THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

book fairs. "It's an outreach, a
way of making the Jewish com-
munity inclusive. It's also a way
for Jewish organizations to part-
ner with other organizations, and
enhance its standing in the com-
munity at large. Books are non-
threatening; a non-Jew won't go
to a synagogue, but he might go
to a Jewish book fair."

Reaching Out

Bryan Cahen, 61, director of the
book festival at the Indianapolis
JCC, agreed.
"Our goal was never to be
behind the walls:' he said. "We
want to reach out beyond the
Jewish community and bring a
broad perspective of authors."
A few years ago, he added as
an example, the JCC brought in
an artist who had published a
book of photographs from
Auschwitz; after speaking for the
Jewish community, she was taken
to a rural middle school, where
she addressed 800 children,
many of whom hearing of the
Holocaust for the first time.
Then, in association with local
educators, she was taken to an
elite private high school.
It's these kinds of events,
Cahen said, that "build bridges
all across the different communi-
ties!'
Realizing the importance of
the fairs, Hessel understood that
for her council to
play a prominent
role, it must develop
into a grassroots
organization. To that
end, she created a
network of dedicat-
ed book fair
activists; over the
conference's three
days, it was they
who organized
meals, shlepped
boxes, exchanged
strategies and notes,
moved chairs and
discussed authors.
Nowhere in evi-
dence was the tradi-
tional organization-
al structure, divid-
ing the world into
committees, into
leaders and lay peo-
ple, into a rigid
hierarchal structure.

October 20 . 2005

The conference's high point
came every afternoon, when a
battery of authors — 138 in total
— appeared before the mem-
bers; while some, mostly
renowned authors, such as play-
wright Wendy Wasserstein or
Freedom Tower architect Daniel
Libeskind were given ample
time, the majority were allotted
two minutes each. A good
appearance, they realized, can
make a book, inviting the author
to dozens of fairs and festivals
and promoting sales consider-
ably; likewise, a bad one may
mean utter demise. One woman
imitated her Jewish-Cuban
mother, while another told a tall
tale, omitting the end and leaving
the audience in suspense.
Whatever their tactic, one
thing was apparent: The book
fairs were their golden fleeces.

2005 DR. COLEMAN A. MOITER
MEMORIAL LECTURE

SA EU RDAV OCTOBER 20 AT 2 P.M.
IN THE DINS LECTURE HALL

Dr. Ruth Butler - Rodin expert and author

of "Intimate Dialogue: Ci'zanne, Monet,

Rodin and Their Nlodel-Wives - - looks

at the women who had a powerful

influence on the greatest sculptor

of his time.

1.CCIllre

is

flee Nvidl nitlscttnl

Of ft21-Cd ill

C011i1111Cli011 IN jilt the

DINs

current exhibition ( .ainille

Claude/ Rodin: haiful Uncoil/air

Exhibition tickets: 1.877.1)1.N. FIXS

or dia.org .

In Their Guts

Such eagerness, said Julie Potiker,
44, a member of the Jewish Book
Council board and a member of
the lay committee of the San
Diego Jewish Book Fair, is as
apparent in fairgoers as it is in
authors, making Jewish book
fairs a draw even for otherwise
latent members of the communi-
ty. The book fair she organizes,
considered among the most pres-
tigious in the country, draws an
audience of 8,000 visitors and
rakes in upward of $100,000.
"All the Jews I know have a
strong place in their guts for
Jewish books:' she said. "It con-
nects you back to history, and it
takes you forward to the future.
It's also sufficiently diverse, both
intellectually and culturally, to
draw a wide range of people."
Andrea Miller, 41, coordinator
of the Jewish book festival at the
Rochester, N.Y., JCC, agreed.
"It happens every year:' she
said, "that a community member
hears an author, and all of a sud-
den there's this magical moment
of connectedness for them.
This can only happen with
books." ❑

See next week's Jewish News
for our annual preview of
the upcoming Detroit and
Ann Arbor Jewish Book
Fairs.

St't.'NSOI3LL) t3'1'

I) \I All FRCIiR)si

k - oi

roimk,

FR

f 1.11,

The lecture was sponsored by the Coleman Mopper Memorial Endowment and
the Visiting Committee for European Sculpture and Decorative Arts.

DL4

you one

I

Exhibition organized by Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec, in Quebec City, with
Musee Rodin in Paris. In Detroit, the exhibition has been made possible by a generous grant
from the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund. Additional support provided by the Michigan
Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the City of Detroit.

Camille Claudel, La Petite Chatelaine, 1896. Marble. Musee d'Art et d'Industrie Andre-Diligent.
Roubaix. Photo: La Piscine — Musee d'Art et d'Industrie Andre-Diligent, Roubaix / Arnaud Loubry

What a Shayna Punim!!

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For price and size information,
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