Naples
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