20 | OCTOBER 27 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

T

he 35th Annual Ann Arbor Jewish 
Book Festival is right around 
the corner. From Nov. 6-18, the 
Jewish Community Center of Greater 
Ann Arbor will bring 31 authors, six 
in-person events, and 17 virtual events to 
the Ann Arbor community and beyond. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 From children’s books to memoirs 
to social science, there is something 
for everyone to enjoy at the festival. All 
events are free and open to the public. 
 The festival commences with the 
Children’s Authors Event at 11 a.m. 
Sunday, Nov. 6, at the Ann Arbor 
District Library. Joining us at the library 
in-person for story reading and crafts 
is Ruth Behar, University of Michigan 
professor and author of Tía Fortuna’s New 
Home, a story of love, goodbyes and new 
beginnings influenced by the author’s 
Sephardic and Cuban background. 
Joining virtually is Sarah Sassoon, 
author of Shoham’s Bangle, a story of 
family and an incredible journey from 
Iraq to Israel. This event, co-sponsored 
by the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, 
will be overseen by Eli Neiburger, the 
new director of the Ann Arbor District 
Library. 
 The festivities continue Nov. 6 at 
7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center 
of Greater Ann Arbor with Heather 
Cabot, former ABC News correspondent, 
anchor and author of Level Up, a guide 
behind the triumphs and challenges of 
starting and scaling a small business. 
Wine and cheese will be served. While 
there is no cost to attend this event, the 
JCC of Greater Ann Arbor asks that 
you register in advance for planning 
purposes. 
 The JCC of Greater Ann Arbor is very 
excited to welcome its lineup of authors 

presenting virtually. Join us over Zoom 
on Monday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. as author 
Jai Chakrabarti presents his novel A Play 
for the End of the World. The author 
thoughtfully weaves together three 
different narratives of trauma that all 
share themes of memory, guilt and hope.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m., 
Joel Poremba, author of My Name is 
Staszek Surdel and son of Holocaust 
survivor Nathan Poremba, will be 
joining us over Zoom. After hearing his 
father’s testimony with the USC Shoah 
Foundation, Joel decided to tell the story 
of how Nathan’s father was murdered 
by the Nazis, marking the end of his 
childhood. Joel’s powerful account of his 
father shows how his life became one of 
resistance and triumph. 
Log onto Zoom on Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. 
for a panel discussion of Awakenings: 
American Jewish Transformations in 
Identity, Leadership and Belonging by 
Rabbis Benjamin Spratt and Joshua 
Stanton. This book addresses the decline 
of religious organizations in daily life and 
invites us to visualize what the future 
holds for Jewish communal life. 
Special thanks to organization sponsors 
of the book festival: Literati Bookstore, 
Jewish Book Council, Ann Arbor District 
Library, Hebrew Day School of Ann 
Arbor, Congregation Beth Israel, Jewish 
Family Services of Washtenaw County 
and Jewish Federation of Greater Ann 
Arbor. 
More information on these and all 
events can be found on the JCC’s Ann 
Arbor Book Festival website at https://
book.jccannarbor.org. 

Drew Coel is marketing and program associate 

at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann 

Arbor.

In-person and virtual lineup is free and 
open to the public Nov. 6-18.

2022 Ann Arbor 
Jewish Book Festival

DREW COEL SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Two of the books featured at the Ann Arbor 
Jewish Book Festival.

