Federation Star - October 2022 - Jewish Book Festival

16 Authors • 14 Events November 1, 2022 through March 22, 2023 2022-23

o Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. (V) – Gioia Diliberto

o Thursday, Nov. 17 at 2 P.M. (V) – Richard Rabinowitz

o Wednesday, Nov. 30 at noon (V) – Daniel Grunfeld

o Monday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. (P/V) – Eleanor Reissa

o Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. (V) – Jen Spyra

o Wednesday, Jan. 4 at noon (P/V) – Cathy Barrow

o Thursday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. (V) – Isabel Vincent

o Friday, Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. (V) – Eileen Kathy Pollack

o Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. (P/V) – Marjorie Margolies

o Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. (P/V) – Shaunna Edwards and Alyson Richman

o Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. (V) – Lori Banov Kaufmann

o Friday, Mar. 3 at 1 p.m. (V) – Mallory Smith with speaker Diane Smith

o Tuesday, Mar. 14 at 2 p.m. (V) – Erica Katz

o Wednesday, Mar. 22 at 2 p.m. (P/V) – Jen Maxfield and Ira Rosen

Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival is Presented by OF GREATER NAPLES

JewishBookFestival.org — that’s us!

by Gayle Dorio, JBF Chair

Iwasinterested in what other Jewish Book Festivals were doing and, of course, I began googling. Where was that ability when I was young? Right. I googled Jewish book festivals, oldest Jewish book festival in USA and some similar things. The first website that popped up was Jewish Book Festival/Jewish Federation of Greater Naples. Our website! Maybe that’s because computers are smart and eat cookies or something like that and just know that Naples is home for me … or maybe it’s because our Jewish Book Festival is wonderful and deserves to come up first!

Our Jewish Book Festival, going into its 8th year, appeared in the first position. Go directly to www.jewishbookfestival. org or www.jewishnaples.org and click on “Major Events” to get there. There is so much information on what we have in store for you this season.

I spent time checking out other book festivals. Some have book weeks, some do panels, some have four to six authors each

day. It was interesting to read that Detroit claims to be the oldest; Miami, St Louis and others have been around much longer than ours. Checking how other areas promote their book festivals is interesting but none compares to ours. We are proud to say that our Jewish Book Festival has earned a solid reputation. We have you, a wonderfully engaged audience that turns out in large numbers to appreciate the authors and books presented.

Did you tune in to the Preview Event held Sept. 29? It’s recorded and can be found on our website in case you missed it. Many thanks to Iris Shur and Steve Yussen who put the Preview together. Many committee members participated in showcasing the upcoming events.

There will be 14 events, beginning on Nov. 1 and ending on March 22. In all, 16 authors will discuss their new books.

Nine events will be on Zoom; five will be held in person and will be livestreamed for those of you who prefer the virtual method of participating. With varied topics, fiction and nonfiction, we know you will enjoy this season’s books and authors.

Please go to our website to register and join us. Better yet, support our community by signing up to be a Patron. We’d love to increase the numbers of Patrons and Sponsors. The more support, the more Jewish Federation of Greater Naples is able to provide the services that make our community vibrant and caring.

I thank you in advance!

Below, we share with you Carl Sagan’s expression of what books mean to him. His reference to magic at the end made me think back to author and magician, Joshua Jay, who recently spoke to our audience. Yes, many of us feel books are magic!

“What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny darkButsquiggles.oneglance at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years.

Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to Writingyou.is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distantBooksepochs.break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”

Carl Sagan , Cosmos, Part 11: The Persistence of Memory (1980)

Getting to know your Jewish Book Festival Committee

By Gayle Dorio, JBF Chair

Weall know it takes a village! Fortunately, members of the JBF committee are hardworking, dedicated, interesting people who pool their talents in order to bring authors and events to our community. When you work alongside amazing people, you get to know them a little … but there are some things that don’t get shared. We thought you might enjoy learning some little-known details about a few members, so we asked them to tell us three things most people don’t know about them and to share their favorite book. Here are their answers:

Emily Berkowitz

• My two sisters and I are all named for authors or literary characters. Brontë, anyone?

• Years ago, my sister, Marjorie, and I resolved to visit all 50 states. After a hiatus for COVID-19, we are going to resume our travels. So far, we have visited 35

•states.When I learned I was pregnant, I raced over to my local bookstore and bought a stack of classic children’s books. The top of the list was “Madeline” by Ludwig Bemelmans. Our son named our dog Genevieve, after Madeline’s dog.

