Ages: 18 Course Information Pricing Info: JCC Member: $30 | Non-Member: $35 Location: Benderson Boardroom Click Here to Register! Course Description JCC Book Club: Fall Session Join us for a lively and welcoming season of the JCC Book Club as we dive into Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein—a bold and reimagined take on the classic Dickens character. Together, we’ll explore themes of identity, justice, and storytelling through rich discussion and community connection. Fagin the Thief: A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue. Flips the script on Dickens' notoriously antisemitic portrayal. Meeting Dates:📚 Sunday, August 31📚 Sunday, October 5📚 Sunday, November 16 Each meeting includes a delicious brunch and a chance to share perspectives in a warm, engaging environment. As a special fall finale, book club members are invited to attend the author event with Allison Epstein on Wednesday, November 19 at 7 PM ET, where we’ll get to hear directly from the author about her inspiration and creative process. Whether you're a longtime reader or just discovering your love of book clubs, all are welcome! Please note, book purchases must be made by participants! Reach out to Erica with […]
Join us Thursday October 23rd at 4:30pm to meet the facilitators of our Virtual Poetry Series! Philip Terman and Baruch November have been running our Virtual Jewish Poetry Series for years and they are so excited to come to Buffalo and meet all their poetry enthusiast by conducting readings from their new books. They will also being hosting a short workshop for inspiring poets! 4:30pm Generative Poetry Workshop 5:45pm Snacks and a break 6pm - Poetry readings from each of their new books Click Here to Register! Philip will be showcasing his newest book: The Whole Mishpocha: New and Selected Jewish Poems Biography: Philip Terman’s books of poetry include The Whole Mishpocha: New and Selected Jewish Poems, 1998-2023, My Blossoming Everything (Saddle Road Press, 2024), Our Portion: New and Selected Poems (Autumn House, 2015), The Torah Garden (Autumn House, 2011) and Rabbis of the Air (Autumn House, 2007) and, as co-translator, Tango Beneatha Narrow Ceiling: The Selected poems of Riad Saleh Hussein (Bitter Oleander, 2021). His poems and essays have appeared in many journals and including Poetry Magazine, The Kenyon Review, Tikkun, The Georgia Review and Poetry International, and anthologies, including The Bloomsbury Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, 101 […]
Ages: 18 Course Information Pricing Info: JCC Member: $30 | Non-Member: $35 Location: Benderson Boardroom Click Here to Register! Course Description JCC Book Club: Fall Session Join us for a lively and welcoming season of the JCC Book Club as we dive into Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein—a bold and reimagined take on the classic Dickens character. Together, we’ll explore themes of identity, justice, and storytelling through rich discussion and community connection. Fagin the Thief: A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue. Flips the script on Dickens' notoriously antisemitic portrayal. Meeting Dates:📚 Sunday, August 31📚 Sunday, October 5📚 Sunday, November 16 Each meeting includes a delicious brunch and a chance to share perspectives in a warm, engaging environment. As a special fall finale, book club members are invited to attend the author event with Allison Epstein on Wednesday, November 19 at 7 PM ET, where we’ll get to hear directly from the author about her inspiration and creative process. Whether you're a longtime reader or just discovering your love of book clubs, all are welcome! Please note, book purchases must be made by participants! Reach out to Erica with […]
Click here to register! Bio: Allison Epstein earned her M.F.A in fiction from Northwestern University and a B.A. in creative writing from the University of Michigan. A Michigan native, she now lives in Chicago. When not writing, she enjoys good theatre, bad puns, and fancy jackets. She is the author of the historical novels A Tip for the Hangman and Let the Dead Bury the Dead. Fagin the Thief: A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue. Flips the script on Dickens' notoriously antisemitic portrayal.
Click here to Register! Christine Kuehn was cocooned in the sanctity of a quiet suburban life when a mysterious letter in 1994 pierced that bubble, sending her on a thirty-year quest to discover the truth behind a horrendous family secret kept hidden for half a century. Following a career in journalism, public relations, and nonprofits, Christine now lives is Maryland with her husband, close to their three grown children. Family of Spies: A propulsive, never-before-told story of one family’s shocking involvement as Nazi and Japanese spies during WWII and the pivotal role they played in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Kuehns, a once prominent Berlin family, saw the rise of the Nazis as a way out of the hard times that had befallen them. When the daughter of the family, Eberhard’s sister and Christine’s Aunt Ruth, met Nazi leader Joseph Goebbells at a party, the two hit it off, and they had an affair. But Ruth had a secret — she was half Jewish, and Goebbells found out. Rather than having Ruth killed, Goebbels instead sent the entire Kuehn family to Hawaii, to work as spies half a world away. There, Christine’s grandparents and her Aunt Ruth established an intricate spy operation from their home, and passed secrets […]
Click here to register! Judith Viorst is the author of the Beloved Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which has sold four million copies; the Lulu books, including Lulu and the Brontosaurus; The New York Times best seller Necessary Losses; four musicals; and poetry for children and adults. Her most recent books include What Are You Glad About? What Are You Mad About? and Nearing Ninety. Making the Best of What's Left In a career that has spanned more than fifty years, Judith Viorst has captivated readers with her bestselling children’s books and collections of poetry reflecting on each decade of life. Now in her nineties, Viorst writes about life’s “Final Fifth,” those who are eighty to one hundred years old. Her signature blend of humor and vulnerability infuses personal anecdotes and observations, drawing you into her world of memories and candid conversations. She confesses, “I never ever send a text while driving, and not just because I don’t know how to text.” She discusses the afterlife (She doesn’t believe in it, but if it exists, she hopes her sister-in-law isn’t there). She complains to her dead husband (“I need you fixing our damn circuit breakers. I need you! Could you please stop being dead?”). And […]