Untitled - The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo

History, Tradition,
Lifestyle and Inspiration
The 45th annual Jewish Community Book Fair and Cultural Arts Season will be proudly hosted in the
newly renovated JCC’s Benderson Family Building at 2640 North Forest Road in Getzville. The Book
Fair season offers a series of Jewish content cultural arts programs and welcomes both prominent and
emerging authors addressing values of Judaism through history, prayer, family and culture. This season
you will enjoy author presentations, book sales and signings, lectures, amazing acrobat twins, a dinner
and receptions catered by the new Myers Family Tel Aviv Café, and the second Global Day of Jewish
Learning.
We are always grateful for the guidance we receive from the Jewish Book Council and the support
of the JBC network, a community of authors and Jewish Book Festivals throughout the U.S.A. and
Canada, www.jewishbookcouncil.org.
Programs and receptions are sponsored by the Jewish Community Center, local organizations and
agencies, businesses, and individual donors committed to supporting Jewish Cultural Arts programming.
We are grateful to all.
Books sold at author events are sold by Talking Leaves… Books and a percentage of sales is donated to
Book Fair. We thank Jonathon Welch, proprietor of Talking Leaves, for handling book ordering and sales.
We appreciate the talented efforts of our “webmacher,” Joe Davis, owner of webstuff, www.webstuff.org.
Please visit www.jccbookfair.com for links to author and entertainer websites. The Book Fair website
also acknowledges supporters.
Sandy Saada - JCC Cultural Arts Director
2011-2012 Jewish Cultural Arts Steering Team
D

DR. mARC AGRoNIN - How We Age:
Tuesday, october 25 7:30 pm JCC Benderson
AuTumN HARvesT DINNeR AND CoNCeRT
Tuesday, November 1 Dinner 5:30 pm, Concert 8 pm JCC Benderson
GLoBAL DAY oF JeWIsH LeARNING
Keynote speaker Rabbi Barry schwartz
sunday, November 13 10 am JCC Benderson
PRIsCILLA WARNeR - LeARNING To BReATHe:
sunday, November 13 7:30 pm JCC Benderson
LuCeTTe LAGNADo - The Arrogant Years: Books and Brunch
sunday, November 20 11:30 am JCC Benderson
KATHY KACeR -
Restitution: A Family’s fight for their Heritage Lost in the Holocaust
&
To Hope and Back: The Journey of the st. Louis
monday, November 21 7:30 pm JCC Benderson
JoAN LeeGANT - Wherever You Go
A Doctor’s Journey into the heart of Growing old
my Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to my Life
PRoFessoR ALAN DoWTY - A short Course on the middle east
Tuesday, November 15 - Thursday, November 17 7 pm JCC Benderson
The Curious Reflections of a First-Generation American
Thursday, December 1 7:30 pm JCC Benderson
THe TWINs FRom FRANCe - Acrobatic show preceded by a concert
sunday, December 11 2 pm JCC Benderson

People of the Book is a special Jewish Community Center endowment
fund, administered by the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies for the
benefit of the Annual Jewish Community Book Fair. The fund helps to
underwrite costs and assures the continuity of Book Fair for future
generations. We are indebted to the founders of People of the Book,
Rabbi Shay and Lila Mintz, for ongoing guidance and support.
PLeAse BeCome A PeoPLe oF THe BooK PATRoN ToDAY!
Your Financial Support is Crucial to the Longevity of JCC Cultural Arts Programming.
Your People of the Book donation includes:
• Passes to most of the programs listed in this brochure
(details and exclusions are listed on the mail order form)
• Acknowledgement on a bookmark
• Acknowledgement on the Book Fair website www.jccbookfair.com
eNDoWmeNT
FuND
Please note that donations are tax deductible. Passes are not. Please indicate if you do not
want passes included with your donation. You may then purchase event tickets separately.
For more information about People of the Book, please contact Peter Fleischmann, Director and
CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies at 882-1166, peter@jewishphilanthropies.org
or Sandy Saada, Director of JCC Cultural Arts at 688-4114 ext. 337, ssaada@jccbuffalo.org.
JCAST (Jewish Cultural Arts Steering Team), 2011-2012 includes:
Esther Bates, Susan Bergman, Amy Gische Lyons, Tova Moonay,
Tova Reinhorn, Susie Siegel, Ted and Phyllis Steinberg and many loyal volunteers.
THANK You sPoNsoRs, suPPoRTeRs AND PARTICIPANTs
(additional acknowledgements at www.jccbookfair.com)
An Endowment for the Jewish Community Book Fair
Go to for links to
author and entertainer websites, trailers, video clips,
articles, reviews, acknowledgements, and more.