Louise Forman

• I volunteer weekly at the Collier County Library Headquarters when I’m in Naples.•Ihave two master’s degrees: one is in Library & Information Science and one is in Business Administration.

• I ran a marathon in 2012.

Steve Yussen

• As a child, at one point, I wanted to be a rabbi.

• My favorite ice cream flavor is cherry vanilla.

• I am a sucker for stories about time travel.

• My favorite book is “Th e Ghostwriter” by Philip Roth.

Iris Shur

• My husband and I owned the largest computer dating service in the early ’70s. We had seven locations. This was not internet dating; it was a time when computers took up an entire room.

• I was the feature editor of my college newspaper; I also wrote an advice to the lovelorn column.

• I taught prisoners how to apply for jobs when I was a member of Concord, MA prison outreach.

• My favorite book is “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding.

Patti Boochever

• I was my camp’s jacks champion.

• I hate mayonnaise.

• I quilt.

Marc Simon

• I was in a comedy group that was on the radio and on stage.

• My wife, Linda, heard me on the radio before she met me.

• In yoga, I can do a back end and the half lotus.

• My favorite book is “The Leap Year Boy” by Marc Simon.

Alice Richter

• I met my husband, Jerry, on July 7th, became engaged six days later, and was married four months later at Tavern on the Green in New York City.

• I was voted Teacher of the Year (out of 300 teachers).

• Recovering chocoholic? Guilty! I must have a piece of dark chocolate every day!

• My favorite book is “Life and Death in Shanghai” by Nien Chen.

Leslie Wasserman

• I moved from Long Island, New York to Michigan at age 16.

• I have been a therapist in the field of addiction for 30 years.

• I own and breed racehorses (trotters).

• My favorite book is “The House of Spirits” by Isabel Allende.

Linda Simon

• My TV career began at age 6, when I sat in the peanut gallery on the “Howdy Doody” show. It also ended then.

• I was a runner-up in an apple pie baking contest, but I should have won.

• My favorite book is “The Leap Year Boy” by Marc Simon.

Irene Pomerantz

• I love giving the reptile talk, including handling the snakes, at The Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

• I love birding and even broke an ankle looking at the red cockaded woodpecker.

• I dream of being a concert pianist, but I have no talent!

• One of my favorite books is “Middlesex” by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Spencer Forman

• I read very few books until I retired.

• We see a lot of Broadway plays when we summer in New Jersey.

• I am still certified by USA hockey to coach players.

Jeff Margolis

• I recently became a member of the International Society of Olympic Historians.•Iattended the same high school (in Philadelphia) as Larry Fine of the Three Stooges.

• Ida and I were invited to a party at Joe Biden’s home in Delaware when he was U.S. Senator.

• My favorite book of all time is “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

Susan Pittelman

• When I was a book publisher, one of my authors (and his book) was featured on •Oprah.When working at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, I was the first person at the Center to use email. I taught everyone else how to use it.

• I was once featured as Cook of the Week in the Wisconsin State Journal! The article featured my Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Cheesecake and my Hamburger Cookies.

• Too many favorite books to list – and who knows, I might have a new favorite after the 2022-23 JBF!

Carole J Greene

• My first published work was a twice-a-month humor column, “Carole’s Corner,” in my hometown newspaper, which ran for 2+ years in the mid1970s. I was the “Erma Bombeck of Anderson, Indiana.”

• I spent the summer of 1958 in Naples and determined then to live here someday. Only one traffic light then, at 5th Avenue and U.S. 41. I finally made my dream come true when I moved here in January 1987.

• In the early 1990s, I was hired to write articles for Florida Golfer magazine. Publisher told me that since I had never played golf, I could not write about golf, so I could write all articles that weren’t about how to improve your game. I rebutted his argument by saying I believed a professional writer could write about anything — using research to fill in gaps in her personal experience. Within four months, he was publishing my articles about golf.

• My favorite book is “A Prayer for Owen Meany” by John Updike.

