Purchase Book Festival event tickets at the links below or contact Marcy at 305.271.9000 x269 or mlevitt@alperjcc.org
Time has a way of flying by! It is difficult to believe that the Alper JCC Berrin Family Jewish Book Festival began 40 years ago! And yet, we can look back at hundreds of celebrated authors who have brought thought-provoking, exciting and important histories, mysteries, memoirs and unforgettable stories to our community. This 40th anniversary coincides with two other milestones: Rabbi Dan Horwitz has recently begun his tenure as the JCC’s new CEO and Marcy Levitt marks her 30th year of leadership for each annual book festival, first as a volunteer and for 25 years as the Literary and Performing Arts Director.
The 40th literary celebration also occurs simultaneously with a challenging time, preventing authors from speaking in person to live audiences, as has always been done. But the virtual presentations of over 50 authors offer great opportunities to be diverted by fabulous reads and chances to virtually get to know authors whose work is admired around the world. Authors like Jodi Picoult, Jill Wine-Banks, Harlan Coben, Joan Lunden, Deepak Chopra, Natan Sharansky and Brad Meltzer will make this, our 40th Annual Berrin Family Book Festival, one to remember.
The Alper JCC has partnered with other JCC’s around our state and our country to virtually bring outstanding authors to our community. Our Florida JCC series is presented in collaboration with the Jewish Book Council, Miami Beach JCC, Michael Ann Russell JCC in North Miami, Adolph and Rose Levis JCC in Boca Raton, David Posnack JCC in Ft. Lauderdale and the Roth Family JCC of Greater Orlando. Our JCC Literary Consortium Series is presented in collaboration with JCC’s in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boulder, Cherry Hill, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Memphis, Miami, Rochester and Seattle. Not all JCCs in each series will be participating in each event.
How to Help Support the Jewish Book Festival, now more than ever we need your contributions to help our JCC continue to provide wonderful virtual programming!
Literary Friend Pass: $180 for all requested Book Events – one link per household. There are 35 book events with 50+ authors through May, 2021 (excluding Book & Ticket Programs). PURCHASE LITERARY FRIEND PASS
Neshama: $1,000 for membership in the Alper JCC’s Neshama Women’s Giving Circle, which supports all of our cultural arts presentations throughout the year. Neshama members will receive links to all selected virtual book events including one copy of either Jodi Picoult or Deepak Chopra book. They will receive extra perks including preferred seating to all live performances, opening receptions and other special Neshama events when we are able to gather together again. For info please email Ann Horenstein ahorenstein@alperjcc.org.
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Wednesday, December 9 • 7:30 pm
Tickets: $10 or $25 for Book and Ticket
The Goldberg's Cook Book
The Diane & Barry Wilen Jewish Book Festival Presents... Beverly Goldberg in Conversation with Ana Ehrlich, Chief Marketing Officer at Jewish Federation of Broward County

Thursday, December 10 • 1:00 pm
Tickets: $10, Florida series
Gavriel Savit- The Way Back

Sunday, December 13 • 2:00 pm
Tickets & Book: $36, Consortium series
Peter Frampton- Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir
Monday, December 14 • 7:30 pm
Tickets: $18
Thursday, January 14 • 1:00 pm
Tickets: $10, Florida series
The Russian Connection • A Two-Author Event
Charles Belfoure- The Faberge Secret
Alina Adams- The Nesting Dolls
Thursday, February 11 • 1:00 pm
Tickets: $10, Florida series
Jason B. Rosenthal- My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me: A Memoir
Thursday, March 11 • 1:00 pm
Tickets: $10, Florida series
Janice Kaplan- The Genius of Women: From Overlooking to Changing the World
Sunday, April 11 • 4:00 pm
Tickets: $20 for General Admission and $10 for Students
Daniel E. Lewis- A Life in Choreography and the Art of Dance
In conversation with Jordan Levin
Live Performance by Dance Now! Miami performing a piece choreographed by Mr. Lewis
Thursday, May 13 • 1:00 pm
Tickets: $10, Florida series
Voices of Generations of Women • A Two-Author Event
Dara Kurtz- I am My Mother's Daughter: Wisdom on Life, Loss and Love
Bess Kalb- Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as told to me) story
Executive Committee: Nadine Barocas, Carole Bernstein, Shani Brenner, Renee Greenstein, Elaine Katz, Anne Sheldon, Susan Spatzer
Director of Literary & Performing Arts: Marcy Levitt
Keith Ginsburg, JCC Board Chair
Dan Horwitz, Chief Executive Officer
Irene Tzanani, Assistant Executive Director
Suzy Breitner, Director of Visual Arts
Ann Horenstein, Executive Assistant/Neshama Director
The 40th Annual Alper JCC Berrin Family Jewish Book Festival has been made possible through the generous support of: Baron Estate Sales; City of Coral Gables; In Memory of Hillelene Lustig; Israel, Rose, Henry and Robert Weiner Charitable Foundation, Inc. in Memory of Hermine Wiener; JCC Neshama Society; The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies at the University of Miami; The Zelda and John Schwebel Family Foundation in Memory of John M. Schwebel and an Anonymous sponsor. The Jewish Book Festival and Cultural Arts programs are also made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
We would like to thank our Community Partners: Ahavat Olam; Beth David Congregation; Bet Shira Congregation; Books&Books; CAJE - Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education Florence Melton Adult Mini-School; Chabad of Kendall & Pinecrest; Consulate General of Israel; Jewish Community Services of South Florida; Miami-Dade County Public Schools Div. of Social Science;Temple Beth Am; Temple Beth Or; Temple Judea; Young Israel of Kendall. Many of the author appearances are arranged through the Jewish Book Council’s Jewish Book Network, of which the Alper JCC is a member.
The Dave and Mary Alper JCC thanks the co-sponsoring organizations for their participation in the 40th Alper JCC Berrin Family Jewish Book Festival. Co-sponsorship does not imply the endorsement of opinions expressed by the guest authors. All opinions and ideas expressed by the authors are solely their own and do not express the positions or opinions of the Dave and Mary Alper JCC leadership, Book Festival Committee, staff or the co-sponsoring agencies. The Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center on The Jay Morton-Levinthal Campus is a beneficiary agency of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, United Way of MiamiDade County and a member agency of the JCC Association.
How to help support the Jewish Book Festival:
Literary Friend Pass: $180 for all requested Book Events – one link per household. There are 35 book events with 50+ authors through May, 2021 (excluding Book & Ticket Programs). Pre-registration required.
Neshama: $1,000 for membership in the Alper JCC’s Neshama Women’s Giving Circle, which supports all of our cultural arts presentations throughout the year. Neshama members will receive links to all selected virtual book events including one copy of either Jodi Picoult or Deepak Chopra book. They will receive extra perks including preferred seating to all live performances, opening receptions and other special Neshama events when we are able to gather together again. For info please email Ann Horenstein ahorenstein@alperjcc.org.
Literary Friend Pass - $180 | Neshama - $1,000
For information on how you can support the Annual Berrin Family Jewish Book Festival, please call 305.271.9000 x269 or email mlevitt@alperjcc.org
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Many of the author appearances are arranged through the Jewish Book Council’s Jewish Book Network, of which the Alper JCC is a member.
The Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center on The Jay Morton-Levinthal Campus is a beneficiary agency of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, United Way of Miami-Dade County and a member agency of the JCC Association.