The JRT’s 9 th season opens
October 18 th in their new home at
the Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre!
www.jewishrepertorytheatre.com
A Tale of Love
and Darkness:
Thursday, a memoir
october 27 8:00 pm
Kleinhans Music Hall - Just Buffalo’s Babel Author Series
Please purchase tickets in advance by mail or at either JCC front desk.
Avoid disappointment… at the door seating will be limited
Please note! The Autumn Harvest Dinner and the
Lucette Lagnado brunch require tickets purchased in advance.
Please include a business size S.A.S.E. if you wish tickets/passes mailed.
Otherwise, you may pick up your tickets/passes at the first program you attend.
All Programs This season Will Take Place In The
Newly Renovated JCC’s Benderson Family Building
Benderson Family Building
(program venue, purchase tickets here)
2640 North Forest Road, Getzville 688-4033
One of Israel’s most acclaimed and widely
translated intellectuals and authors. Nominated
as one of the ten most important books since the
creation of the State of Israel. In 2009 Amos Oz
was short listed for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
For tickets and more information
visit www.justbuffalo.org.
Holland Family Building
(purchase tickets here)
787 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo 886-3145
You may also call 688-4114, ext. 337 with program questions. If you did not receive this brochure
in the mail and/or would like to be on our e-mail list, contact Sandy at ssaada@jccbuffalo.org.

HoW We AGe:
A Doctor’s Journey into
the Heart of Growing Old
Tuesday,
october 25 7:30 pm
Venue: JCC Benderson
“A successful explication of how aging
equals vitality, wisdom, creativity, spirit
and ultimately, hope.” - Kirkus Reviews
His beat is a nursing home in Miami that
some would dismiss as “God’s waiting
Room.” Nothing in young Dr. Agronin’s
medical training prepared him for what
he was to discover… the true scales of
aging aren’t one-sided. You can’t list the
problems without also tallying the
hopes and promises.
Agronin’s book conjures
a spellbinding look at what aging means today: how our bodies and brains change
over time, and how the very way we understand aging is contantly changing.
Marc E. Agronin, MD is a graduate of Harvard University and Yale Medical School.
He serves as a psychiatrist at the Miami Jewish Health Systems.
$ $ 12, students 6
• Sponsored by the Tanya Ganson Memorial Lecture Fund
• Co-sponsored by the Jewish Family Service of Buffalo & Erie County New York,
Maimonides Medical Society of WNY, and The Jewish Liberal Arts Club
Be sure to attend the
celebration of the JCC’s
first gourmet kosher dinner
(BVK) catered by our Myers
Family Tel Aviv Café
Tuesday, November 1
5:30 pm - hors d’oeuvres
6:00 pm - dinner served
Venue: JCC Benderson
IN CoNCeRT:
“Son of a Cantor Man”
Robbie Housmann - cello
Alfred Frenning - piano
Amrom Chodos - clarinet
Cantor Irwin Gelman - vocals
8:00 pm - following dinner
Venue: JCC Benderson
• Concert sponsored by the Shuman Family Foundation
Menu:
•Assorted hors d’oeuvres
•Butternut Ginger Soup
•Choice of Pan Seared Salmon
or Roasted Vegetable Stack
•Vegetable: chef’s choice
•Field Greens Waldorf Salad
•Red Roasted Potatoes
•Dessert
•Wine, soda, coffee, assorted teas
$ 36 per guest - limited seating
prepaid reservations only by 10/28
Featuring the music of Jewish
composers whose fathers were
Cantors...who nu?
Yiddishkeit at its very best.
The concert is FREE
to the community
with or without the dinner
Tickets are necessary as seating is
limited. Please request only what
you will use (4 ticket limit per order).

sunday,
November 13
10:00 am
Venue: JCC Benderson
A Global Day program was presented last
season to coincide with the completion
of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s translation and
commentary on the Talmud. Jews from
over 400 communities in 48 countries
participated in over 600 events on the
same day. The program was such a
success that it’s happening again, with
a new theme…the unity of the Jewish
people through the words of the Shema!
Keynote talk: People of the E-Book, by Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz.
Rabbi Schwartz, former Rabbi at Temple Sinai, is returning to Buffalo to take part
in Global Day and to celebrate Temple Sinai’s 60th Anniversary. Mazel Tov!
Rabbi Schwartz is currently Director of the Jewish Publication Society in
Philadelphia and Rabbi of Congregation Adas Emuno in Leonia, NJ.
Following the keynote talk will be a choice of workshops led by: Rabbi Heschel
Greenberg, Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein, Rabbi Perry Netter, Rabbi Irwin
Tanenbaum and Cantor Sharon Colbert.
FREE and open to the community (tickets necessary as seating for keynote speaker is limited)
• Sponsored by the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Jewish Community Center of Greater
Buffalo in cooperation with local Synagogues and Jewish organizations
Co-chairs - Jill Ginsburg (BJE) and Sandy Saada (JCC)
For more information contact Jill at 923-0020, jill@bjebuffalo.org
or Sandy at 688-4114, ext. 337, ssaada@jccbuffalo.org
General Global Day information
at www.1people1day.org
Go to for links to
author and entertainer websites, trailers, video clips,
articles, reviews, acknowledgements, and more.
Participants will
receive a one week
pass for the JCC
to share with a
non-member.