Gayle Dorio

2022-23 Jewish Book Festival

Gioia Diliberto

“Coco at the Ritz”

Coco Chanel. The name conjures images of her fashion designs worn and appreciated by wealthy and celebrated women around the world. Her perfumes still scent our special occasions. How many of us have Chanel No. 5 on our dressing tables? But the real Coco lived a story that had its troublesome aspects: she was arrested and interrogated on charges of treason against her native France. Her questioners led Chanel from her suite at the Paris Ritz hotel to an undisclosed location. Find out more about this little-known story when Gioia Diliberto, author of seven books, talks about her latest historical novel, “Coco at the Ritz.” The presentation will open this season’s Festival at 1 p.m. on Nov. 1, via Zoom.

Sponsored by Naples Jewish Congregation

Richard Rabinowitz “Objects of Love & Regret”

Only a historian and museum curator like Richard Rabinowitz could develop a fascinating family history from one everyday object — a green, wood-handled bottle opener bought for twenty cents from a pushcart in mid-Depression Brooklyn. By revealing the personal meaning and historical significance of simple objects, this book paints an intimate portrait of his family as they maneuver through the transformations of 20th century American life. Learn about “Objects of Love and Regret” at 2 p.m. on Nov. 17, via Zoom.

Sponsored by Men’s Cultural Alliance

Daniel Grunfeld “By the Grace of the Game”

Love basketball? Never miss watching U.S. teams compete in the Olympics? Then you’ll be on the edge of your seat for this book about Ernie Grunfeld, a young basketball phenom who not only won Olympic gold but rose to the heights as an NBA player and executive. Author Dan Grunfeld, himself a basketball standout at Stanford University, shares this family saga about a game that surprisingly held the power to heal wounds, build bridges and knit together a fractured Jewish family. You’ll cheer for “By the Grace of the Game,” at noon on Nov. 30, via Zoom.

Sponsored by Holocaust Museum and Cohen Education Center

Eleanor Reissa “The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey”

Imagine, after your mother’s death, you discover a wad of papers in an old purse — courtship letters written in German by her father to her mother. Fastforward 30 years to finally have them translated. Savor the resulting unimaginable adventure into the past, to relive through these 56 missives her parents’ incredible story. She learns how her father fought to stay alive in Auschwitz and on the Death March, while her mother suffered through the war years in Uzbekistan.

“The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey” will become your journey too as author Eleanor Reissa comes to the Festival at 7 p.m., Dec. 5, at Beth Tikvah and via Zoom.

Sponsored by Ginsberg Eye Ophthalmology

Jen Spyra “Big Time”

We do not often select a collection of stories for a Festival event, but this exception will stun you. Dive into a culture seeming to be beyond parody and be prepared to laugh as the author flashes it in front of a funhouse mirror. You’ll plunge into a world of prehistoric influencers, woodland creatures plagued by millennial neuroses, and an all-out birthday bash intent on becoming the most lavish celebration of all time. A staff writer for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” author Jen Spyra was also a senior writer for The Onion. Now she comes to Naples to present “Big Time,” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 15, via Zoom.

Sponsored by Jewish National Fund-USA

Thursday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m. • virtual

Marjorie Margolies

“And How are the Children?”

How about a “call-to-action memoir”? One written by a woman who is the epitome of female empowerment, who broke through professional glass ceilings and paved the way for generations of women to follow. The first single American to adopt internationally, Marjorie Margolies masterfully blends her personal narrative with national history and politics. Athlete, educator, TV reporter, congressperson, world traveler, adoption advocate, parent and grand parent, Margolies shares her hard-earned wisdom in the book “And How Are the Children?” At 2 p.m., Feb. 1, in person at JFGN and via Zoom.

Sponsored by Senior Housing Solutions & Women’s Cultural Alliance

Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m. in person and virtual

Cathy Barrow

Finally, a return to pre-pandemic brunch on the Festival calendar! This delightful cookbook makes it easy to make fresh bagels in your own kitchen. You’ll need only five base ingredients and simple techniques. You’ll have the advice you need on how to mix the dough, shape the bagels, proof, boil, bake, slice and store. In no time, you will be a master bagel-maker, thanks to veteran cookbook author Cathy Barrow and her “Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish: A Whole Bunch of Recipes to Make at Home.” Be sure to savor this Festival highlight at noon on Jan. 4, in person at Temple Shalom and via Zoom.

