Stacking Up

Jewish Book Fair showcases political all-stars, Hollywood honchos and fiction favorites.

SHARON LUCKERMAN

StaffWriter

A j rmed with a wish list of Jewish
authors to come speak at the
ewish Book Fair at the Jewish
Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit, organizer Elaine
Schonberger heads to the National Book
Expo America every June. She and her
committee of 25, co-chaired by Sandy
Stark of Bloomfield Hills and Teri
Sinkoff of West Bloomfield, have already
spent months reading all kinds of books.
"We go through a lot of celebrity
names," says Schonberger, recently
named JCC Literary Arts Director. "But
the committee wants only well-written
books."
Among the authors of those well-writ-
ten books who will speak this year are
three Jewish members of the Clinton
administration. Sidney Blumenthal (The
Clinton Wars) opens the 52nd annual
Jewish Book Fair on Nov. 5 (see accom-
panying article), and former Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright (Madam

Secretary) serves as closing speaker on
Nov. 16. Stuart Eizenstat (Imperfect
Justice), Clinton's ambassador to the
European Union and his special envoy
for Holocaust-related issues, speaks Nov.
13.
In addition to politics, this year's fair
will feature authors of books on health
and wellness, Jewish life, history, the
Holocaust, Israel and the Mideast, food,
sports and spirituality. There will be a
large selection of both fiction and nonfic-
don books available for purchase.
Other headliners this year include
Alan Dershowitz (The Case for Israel),
speaking on Nov. 6; filmmaker Barry
Levinson (Sixty-Six), who will discuss his
first work of fiction on Nov. 9; Warren
Bass (In Support Any Friend), speaking
on President John R Kennedy's Mideast
policy, on Nov. 10; best-selling author of
Beaches, Iris Ranier Dart (Some Kind of
Miracle), who'll speak as part of a
"Lunch with the Authors" panel on Nov.
13; and entertainer Theodore Bikel
(Theo: An Autobiography), who will
entertain Nov. 15.

Author appearances, nearly 40 in all,
will take place at both JCC locations, the
Kahn Building in West Bloomfield and
the Jimmy Prentis Morris Building in
Oak Park. In addition, some of the
authors speaking at Detroit's Jewish
Book Fair will do double duty: They also
will appear at the JCC of Washtenaw
County's 15th Annual Jewish Book Fair
in Ann Arbor, which runs Nov. 9-16.
Additional coverage of the Ann Arbor
book fair will appear in the Nov. 7 issue
of the Jewish News.
"This will be one of the best book fairs
the committee has put together," says
Hannan Lis, JCC president. "It offers a
fascinating selection of speakers that truly
represents the diversity and richness of
American Jewish life."
But it comes at a price. Literally. For
the first time, a fee ranging from $5-$10
will be charged for some of the high-pro-
file events. Also available is a $36 series
pass, which includes reserved seating for
all events.
"Most Jewish and non-Jewish book
fairs charge for these events. We have

been able to buck the trend until now,"
Lis says. "However, with the rising costs
associated with hosting such events, we
are now charging, [although] only for the
evening speakers."
While the Book Fair participants are
not paid for their appearances, the JCC
covers transportation, food, lodging and,
for some, security. More than 70 spon-
soring organizations also help to meet
these expenses, Schonberger says.
See this week's Arts and Life section for
more in-depth coverage of selected
authors as well as book titles and speak-
ing times of every author who will
appear. ❑

For a complete schedule of Book
Fair events or to purchase a series
pass, call the Jewish Community
Center at (248) 432-5577 or go
to www.jccdet.org . The schedule
also is available on our Web site,
vvvvvv.detroitjewishnews.corn.

•• •

Kt.

Special Events

Blood From a Stone: The Quest for the Life
Diamonds: Author Yaron Svoray offers an
account of his 11-year search for a small
cache of the rough uncut diamonds that had
offered Eastern European Jewry the hope for
escape from Nazi persecution- diamonds
that were stolen by the Nazis, found by
American GIs and buried in a foxhole on the
French-German border. Svoray speaks 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 8, at the JCC in West
Bloomfield, following a screening of a docu-
mentary of the same name pro-
duced by the History Channel;
$10.

Theo: An Autobiography Author
Theodore Bikel, the now 79-year-
old star of stage and screen, writes
about his birth in Palestine, drama
school in England, becoming an
American citizen, his Jewish
activism, and his career on
Broadway, in feature films and on a
multitude of television shows. He'll
talk about his book and entertain
the audience when he appears 8
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at the JCC
in West Bloomfield; $10.

„ancers,.the.tesicient -dance troupe of
p erforms 10:30
.CC in 'West

eet e.

•b,

zvAk

vtv
Oponstra-
4E
Nm 7, at the JCS Oak Park

I Love Books!: Ben Spitzer of. Spitzer and Sons
will perform magic triCks, juggle and tell sto-
rks — all learned from books --- 2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 9,' at the JCC in Oak Patk.
Tickets: $5 JCC members/$7 nonmernbers/$3
for children 10 and under/free for children
under 2. Group rates available.

Max's Logbook: Author Marissa Moss, of the
Arnelids Notebook series, introduces Max, a
young scientist who records his ideas, experi
ments and feelings in his trusty logbook, while
• copmg, with parents who fight all the time and
a moody older brother who doesn't seem to
have time for him; especially for 7-10-year-old
readers. Moss appears 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16,
at the JCC in West Bloomfield.

10/24
2003

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