Credit: Jim Warner
ANNouNCING:
LeARNING To
BReATHe:
My Yearlong Quest to
Bring Calm to My Life
sunday,
November 13 7:30 pm
Venue: JCC Benderson
at Kleinhans Music Hall
“When I finished Priscilla’s book, a smile washed
over my face and I let out a sigh. I promise you
will do the same.” - Meredith Vieira
Priscilla Warner should have been
content. A Penn graduate, an
accomplished art director, and
co-author of the New York Times
best seller, The Faith Club. She was
happily married and the mother of
two grown sons. But for forty years,
she’d suffered from debilitating anxiety
and panic attacks. When she read
about Tibetan monks
who had meditated so effectively that they were able to change their brains, Warner
wanted in! Written with lively wit and humor, Learning To Breathe chronicles
Warner’s mission to rewire her brain and her body in search of her own “inner monk.”
Priscilla Warner has appeared on the Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning,
CNN and NPR. She writes for More Magazine and The Huffington Post.
$ $ 12, students 6
• Introduction from The Faith Club of Buffalo
• Co-sponsored by area Temple Sisterhoods and others (as listed on www.jccbookfair.com)
and The Faith Club of Buffalo
A sHoRT CouRse oN
THe mIDDLe eAsT
November 15 7:00 pm
“The Middle East Today”
November 16 7:00 pm
“Ancient and Modern Israel”
November 17 7:00 pm
“The Arab-Israel Arena”
Venue: JCC Benderson
A Three Part Lecture Series
Alan Dowty is Professor Emeritus
of Political Science at the
University of Notre Dame.
In 2003-2006 Professor Dowty
was the first holder of the
Kahanoff Chair in Israeli Studies
at the University of Calgary, and
in 2005-2007 he was President
of the Association for Israel
Studies. He has published widely
and lectured in over 20 countries
on the Arab-Israel conflict, Israeli
politics, and U.S. foreign policy.
FREE and open to the community
• These lectures are made possible by a generous grant by Dr. Ron Dozoretz
• Sponsored by the Institute of Jewish Thought and Heritage of the University at Buffalo
See the flip side of this
brochure for more information!

THe ARRoGANT
YeARs
Books & Brunch (kosher BVK)
sunday,
November 20 11:30 am
Venue: JCC Benderson
In 2007, Lucette Lagnado, prize winning
writer for the Wall Street Journal, wrote
her moving autobiography The Man
in the White Sharkskin Suit where
she brilliantly described the troubled
lives of her Egyptian Jewish family, a
painful story of a little known defunct
community.
The Arrogant Years, the second volume of her autobiography provides a marvelous
snapshot of the tumultuous ‘60s and ‘70s and the destabilizing effects of rapid change
on young women grappling to find a place in the New World order.
Born in Cairo, Lucette Lagnado and her family were forced to flee Egypt as refugees
when she was a small child, eventually coming to New York.
$ $ 16, students 8 - includes brunch (prepaid reservations by 11/16)
$ $ 12, students 6 - without brunch (talk begins at approx. 12:30 pm)
• Co-sponsored by People of the Book and Buffalo Hadassah
ResTITuTIoN:
A family’s fight for their
heritage lost in the Holocaust
To HoPe AND BACK:
The Journey of the St. Louis
monday,
November 21 7:30 pm
Venue: JCC Benderson
Ordinary family experiences are spun into
enchanting fairy tales, complete with magical
backdrops, nasty villains and dashing heroes
Award winning young readers author
presents two new books for adults and students
Restitution: A family’s fight for
their heritage lost in the
Holocaust is the true story
of four paintings and one
family’s enduring
spirit. A story of
strength and
determination,
told in compelling
detail.
To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis is the true story of Lisa Avedon
(now living in Toronto) and Sol Messinger (well known in Buffalo!)
Lisa and Sol were young children when they boarded the St. Louis - a ship full of
Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi-controlled Germany in 1939. After the ship was denied
refuge in Cuba, the story alternates between the innocent views of the children and the
ship’s Captain, frustrated by his desperate efforts to find safe harbor for his passengers.
Kathy Kacer, a child of Holocaust survivors, travels around the world speaking to
young people about the importance of understanding the Holocaust.
$ $ 12, students 6
• Special guest: Dr. Sol Messinger
• Co-sponsored by People of the Book, The Rubin & Luba Literman Fund of the Holocaust
Resource Center of Buffalo, Kadimah School of Buffalo and supported by area middle schools