Wednesday, Jan. 4, Noon in person and virtual

Shaunna Edwards & Alyson Richman “Thread Collectors”

Two women and one war — the Civil War — weave a rich tapestry of ingenuity and courage. A Black woman in New Orleans embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. A Jewish woman in New York City stitches a quilt for her husband stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. An intriguing premise for a beautiful story authored by debut novelist Shaunna J. Edwards and Alyson Richman, so familiar to Festival audiences. Mark your calendar for 2 p.m., Feb. 14, at JFGN and via Zoom.

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m. in person and virtual

Erica Katz “Fake”

Our Festival audiences look forward to gripping novels. Here’s one about a superb artist who specializes in making fakes — legitimate ones. Collectors and museums commission her to paint copies to display while the authentic art is safely stored away. It’s a good living, but she wants to chase her own artistic dreams. When a collector appears with an unexpected invitation, she sees a way out — a new job, a new path for herself, and access to big money.

Author Erica Katz, a pseudonym, will tell us more about “Fake” at 2 p.m., March 14, via Zoom.

Sponsored by Casual Connection

Tuesday, Mar. 14, 2 p.m. • virtual

“Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish: A Whole Bunch of Recipes to Make at Home”

Exclusively sponsored by Women’s Cultural Alliance

Sponsored by Temple Shalom Men’s Club and Allison Craig Home Furnishings

Isabel Vincent “Overture of Hope”

When a book’s subtitle is “A Secret Aria of Courage and Suspense,” you infer two things: opera is somehow involved; an investigative reporter is required to get to the bottom of the story about two British sisters who share a passion for opera. Frequent pilgrimages to Germany and Austria acquaint them with their favorite opera stars, many of whom are Jewish. As war clouds gather and harassment increases, the stars of Continental opera are likely to be squashed under the boot heel of the Nazis. Award-winning investigative journalist Isabel Vincent will regale us with the story of how the Cook sisters forged a daring plan to save opera’s Jewish stars from the Third Reich in “Overture of Hope,” at 2 p.m. on Jan. 12, via Zoom.

Sponsored by Ginsberg Eye Ophthalmology and Theatre Zone

Thursday, Jan. 12, 2 p.m. virtual

Lori KaufmannBanov

How about a tale of family, love and resilience set against the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE? Esther struggles in her personal life, torn between family responsibilities and her own desires. At the same time, growing turmoil threatens to tear apart her beloved city, Jerusalem, as well as her own family. Fiercely devoted to family, she braves famine, siege and slavery to protect those she loves. National Jewish Book Award Winner Lori Banov Kaufmann will shed more light on her historical novel “Rebel Daughter,” at 2 p.m., Feb. 28, via Zoom from Israel, where she lives with her husband and four grown children.

Sponsored by Hadassah Collier/Lee Chapter

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2 p.m. • virtual

Eileen Kathy Pollack

“Maybe It’s Me”

When you are born smart when most girls were expected to abide by the rules and just be housewives and mothers, you begin to see yourself as “the wrong kind of woman.” Eileen wanted to study advanced courses in science and math, but her rural public high school said no because she was female. After earning a physics degree at Yale, she marries a man who, theoretically, respects her career path. But as a wife, she must do all the housework and child-rearing, pay the taxes, and make sure the Roto-Rooter guy arrives on time. Author Eileen Pollack will take us down the road in a world just starting to imagine equality between the sexes. “Maybe It’s Me” poses a question all smart women have asked themselves. Find the answers at 10 a.m., Jan. 20, via Zoom.

Sponsored by Temple Shalom Sisterhood

Friday, Jan. 20, 10 a.m. • virtual

Mallory Smith; Diane Smith “Salt in My Soul”

Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age three, Mallory met daily challenges of endless medical treatments and came to a deep understanding that she would never lead a normal life. However, she was determined to “Live Happy,” a mantra she followed until her death. For more than 10 years, she recorded her thoughts and observations about struggles and feelings too personal to share during her lifetime. Her mother, Diane Smith, published her work posthumously and will be the one to share her daughter’s journey with us. This book, “Salt in My Soul,” is sure to offer insights to those living with, or loving someone with, chronic illness.

