Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on November 5, 2020

Our communitys muchanticipated annual Bank of America Festival of Arts, Books, and Culture of the Katz JCC begins in just a few days. Dont be shut outorder your tickets now (buy tickets at katzjcc.org/abcfest or call 424- 4444, ext. 1114 or ext. 1260). Here are just a few highlights of the many Festival speakers who will (virtually) discuss their non-fiction books:

AMY: In 2018, a record number of women won election to the United States Congress. Among them were Muslims and Native Americans, as well as others representing diverse ideologies and experiences. New York Times reporter Jennifer Steinhauer followed the first year in Congress of these women as they learned how to pursue their goals and understand the system. In her book The Firsts, The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress, Steinhauer looks at the question of how they fared, and whether they went on to effect change or be coopted by existing traditions. (Monday, Nov. 9, 1:30 p.m.)

MINNA: Cleo Stiller, a reporter specializing in health, gender, identity, and technology, wrote Modern Manhood in response to the aftermath of the #MeToo movement. The book is intended as a resource for men and is divided into chapters covering topics from dating to money to friends. The author interviewed experts and regular folks, interspersing quotes from them throughout. (Wednesday, Nov. 18, 8 p.m.)

AMY: Right about now, arent we eager to hear about a real hero? Someone who used his brains and courage to stand up for justice? David E. Lowes Touched with Fire: Morris B. Abram and the Battle Against Racial and Religious Discrimination tells such a story. Abram grew up in a small town in Georgia and went on to a distinguished academic and legal career. In 1946, he worked on the American prosecution team of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. He was the youngest president in the history of the American Jewish Committee, chaired the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, and, under five U.S. presidents, served on or chaired numerous commissions. A brilliant litigator, he helped convince both a circuit court and the Supreme Court to endorse the principle of one person, one vote. Lowe tells Abrams story in this award-winning biography. (Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1:30 p.m.)

MINNA: The Art of the Jewish Family by Laura A. Leibman, subtitled A History of Women in Early New York in Five Objects, attempts to fill in the dearth of information about Jewish women in this country prior to 1850. The author expands upon the five objects, four of them from the collection of the American Jewish Historical Society, to create biographies and family trees for these diverse women, mostly members of Congregation Shearith Israel. The book is filled with illustrations and photos, not only of the five objects, but many other items that combine to help tell the fascinating story of these women. (Thursday, Nov. 19, 1:30 p.m.)

AMY: You dont have to be a motor sports enthusiast to get caught up in the thrill of racing with Neil Bascombs Faster: How a Jewish Driver, An American Heiress, and a Legendary Car Beat Hitlers Best. This pulse-pounding story follows French driver Rene Dreyfus and American manager/racer Lucy Schell on one side, and German driver Rudi Caracciola on the other as the Americans and Germans faced off in the 1938 Pau Grand Prix. The American triumph showed grit and optimism against an historic background of increasing menace. (Tuesday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m.)

MINNA: Starting in the late 1970s through the 1980s, Israel made it a priority to rescue thousands of Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps. Many had walked from Ethiopia to the Sudan, where the Mossad, the Israeli secret service, began operating a luxury diving resort as a cover to evacuate them. Red Sea Spies by Raffi Berg tells this true story that inspired the Netflix series The Red Sea Diving Resort. (Sunday, Nov. 15, 3 p.m.)

AMY: Danielle Renov was raised in a half-Ashkenazi, half- Moroccan home in New York. Her cooking is familiar to those who follow her website, Instagram, or Kosher.com. Now she has created a stunning cookbook, Peas, Love & Carrots, filled with enticing recipes that reflect her background and travels to distant lands. The recipes are reasonably simple, yet yield impressive results. Accompanying the recipes, Renov offers sidebars with tips and amusing comments designed to make the cooking experience fun as well as fulfilling. (Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1:30 p.m.)

MINNA: All Stirred Up by Laura Kumin combines history of the suffrage movement with recipes from the suffrage cookbooks that were used to raise funds and engage women in the decades-long struggle for voting rights. The book begins with a timeline of suffrage milestones interspersed with general history and food facts. The chapters then give detailed analysis alternating with recipes from the cookbooks along with adaptations for the contemporary kitchen. (Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1:30 p.m.)

Go here to read the rest:

Great non-fiction on tap at upcoming Arts, Books & Culture Festival - Jewish Community Voice

Category: Ashkenazi
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