Credit: Eli Katzoff
WHeReveR
You Go
Thursday,
December 1 7:30 pm
Venue: JCC Benderson
opening Concert:
Jewish Fusion with Soul
THe ACRoBATIC
TWINs FRom
FRANCe!
sunday,
December 11 2:00 pm
Venue: JCC Benderson
A debut novel by a writer who brings
“matter and spirit together… with unsuspected,
unquantifiable meaning.” New York Times Book Review
Leegant’s novel follows three
Americans in Jerusalem and shines
a light on one of the most pressing
issues in Israeli society today:
Jewish extremists and their threat to
the modern democratic state.
This is a stunningly
timely book for
Jews worldwide.
Joan Leegant, an award winning author, formerly worked as an attorney. She also
taught fiction writing at Harvard University for eight years. Since 2007, she has lived
half the year in Tel Aviv, where she is the visiting writer at Bar-Ilan University and
lectures for the U.S. State Department.
$ 12, students $ 6
• Sponsored by The Samuel and Sophie Weinstein Memorial Lecture Fund
The Fred H. sales Fund presents:
(preceded by a concert)
Young or young at heart -
This is a show you won’t want to miss!
Never before has there been a more
entertaining acrobatic team than the
Chassidic Twins from
France! Yaacov
and Yisroel
will have you
sitting on the
edge of your
seat! Their comedic
routine will enthrall
you! Their acrobatics will amaze you!
Klezmer, Ladino and Israeli music featuring local musicians: Alex Gordon (percussion & clarinet)
Moshe Ben Abraham (vocals,keyboard & guitar) Marty Kerker (vocals, keyboard & guitar)
$ $ 12, students 6, $45 family (parents & their children)
• Visit www.thetwinsfromfrance.com for photos and videos
• Co-sponsors: The Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, Rabbi Avrohom Meir and
Chaya Shuman in honor of their children, Knesset Center Synagogue and the Bokobza family
Go to for links to
author and entertainer websites, trailers, video clips,
articles, reviews, acknowledgements, and more.

$
$
PeoPLe oF THe BooK PATRoNs PRICe ToTAL
(includes admission to all programs excluding Autumn Harvest Dinner, purchase dinner tickets below)
Sponsor - Includes 4 People of the Book passes $ 1,000 or more
Publisher - Includes 4 People of the Book passes $ 500 or more
Author - Includes 2 People of the Book passes
$ 360 or more
Editor - Includes 2 People of the Book passes
$ 180 or more
Illustrator - Includes 1 People of the Book pass $ 100 or more
Friend
$ 18 or more
ReADeR’s PAss (sAve!) PRICe # TICKeTs ToTAL
Includes admission to all programs $ 60x
(excluding Autumn Harvest Dinner, purchase dinner tickets below)
PRoGRAms PRICe # TICKeTs ToTAL
Adult Family Student
Dr. Marc Agronin-10/25, 7:30 pm
$ 12 x $ 6 x
Autumn Dinner-11/1, 5:30 pm (purchase by 10/28) $ 36 x Salmon Veggie
Global Day-11/13, 10 am FREE ticket necessary, limited seating
Priscilla Warner-11/13, 7:30 pm
$ 12 x $ 6 x
Alan Dowty-11/15, 16, 17, 7 pm FREE no ticket necessary
Lucette (by 11/16 to include brunch)
-11/20, 11:30 am $ 16 x
Lagnado $
(without brunch) 12 x
$ 8 x
$ 6 x
Kathy Kacer-11/21, 7:30 pm
$ 12 x $ 6 x
Joan Leegant-12/1, 7:30 pm
$ 12 x $ 6 x
The Twins from France-12/11, 2 pm
$ $ 12 x 45 x $ 6 x
Name(s)
Address
People of the Book Patrons please print name clearly as you wish to be acknowledged
City State Zip
Phone: E-Mail:
Please include a business size S.A.S.E. if you wish
tickets/passes mailed. Otherwise, you may pick up
your tickets/passes at the first program you attend.
entrée choice
ToTal EnClosEd
Method of payment: Check enclosed (Payable to JCC Book Fair)
Charge (check one) VISA MASTERCARD DISCOVER
Card number: Exp. Date 3 Digit Security Code
Mail to: JCC Book Fair 2640 North Forest Road Getzville, NY 14068