Discover new reads and local favorites at Pittsburgh’s Jewish Book Festival
Jewish authors and Jewish-themed books celebrated
Booklovers will have a chance to meet nationally and locally celebrated authors at Pittsburgh’s Jewish Book Festival, held from Nov. 10-13 at Congregation Beth Shalom.
The festival, sponsored by Beth Shalom, the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, and Carolyn Slayton and Seth Glick, will feature keynote speakers from the Jewish Book Council, including Ilan Ivyater, author of “Target Tehran,” and Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, author of “For Such a Time as This.”
Local authors include Gefsky Community Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff (“Judaism in a Digital Age”), Chronicle Senior Staff Writer David Rullo (“Gen X Pittsburgh”), Rabbi Rachel Adler (“Engendering Judaism”), Barbara Burstin (“Steel City Jews”), Rachel Kranson (“Ambivalent Embrace”), and Marylynne Pitz and Laura Malt Schneiderman (“Kaufmann’s”), among many others.
Spearheaded by Shari Woldenberg, Beth Shalom’s Derekh coordinator, with the help of a diverse committee (including this writer), the festival will celebrate Jewish authors and books with Jewish themes.
Woldenberg was inspired to launch a Jewish book festival in Pittsburgh after realizing one day last spring that “Every city I’ve ever lived in has had a Jewish book festival, but Pittsburgh did not have one. And so I immediately joined the Jewish Book Council and started planning this.”
As a bonus, former Pittsburgher and celebrity chef Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook, restauranteurs and authors of “Zahav Home,” will be featured at a special event one week later, on Nov. 20.
An all-festival pass to hear all speakers will be offered for $18.
“We’re so excited to offer this platform and support to Jewish authors and Jewish-themed books,” Woldenberg said.
A full schedule will be available online in the coming weeks. Sponsorship opportunities are available. More details can be found at bethshalompgh.org or by emailing Woldenberg at swoldenberg@bethshalompgh.org. PJC
Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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