Annual Jewish Book Festival Marks National Women's History Month

The Charlotte Jewish News, March 2022

By Lisa Garfinkle, JFGC Operations

March is National Women’s History Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the countless contributions of women throughout history. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” and those hoping to participate in the celebration need look no further than the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library and Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’s Center for Jewish Education (CJE) at Shalom Park. For centuries, women were largely overlooked and excluded from the narrative of history, their contributions and accomplishments were unnoticed and unrecognized. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a grassroots movement to address this omission resulted in local celebrations of Women’s History Week in schools and communities across the United States. In 1987, at the urging of the National Women’s History Alliance, Congress officially designated March as Wom- en’s History Month in perpetuity, and a Presidential proclamation is issued each year honoring women’s exceptional accomplishments.

With the theme of “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” this year’s Women’s History Month will focus on celebrating women, past and present, who have enriched American culture and preserved American history through storytelling. According to the National Women’s History Alliance, the theme “honors women in every community who have devoted their lives and talents to producing art, pursuing truth, and reflecting the human condition decade after decade.”

The Levine-Sklut Judaic Library and Center for Jewish Education (CJE) recognize Jewish storytellers and tellers of Jewish stories year-round. CJE will bring a number of renowned women authors to Charlotte from March 19-26 as part of the second annual Jewish Book Festival. Dara Horn, Lynda Loigman, and Meg Waite Clayton have all done their part to chronicle the Jewish experience, and they will share their work with Charlotte audiences at various events during the festival.

ehe Book Festival’s closing event on Sunday, March 26 will feature Shaunna Edwards and Alyson Richman, whose collaborative novel “The Thread Collectors” tells the Civil War-era story of two women — one black and one Jewish, the men they love, and the circumstances that bring their lives together. Much Jewish historical fiction centers, understandably, on the Holocaust and the World War II era. By focusing in part on the largely unknown story of Jews during the Civil War, “The Thread Collectors,” is intriguing from the outset.

Based loosely on the Civil War experiences of the author’s own ancestors, this work of historical fiction reveals the experiences of Union soldiers from two marginalized groups and the vital role played by the women who support them. Stella, a multiracial enslaved woman helps enslaved men, including her true love, William, escape to join the Union forces by stitching maps that guide them to freedom. Lily, the wife of Jewish soldier Jacob, is a strong abolitionist who supports her husband and the Union army by stitching quilts for soldiers to comfort and inspire them. Both women show incredible courage in the face of danger as they pursue justice while also working to keep their loved ones safe.

The Jewish Book Festival event with Edwards and Richman will feature a Southern high tea and the opportunity to hear more from the authors about the story behind their writing of “The Thread Collectors.” Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the authors, who will be signing copies of the book which will be available for purchase at the event.

In addition, be sure to stop by the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library in March, to see a display of the works of women who tell our Jewish stories. From Alice Hoffman (“The Dovekeepers,” “The Marriage of Opposites”) to Anita Diamant (“The Red Tent”), from Letty Pogrebin (“Shanda: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy”) to Rachel Kadish (“The Weight of Ink”), the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library’s more than 14,000 titles include many by and about Jewish women.

Celebrating the storytellers during National Women’s History Month allows us to recognize the women who have played an integral role in preserving our history and influencing our outlook on the world. In the words of author Sue Monk Kidd, “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” This month, join the Center for Jewish Education and the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library in honoring the women who help us remember.

Photo Caption: Authors Shaunna Edwards and Alyson Richman speak in Charlotte as part of JFGC Center for Jewish Education Jewish Book Festival