Jewish Book Month, held annually in the month before Chanukah—roughly November—is an important event annually not only in the American Jewish community, but also in the publishing world. Book fairs are held nationwide in major cities with large Jewish communities featuring festivals and lectures by visiting authors. In fact, Publishers Weekly, reports that these book fairs generate more than $3 million in annual revenue.
Miami and neighboring South Florida Jewish communities will be offering a host of literary events to celebrate Jewish Book Month:
The Diane & Barry Wilen Jewish Book Festival, sponsored by the David Posnack Jewish Community Center, has three events this month in the Orlove Auditorium, 5850 S. Pine Island Road, Davie.
- 11-4 at 12:30 p.m., International best-seller Naomi Ragen discusses her latest book, An Unorthodox Match, which focuses on California girl Lola, who has her life set with a fiancé and a fast-track career, until a tragedy occurs. Tickets are $36, and include a buffet lunch.
- 11-12 at 7:00 p.m. Alice Hoffman will be discussing her novel The World That We Knew, which revolves around three young women confronting evil in 1941 Berlin. Her presentation is co-sponsored by the Posnack’s George Gottlieb Holocaust & Jewish Education Program and the Broward Public Library Foundation. Tickets are $36 which includes a copy of the book.
- 11-26 at 7:30 p.m. New York Times Best Selling Author Gaby Dunn will discuss her books, podcast, and money. Dunn’s latest book Bad With Money is based on her popular podcast of the same name and is aimed at millennial and Gen Z’ers. Tickets are $18.
The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center celebrates 29 years of best-selling authors discussing their works during its annual book and author luncheon featuring: Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, The Liar; Alice Hoffman, The World That We Knew; D. J. “Daniel” Palmer, Saving Meghan; and Karen Dukess, The Last Book Party. The event begins at 9 a.m. Nov. 12 at Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive, Boca Raton. Cost is $110.
B’nai Torah Congregation welcomes journalist/author Matti Friedman discussing his Natan Notable Books Award book Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel, the story of four young outsiders who go undercover at the founding of Israel in 1948. The four agents were part of a ragtag unit conceived during WWII by British spies and Jewish militia leaders in Palestine. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 7, tickets are $25. Friedman’s appearance is co-sponsored by Adolph & Rose Levis JCC’s Sandler Center and the B’nai Torah Congregation.