The Jewish Book Fair Now in its 67th Year Begins this week

The 67th annual book fair will run November 3-14. It is the oldest and largest Jewish book fair in the nation. Prominent and emerging writers – from our community and all over the world – in literature, the arts, philosophy, theology, history and current events are invited to engage, educate and entertain.

The Annual Jewish Book Fair is a community-wide open to the public and cultural and literary event, attracting a large and varied audience of more than 20,000 people of all ages. What you will notice is the over 60 authors bring a diversity of topics from history, to cooking, from fiction to non-fiction, music and comedy to the book fair.

Book Fair, chairperson Terry Hollander has worked with her committee to curate a collection of books authors, ideas and events. “We are so excited to host every year an extra-ordinary group of authors from around the country,” says Hollander.” Our authors entertain with comedy, teach history of the Holocaust and today’s politics and share the latest in health issues. All events are at the Jewish Community Center and the Berman Center for the Performing Arts, 6600 W. Maple Road in West Bloomfield. Most events are free for those that need tickets contact the box office at 248-661-1900. For a complete schedule of the bookfair refer to the official website and brochure on or jccdet.org/bookfair.

Speaker Highlights include:

November 3rd at 7:30 pm

Opening Comedy Night with SARGE, By SARGE

Black Boychik chronicles the hilarious and awe-inspiring journey of Sarge: born black (and Jewish!), adopted and raised white. Enduring prejudice, addiction and homelessness, Black Boychik tells a story of overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, making it in show business, and becoming a husband, father, son – and a mentor to thousands.

November 5th at 7:00 pm

Famous Father Girl, By Jamie Bernstein

In her literary debut, broadcaster and filmmaker Jamie Bernstein offers an intimate, gossipy memoir of growing up as the eldest child of renowned composer Leonard Bernstein. When a second-grade classmate calls her “famous father girl” Jamie doesn’t yet realize the impact of her father’s fame – but it slowly dawns on her. This often hilarious and deeply moving tale is an intimate lens into a complex and sometimes troubled man, the family he raised, and his music that became the soundtrack to their entwined lives.

November 6th at 7:00 pm

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, By Mitch Albom

In this enchanting sequel to The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom tells the story of Eddie’s heavenly reunion with Annie – the little girl he saved on earth – in an unforgettable novel of how our lives and losses intersect. Poignant, beautiful, and filled with unexpected twists, we are reminded that not only does every life matter, but every ending is also a beginning – we need only to open our eyes to see it.

November 8th at 8:00pm

The Faygo Book, Joe Grimm

Joe Grimm wrote The Faygo Book after building up a tremendous thirst working on Coney Detroit with Katherine Yung (Wayne State University Press, 2012). A lifelong Detroit-area resident and twenty-five-year veteran of the Detroit Free Press, Grimm is a Michigan State University journalism professor. His favorite Faygo flavor is Rock & Rye.

November 12th at 12:30pm

The Opposite of Hate by Sally Kohn

At a moment when we are facing an epidemic of incivility and hate, popular CNN commentator Sally Kohn sets out to discover why we hate and how we can inoculate ourselves. The Opposite of Hate examines what motivates hateful behavior and how to challenge it with positive and empathic attitudes and actions and offers the tools to move forward together.

November 12th at 7:00 pm

Robin By David Itzkoff

A New York Times culture reporter, David Itzkoff uses both straight reporting and insightful analysis in the first major biography of Robin Williams (1951-2014). The author portrays an artist who, though not necessarily tormented, was driven by his insecurities and addictive personality to seek constant and immediate validation through his performances. Through the perspectives of Robin’s family and friends, the author draws out the many different Robins the world has come to know – but as Itzkoff shows, there is much more.

November 14th at 3:00 pm

Elie Wiesel: An Extraordinary Life and Legacy By Nadine Epstein

Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) is best known as the author of Night, Survivor of Auschwitz, and a powerful, enduring voice of the Holocaust. In this volume, Epstein shares her memories of Wiesel and brings together more than 30 interviews, with friends, colleagues, and others who knew him – including Ted Koppel, Kati Marton, and Bernard Henri-Levy – plus photographs, speeches, and articles to provide a fuller understanding of who he was and his legacy.