FLORIDA JCCs JEWISH BOOK FEST VIRTUALLY PRESENTS THREE WEEKS OF AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2020) – The Adolph & Rose Levis JCC Sandler Center, Miami’s Alper JCC, North Miami Beach’s Michael-Ann Russell JCC, Davie’s David Posnack JCC, Miami Beach JCC and The Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando have joined forces to present the Florida JCCs Jewish Book Fest from October 8 to October 25. The virtual festival will celebrate over 25 events featuring accomplished Jewish authors, books and topics of interest.
“The Levis JCC Sandler Center is excited to partner with our fellow JCC’s to bring our community this enriching and engaging virtual program,” said Stephanie Owitz, Director of Arts, Culture & Learning. “While we eagerly await welcoming our patrons back into our ‘home,’ we are encouraged by the opportunities that this virtual book festival presents our community.”
Photo by Bruce Gilbert
The opening event on Thursday, October 8 will feature Thane Rosenbaum who will be interviewed by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Rosenbaum grew up in Miami Beach and is the child of Holocaust survivors. Although his parents’ experiences were not discussed in the household the subject shaped his career as an essayist, novelist, and law professor. Rosenbaum will be discussing his book Saving Free Speech…From Itself. In his compelling book, Rosenbaum asserts that certain limits on free speech are not only constitutional and in line with previous case law but are essential for the maintenance of civil society.
On Sunday, October 11, esteemed lawyer, feminist trailblazer, MSNBC legal analyst , and author Jill Wine-Banks will discuss her recently published book The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President. Wine-Banks was the only female prosecutor during the Watergate scandal and was the first woman to serve as US General Counsel of the Army under President Jimmy Carter.
Florida JCCs Jewish Book Fest also includes a Florida Author Spotlight presented by the Miami Book Fair, an addiction panel including the scion of Hollywood royalty Michael Douglas’ son Cameron Douglas, a fiction forum, multi-generational Jewish stories from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jonathan Kaufman, candid perspectives from authors on manhood, women in a changing world, resilience in the face of adversity, transgender stories through mothers’ eyes, and more.
Florida JCCs Jewish Book Fest will close on Sunday, October 25 with #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopolos, who will be sharing insights from their I Am biography series. Each book is fun and friendly and focuses on traits that made history’s heroes great.
The Book Fest Fast Pass is $75 and includes access to all special events and virtual author meet-and-greets. Individual tickets are $10 per program. The full program of events and a link to purchase tickets may be found on each community’s respective JCC website. Patrons of the Levis JCC Sandler Center can click HERE to purchase tickets to Florida JCCs Jewish Book Fest among other literary events throughout the season.
About the Levis JCC Phyllis and Harvey Sandler Center
Levis JCC Sandler Center has brought hundreds of classes, lectures, and films to thousands of people free of charge since March, when the pandemic made in-person programming unsafe. In an effort to continue to keep the community connected, engaged and inspired, the Sandler Center is now offering four membership options (including its new Virtual Membership) for year-round programming. For more information, call 561-558-2520 or visit levisjcc.org/culture. The Levis JCC Sandler Center is located at 21050 95th Avenue S., Boca Raton.
About the Levis JCC
The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center promotes and enhances Jewish culture, heritage and values through educational, spiritual, social, wellness and recreational programs for individuals of all ages. With a preschool, summer camp, family activities, athletics, cultural arts, adult enrichment and special needs programming, as well as a Resale Boutique for bargain hunters, the Levis JCC offers something for everyone.
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