Holocaust Survivors in Michigan
(CHAIM) and Hidden
Children/Holocaust Educational
Coalition are sponsoring Dr. Henry.
Greenspan, author of On Listening to

Holocaust Survivors: Recounting Life
and History. The Jewish Genealogical
Society of Michigan will host Miriam
Weiner, author of Jewish Roots in
Poland: Pages From the Past and
Archival Inventories. The Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Institute will spon-
sor Marisa Weiss, author of Living
Beyond Breast Cancer, and Tam
O'Shanter Country Club will host
Sandy Schreier, author of Hollywood
Dressed & Undressed: A Century of
Cinema Style.
Sponsors have been a part of the
fair since the earliest years. As more
groups became sponsors, the depth
and variety of the fair grew. Book fair
founder Shaw remembered the first
fair in 1951, when he was thrilled to
secure a princely 200 books and a sin-
gle author to speak.
To stock the early fairs, Shaw
would travel to New York City and
meet with publishers, securing a ship-
111 ment of books on consignment for
Detroit. Early fairs stocked books in
Yiddish and Hebrew alongside English
tomes, Shaw said, a practice that he
believes will return.
"Back then, the idea of publishers
sending books to a Jewish community
center — then a Jewish social services
organization — was laughable to some.
But the first year when we sold out of
some titles, it gave us the strength to
. plan the next year's event," said Shaw.
Over the years, fair inventory grew
to more than 10,000, comprised of
some 3,000 titles. The bookstore is
open the entire length of the fair in
the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building,
with a slightly smaller selection at the
JPM building in Oak Park. All the
" books are either by Jewish authors or
have Jewish content, and all speakers'
books will be available.
More than 6,000 volumes were sold
last year to some of the 15,000 visi-
tors. All proceeds — $71,000 last year
— pay for the fair, including program-
ming, decorations and staffing costs.
Most staffers are volunteers.
.cii
While Jewish-related books have
became more widely available, with
local bookstores offering entire Judaica
collections, the fair still serves as a "
focal point for the community and
offers a variety of titles and events for
every interest. These include concerts,
kids' workshops, and the lectures.
For the benefit of families with

.

Ruth Berkley, a volunteer, labels fair books.

create their
own
"Miriam's
cup" to use
during a
Passover seder.
Later that day
at 4 p.m., the
Festival
Dancers will
perform an
all-female ren-
dition of Petra

and the Wolf,

while at the
same time in
Oak Park,
there will be a
concert by the
twin brothers
Gemini.
Other chil-
dren's events
at the fair
Fair director Sylvia Gotlib and Andi Wolfe organize fair materials.
include the
Jewish. Paper
Doll Book workshop with Phyllis
young children, speakers scheduled
Amerikaner (bring a photo of your
on Sunday, Nov. 8, are Dr. Steven
child or grandchild) and a local librar-
Parker, the co-author of Dr. Spock's
ian's "hot picks"of her favorite books
Baby and Child Care, at 11 a.m. in
West Bloomfield and 4 p.m. in Oak
for families.
Several speakers are scheduled at
Park, and Katherine Goldman, who
both JCC buildings. They include
wrote Working Mothers 101: How to
Yitta Halberstam, author of Small
Organize Your Life, Your Children,
Your Career to Stop Feeling Guilty and Miracles II; Joyce Antler, author of
The Journey Home: How Jewish
Start Enjoying It All, at 3 p.m. in
Women Shaped Modern America;
West Bloomfield.
Robert Rockaway, author of Words of
While parents hear the talks, their
the Uprooted: Jewish Immigrants in
kids can enjoy storytelling, concerts
Early 20th Century America; Pearl
and craft activities. Rabbi Aaron
Abraham, author of Giving Up
Bergman will read Miriam's Cup to
America; and Stephen Dubner,
children at 1:30 p.m. in West
Bloomfield; afterwards, families can
author of Turbulent Souls.

•Some other authors at, the
fair are:
• Media celebrity "Dr.
Ruth" -Westheimer, who
selected Detroit as her single
Jewish book fair appearance
this year. She recently wrote
Grandparenthood, a guide to
developing a rewarding bond
with grandchildren.
• Blockbuster novelist
Susan Isaacs, who has written
six best sellers. Her newest
title is Red, White and Blue, a
political thriller.
• Pulitzer Prize winner and
popular playwright Wendy
Wasserstein, whose previous
works include The Heidi
Chronicles and The Sisters
Rosensweig. Wasserstein will
discuss her new book, An
American Daughter. The
work explores what happens
when the media discovers that the
president's nominee for surgeon-gener-
al didn't respond for jury duty.
• Memorist Max Appel, a Grand
Rapids native, who wrote Roommates,
a story about his grandfather, and now
is promoting I Love Gootie: My
Grandmother's Story, a book about
relationships.
• Former Boston Globe columnist
Anita Diamant, who wrote Saying

Kaddish: How to Comfort the Dying,
Bury the Dead, and Mourn as.aJew, a
book that provides-guidance kJ-tithe
full year of Jewish mourning.
• Israel's best-selling novelist Naomi
Ragen, author of The Ghost of Hannah
Mendes, a moving book that -raises
profound questions regarding Jewish
faith, wisdom and rituals.
• Novelist Pearl Abraham, whose
newest book, Giving Up America, is
about a young Orthodox couple
whose marriage is destined for failure.
"We have a very active Jewish
community, but often we are split
into smaller groups, divided by syna-
gogue or affiliation," said Gotlib.
"The book fair brings everyone
together, in a setting that's good for
the soul.

❑

For a complete listing of speakers
and events at the 47th Jewish
Book Fair, call the Kahn Jewish
Community Center building in
West Bloomfield at (248) 661-
1000 or the Jimmy Prentis
Morris JCC building in Oak Park
4,
at (248) 967-4030.

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