Jewish Book Festival brochure

Praise for this season’s festival authors and books
“They don’t make people funnier or more clever
than Carol Leifer. She’s insightful, big-hearted and a
brilliant writer.”
– J. J. Abrams, film director, producer, screenwriter,
actor and composer
“Carol’s gift is that she sees ordinary, everyday things
in a very funny way. She’s made other comics say,
‘Why didn’t I think of that?’”
– Jay Leno, comedian, actor, writer, producer and
television host
“Stephen Tobolowsky has found his true calling as a
storyteller. He is candid, insightful, often profound
and very, very funny. By blending sharp memories of
his childhood with astute, adult observations of the
world around him, he weaves a spell not unlike Jean
Shepherd or Garrison Keillor… but he has a voice all
his own, and I love it.”
– Leonard Maltin, film critic and author
“Izzy Ezagui may be the most inspirational figure
you’ll meet. Gruesomely wounded as a volunteer
soldier, he allows nothing to stop his quest to return to
a normal life. That he tells his story with irreverence
and laugh-out-loud humor makes reading Disarmed
a joy. People thrown by lesser obstacles will benefit
from reading this moving and triumphant story.”
– Seth M. Siegel, author of New York Times bestseller
Let There Be Water
“Martin Fletcher, who headed up NBC TV’s Tel Aviv
News Bureau, knows his territory and it shows on
every page. Promised Land is a great sweeping epic,
reminiscent of Leon Uris’ Exodus; a moving story
of triumph and tragedy, new love and historic hate,
expertly told by a cast of unforgettable characters.
Fletcher’s writing rises to the level of importance that
this story demands and deserves. Historical novels
don’t get much better than Promised Land.”
– Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling
author of The Cuban Affair
“Today Show financial expert Jean Chatzky and Cleveland
Clinic chief wellness officer Dr. Michael Roizen,
with Ted Spiker, find vital connections between health
and wealth, A positive, practical book for anyone
middle aged or older.”
– Library Journal
“Beautifully written, A Father’s Story is a moving
and gripping account of how a father transformed
his grief over the murder of his daughter into a quest
for spiritual meaning and – though opposed by even
elements of his own country’s government – a fierce
battle against the scourge of Islamic terror. A reminder
of the importance of belief and principle in a world
that often seems to have forgotten.”
– Daniel Gordis, author of Israel: A Concise History
of a Nation Reborn
“For those of you who like food and reality TV, this
book will make your mouth water and smile simultaneously.
Oliver has cooked up a fresh perspective on
the possibility of a terrorist-turned-cheftestant, with
a dash of humor and wit!”
– Andy Cohen, host and Executive producer of Watch
What Happens Live With Andy Cohen
“Gregory J. Wallance’s beautifully written and meticulously
researched account of Sarah Aaronsohn’s
leadership of the Nili spy network during World War
I casts a long overdue spotlight on one of the most
fascinating personalities of the early Zionist era and
should be required reading for anyone interested in
modern Jewish history.”
– Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish
Congress
“Growing up in the presence of a super famous
parent is no easy thing. Jamie Bernstein presents an
undisguised and understanding picture of her father,
family and friends. She chronicles her emergence as
a partisan of ideals in which they believed. The book
is full of inside stories and personal perspectives on
the inspiring, spontaneous and often no-holds-barred
challenges of Bernstein’s multiple worlds.”
– Michael Tilson Thomas, American conductor, pianist
and composer
“Perhaps the greatest compliment I can bestow on
this accomplished and compelling book is to say that
Gray will send you rushing to Netflix to watch The
Graduate again, and when you do, you will see a
familiar movie in an entirely new way.”
– Jewish Journal
“Cove has a light touch and an eye for regional
and temporal detail… Most who either recall or are
curious about this free-loving period of history will
find themselves satisfied by Cove’s re-creation of his
journey out of boyhood.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“In this brilliant and groundbreaking book, Jeremy
Dauber shows that Jerry Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman
are just the latest members of an ancient tradition of
Jewish humor that stretches all the way back to the
Bible. Writing with dazzling scholarly insight and in
a style as appealing as his subject, Dauber reveals
what made Jews laugh over the centuries. In doing
so, he tells a crucial part of the story of Judaism.”
– Adam Kirsch, author of The People and the Books