Sponsored by TOP Jewish Foundation and Vi at Bentley Village

Friday, Mar. 3, 1 p.m. • virtual

This season’s final event features two authors and two unforgettable books about the news. In “More After the Break: A Reporter Returns to Ten Unforgettable News Stories,” author Jen Maxfield describes how the events unfolded, also revealing what happened after the camera went away. Her stories will introduce memorable people who will inspire you with their hopefulness even while confronting life’s most profound heartbreaks. Over her 22-year career, author Maxfield estimates she has interviewed more than 10,000 people.

For more than 25 years, Ira Rosen has produced some of the most memorable, important and groundbreaking stories for TV’s “60 Minutes.” As he broke some of the most important stories in TV news, he had to contend with the behind-the-scenes clash of personalities between producers, anchors and legendary correspondent Mike Wallace. His spellbinding book is “Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes.”

The two stellar journalists will speak to us at 2 p.m. on March 22, in person and via Zoom.

Sponsored by Men’s Cultural Alliance and Women’s Cultural Alliance and Wollman, Gehrke & Associates, P.A.

“Rebel Daughter”

Jen Maxfield

“More After the Break: A Reporter Returns to Ten NewsUnforgettableStories”

Ira Rosen “Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes”

Become a Patron of the Jewish Book Festival!

Join us in bringing the community together through exemplary literary programming

Beinga Patron of the Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival

qualifies as a win-win! Financial contributions from Patrons provide support to bring you an outstanding array of authors each year. (Through the last seven festivals, 137 authors have spoken to our Greater Naples community.) At the same time, Patrons gain the personal satisfaction of knowing their dollars and attendance at Jewish Book Festival events are essential. Without this support, the Festival would not be able to continue to offer these quality cultural programs.

When you become a Patron of the Jewish Book Festival, it shows a strong affirmation that our community considers the Festival a highly valued component of our Federation’s cultural programming. Patron support of the Jewish Book Festival enables the Federation to bring our community together and keeps us engaged with exemplary literary programming that celebrates authors and their significant contributions to cultural and Jewish life.

There are three Patron levels:

• Platinum at $500

• Silver at $225

• Bronze at $118

If purchased separately, the events would total $298. While both the Silver and Bronze levels provide a discount, it is the heartwarming feeling that you are helping support the Jewish Book Festival that is most often cited as the reason one becomes a Patron.

The generosity of our Patrons helps underwrite expenses of our Jewish Book Festival. In addition, money raised helps our Federation to fulfill its mission of building a vibrant Jewish community in Greater Naples, supporting the social service needs of the Jewish people in our community, in North America, in Israel and around the world.

All Patrons receive the following benefits:

• Patrons will be preregistered for each event.

• Patrons will be acknowledged in the Federation Star as well as on the Jewish Book Festival website.

• Patrons have the heartwarming feeling they are helping to support the Jewish Book Festival — support that is integral to the success of the program.

Platinum Patrons receive additional benefits:

• Preferred seating at in-person events

• One copy of the author book of your choice

• The heartwarming feeling that you are helping to financially support the Jewish Book Festival above and beyond the cost of event tickets.

Silver Patrons receive this additional benefit:

• Preferred seating at in-person events

How do you become a Patron?

Simply check the appropriate box on the online registration form at www. JewishBookFestival.org. Or look for the registration form link included in Federation’s e-blasts. For any questions, please email Reneé Bialek at rbialek@jewishnaples.org.

Please consider being a Patron of the 2022-2023 Jewish Book Festival. It’s going to be another outstanding Festival!

Fine print

• You will receive a confirmation email after you register.

• For virtual events, the Zoom link will be emailed two hours prior to events and is valid for your entire household.

• Virtual tickets are not transferable. Please do not forward the Zoom link or you may risk being locked out of the event.

• For in-person events, remember your ticket or Patron level is per person

• If you are unable to attend an in-person event, you must let Reneé know at least 48 hours in advance to enable someone else to attend in your place.

• Event payments are NOT tax deductible. We are unable to accept checks from DAF, Foundations or any other account that is expected to be tax deductible.

• If a start time or author needs to be changed, you will be notified via email.

• If an author cancels, every attempt will be made to reschedule the author; your original reservation will be valid for the rescheduled event.

• Books may be purchased at Barnes & Noble at Waterside Shops, Naples, and online at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.

Question: How do I register for a Book Festival event?

Answer: Visit the Book Festival website at www.JewishBookFestival.org and complete the online registration form.