5 minute read
Zoom along with us!
By Susan Pittelman and Robin Mintz, Jewish Book Festival Co-Chairs
For the last five years, the Jewish Book Festival (JBF) has brought our community together to be educated, inspired and entertained. The festival often has been referred to as the “highlight” of our community’s cultural life.
This year, the Book Festival not only will present a vast array of literary offerings, it will also provide us an opportunity to be together at a time when we are required to be physically apart. Remaining separated as we have been isn’t easy, but the Book Festival will help us connect with each other and with our Jewish community. The connection will just need to be virtual. This year, we can “Zoom along together.” As you participate in these events, we hope you will feel a strong sense of connection to each other as well as to our Jewish community.
Beginning in early December, with the kickoff event announced on page 4, and concluding at the end of March, our sixth annual Jewish Book Festival will offer a Zoom-tastic array of author events. The Book Festival, a project of the Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, in cooperation with the Jewish Book Council, is truly a community event.
It would not be possible to offer our festival without the support of our generous Patrons and Sponsors, our dedicated JBF committee members, and you—the members of our Jewish community, who attend festival events. This year, more than ever, we need to support our sponsors, who do so much for our community and have so generously supported us in the past. We trust that you will help us to help them.
The 2020-21 Jewish Book Festival will offer a wide variety of events, scheduled for various times and days of the week—and will certainly help to fill your calendar. You will have the opportunity to hear 21 authors talk about their books, which reflect a variety of genres. From fact to fiction, history to mystery, and so much more, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. We know you will be as excited as we are when you look at the list of authors! You will have the opportunity to Zoom into 19 events.
Depending on the event, tickets will be either $10 or $18 (per household), with one special event being free. Of course, by becoming a Book Festival Patron, you will automatically be registered for all the events. Once again, there will be three Patron levels— Platinum ($500), Silver ($225) and Bronze ($118). The less expensive Bronze level was added in recognition of the unusual situation resulting from COVID-19. (An article about the benefits of being a Jewish Book Festival Patron is on page 5.)
At the Preview Event, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, you’ll hear more about each of the featured Book Festival authors and their books. To register for this special event (and reserve your Zoom seat), respond to the announcement in the Federation’s Monday e-blasts or go to the Jewish Book Festival website at www.jewishbookfestival.org.
Of course, due to social distancing guidelines, all of the Book Festival events will be held virtually through Zoom. While this does offer some challenges, we are finding that going virtual also provides opportunities. Zoom enables us to invite authors from other countries to participate in our book festival—we don’t have to worry about the high cost of plane tickets or delayed flights. We do, however, have to be sensitive to time zones.
While we are unable to serve our renowned evening dessert buffets, including the popular ice cream treats, you will be only steps away from your freezer, should you want a snack.
Because of Zoom’s capacity to handle “large crowds,” we don’t anticipate anyone will be turned away due to a lack of seating. In fact, you will each enjoy a “frontrow seat” from the comfort of your couch.
Events will generally run for an hour— and you don’t even have to plan for travel time. Attending a festival event will still leave you plenty of time for other things. And one more huge benefit of our meeting through Zoom—no parking worries!
If time and technology allow, we will make an effort to open some events with a “meet and greet,” so you can enjoy friends you might not have seen for months. Please “Zoom along with us” as we celebrate authors and their significant contributions to cultural and Jewish life. We look forward to “seeing you” at the 2020-21 Jewish Book Festival.
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