SPECIAL EVENTS

The 38th Annual Jewish Book & Arts Fair announces the return of the Community Read.  In a day and age where folks have easy, high-speed access to digital books, this event puts the focus back on the good old fashioned book club, encouraging people to read the same book and share the experience.

This year’s selection is By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan. The author will appear November 14, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. at the 38th Annual Jewish Book & Arts Fair at the JCC Houston.

The initiative, called One Book, One Jewish Community, continues to be a popular feature of the Book Fair because it provides an opportunity to exchange ideas and consider multiple perspectives. The chairs of the Jewish community-wide read, Sue Goott and Mignon Wolf, have returned for a second year.

“There is value in reading a book and discussing it. Not everyone will love the work, but the key is starting the conversation,” said Sue Goott, co-chair. “We are very excited with our choice and look forward to some exciting programming opportunities for the Community to be involved in and to participate.”

Individual groups are encouraged to organize their own programming leading up to the author presentation and JCC staff is available to assist with resources and ideas to meet your unique interests and needs.

“It is truly remarkable to me that a book has the power to connect people through debate, discussion and a common interest. In a much broader sense that is what the Jewish Book Fair is all about,” said Mignon Wolf, co-chair.

In his new novel, By Fire, By Water, Mitchell James Kaplan brings a series of cataclysmic events to life through the story of a real figure from history. Luis de Santángel was a chancellor to the royal court, friend and financier of Christopher Columbus, and born to a family of conversos—Jewish converts to Christianity. As Santángel witnesses his family, friends, and associates succumb one by one to the horrors of the Inquisition, he must navigate a world of intrigue, betrayal, and bloodshed before he can find redemption.

Mitchell James Kaplan spent six years researching and writing By Fire, By Water. He has lived and worked primarily in Paris and Los Angeles as a translator, screenwriter, and script consultant. A graduate of Yale, he has served as adjunct professor of Literature and Film at Point Park University. Currently, he resides in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

By Fire, By Water is available at the JCC’s Essence Gift Shop where the buyer will also receive one complimentary ticket to Mitchell James Kaplan’s presentation on November 14 at 4:30 p.m. Save the Essence receipt for proof of purchase to enter the program.

Visit www.jcchouston.org  for more information on special events and authors presenting at the 38th Annual Jewish Book & Arts Fair October 31–November 14th.

This program was made possible, in part, by funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, the United Way and Continental Airlines.