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Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada Hosts Jewish Book Festival Nov. 7, 14

The Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada (JCCSN) announces the lineup of this year’s authors for its two weekend book festival set for Nov. 7 & Nov. 14.  This year’s noted authors, who penned books with topics ranging from spirituality and Jewish history to narratives on family’s ancestry, and surviving family/personal relationships, range from a Harvard professor to stand-up comedians, from a Hollywood producer to a New York Times’ best selling author.
 
“Las Vegas is hungry for more Jewish culture, and we feel this is a great opportunity to introduce some of the most noted Jewish authors to the our community,” said Richard Frankoff, President, Jewish Community of Southern Nevada.  
 
Weekend #1
 
When:
Sunday, November 7
Doors open at 11:30 a.m.

Where:
Congregation Ner Tamid
55 North Valle Verde Drive,
Henderson, Nev. 89074

Who:
Authors Laurie Ann Levin and Elisa New

Cost:
Free to the general public
Books will be available for purchase and personal autographs

Author, Laurie Ann Levin
11:30 a.m. – Laurie Ann Levin, God, The Universe and Where I Fit In. Dr. Levin is an intuitive explorer
restlessly probing life’s great issues in traditional Jewish fashion. Her memoir chronicles, with humor and insight, her journey from 20 years in show business to realizing her true mission at age 40: becoming a doctor of clinical psychology and as a writer and lecturer.
 
Author, Elisa New
2 p.m. – Elisa New, Jacob’s Cane: A Jewish Family’s Journey from the Four Lands of Lithuania to the Ports of London and Baltimore, a Memoir in Five Generations. Dr. New follows the legacy of five generations of relatives, traveling from Baltimore to the Baltics, from the tobacco fields of Maryland and the Carolinas to the bloodiest fields of the 20th century Europe. Dr. New is Professor of English at Harvard University where she teaches classic American literature from 17th-21st centuries.
 
Weekend #2
 
When:
Sunday, November 14
Doors open at 4 p.m.

Where:
JCCSN
9001 Hillpointe Road
Las Vegas, Nev., 89134
Located at the campus of Temple Sinai

Who:  
Authors Daniel Levin and Annabelle Gurwitch/Jeff Kahn

Cost:
$18 per person, includes refreshments
Must be 21 or older for Bloody Mary’s & Bruschetta Reception. Adult topics.

Tickets:
Can be purchased in advance by calling JCCSN at 794- 0090.  Space is limited to the first 150 guests.
 
4 p.m. – Daniel Levin, The Last Ember. In the tradition of Daniel Silva and John LeCarre, Levin offers a compelling and thought-provoking page turner set in the high stakes worlds of archeology, religion and terrorism Mr. Levin earned his Bachelor’s degree in roman and Greek civilization, graduated Harvard Law School with honors and clerked for Chief Justice the Supreme Court of Israel.
 
6 p.m. – Annabelle Gurwitch/Jeff Kahn, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up: A Love Story. After 13 years of marriage Gurwitch and Kahn found, “We’re just not that into us.” These comedians and real-life married couple prove that in marriage, all you need is love-and a healthy dose of complaining, co-dependence, and Pinot Noir. Instead of giving you, they held their relationship together by ignoring conventional wisdom. Their book could also be subtitled, “A Jewish Love Story” with their meeting at Rosh Hashanah dinner, bonding over I.B. Singer and hilarious descriptions of Judaism and factored into their parenting and family life. Gurwitch is a former co-host of Dinner and a Movie. Kahn is an Emmy Award winning writer for “The Ben Stiller Show” and has been an actor on TV shows such as “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “ Entourage” and in the films, “Tropic Thunder” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.”
 
The Jewish Book Festival is hosted by JCCSN in conjunction the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas. This is the third year for the JCCSN Jewish Book Festival. JCCSN launched in 1991, and most recently, launched a new 3,000 square-foot facility at the campus of Temple Sinai in Summerlin.  This new building will be the home for all JCC activities and will provide educational, social, athletic, and cultural programs to meet the needs of the Jewish community.  (www.jccsn.org).

The Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada is a proud collaborative partner and beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas. The new JCC facility was made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas for the capital improvements and renovation of the building as well as a significant grant providing financial resources to help the JCC with start up costs associated with the new location.