Extraordinary Opening Event
The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath

Highly respected, thoughtful and principled are descriptions of Senator Joe Lieberman - now in his 4th and final term representing Connecticut in the U.S. Senate. Former candidate for Vice President in 2000, Lieberman's influence in Congress crosses all party lines, and his expertise on security and equal opportunity issues is highly valued. In The Gift of Rest, learn how observance of the Sabbath has anchored, ordered, and inspired his life - and how it can do the same for people of all faiths. Enrich your life not just weekly, but daily.

"The Gift of Rest is a charming, beautifully written inspirational gem, as well as a fascinating insider's look at how spirituality and faith intersect at the highest echelons of political power." - Jonathan Kellerman, Bestselling Novelist

Learn more about Senator Joseph Lieberman

Sponsored by Friedenthal Financial

How We Age: A Doctor's Journey into the Heart of Growing Old

It will happen, we will all age. New York Times columnist and Director of Mental Health at the Miami Jewish Health Systems, Dr. Agronin, breaks down myths and barriers about aging. Through his personal experiences and in-depth interviews with pioneers in the field, he conjures a spellbinding look at what aging means today. More than an inevitable decline, aging can also be a period of vitality, wisdom, creativity and, ultimately, hope.

Learn more about Marc Agronin

Sponsored by Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc.

Community-Wide Kristallnacht Observance
Restitution: A Family's Fight for Their Heritage Lost in the Holocaust

Acclaimed author Kathy Kacer's suspenseful page turner is practically ripped from the headlines. Restitution is the true story of one family's struggle to escape Czechoslovakia right after Hitler's invasion. In a desperate attempt to regain family heirlooms, the Reeser family must overcome obstacles to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Spanning 50 years of war and political upheaval, it is a story of friendship, betrayal, an "honest" smuggler, and restitution. Kacer has won multiple awards, including the Yad Vashem Prize for Holocaust literature in 2009 and both the Canadian and American Jewish Book Awards.

Learn more about Kathy Kacer

In conjunction with the JCRC's Goodwin Holocaust Museum and Education Center of the Delaware Valley.

Spotlight Event!

Together on stage, Winkler and Matlin delight audiences with an intimate dialogue revealing their profound connection and individual journeys.

Through humorous anecdotes, inspirational life lessons and moving stories, Winkler and Matlin explore themes of overcoming adversity, disability, and believing in oneself. And like most family members, they interrupt each other - but often to finish each other's sentences.

Their magical bond and engaging chemistry is enhanced by their shared belief that anything is possible if you follow your dreams.

Sponsored by Bank of America

Homegrown Jersey Gems

Discover the talents of our accomplished local authors:

Andrew Levitas, MD - Alumni Notes weaves the story of aspiring graduates, wise-cracking lovers, and crusading physicians.

Merrick Rosenberg - Taking Flight! Master the Four Behavioral Styles to Dramatically Improve your Career, Your Relationships... Your Life! explains dimensions of human behavior through an engaging business fable about birds living in an exotic forest.

Learn more about Merrick Rosenberg

Robert Strauss - Daddy's Little Goalie is a delightful collection of hilarious and poignant anecdotes of a new generation of fathers nurturing their daughters as girl jocks.

Learn more about Robert Strauss

Sponsored by Classic Cake

The Things We Cherished

International bestselling author and Marlton native, Pam Jenoff combines her knowledge of foreign relations and the law to bring us her latest novel. Set during the Holocaust, this story takes us from Philadelphia to Europe to tell the tale of Charlotte Gold and Jack Harrington. Charlotte and Jack find themselves falling in love while attempting to defend a WWII hero's brother; a man who refuses to defend himself and whose innocence can only be proven with the help of a timepiece last seen in Nazi Germany.

Learn more about Pam Jenoff

Sponsored by The Creative Print Group, Inc.

Teen Event
A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie

As Cherry Hill's star on the rise, Matt Blackstone reveals a true talent for creating quirky characters and using humor to tell the story of Rene's battle against OCD and the turmoil of his dysfunctional family. Teen readers will easily relate to Rene's struggles and to the rest of the colorful cast of characters in this hilarious and realistic tale of friendship. Recommended by Seventeen Magazine, and praised by Publishers Weekly as "compelling... bold... boisterous", this tale is a journey into the heart and mind of an anti-social butterfly and genius child.

Learn more about Matt Blackstone

Ladies Night Out!

Gather your pals for a night of fashion and fun. Kick the night off with a show featuring Vicky Tiel's couture evening gowns modeled by our community members.

It's All About the Dress: What I Learned in Forty Years About Men,Women, Sex, and Fashion

Vicky Tiel was the "it" designer, igniting the City of Light with see-through shirts and miniskirts in the late 1960's. She partnered with Elizabeth Taylor to open a Parisian boutique that still draws the bon chic bon genre crowd. Women flock to her mini-boutiques in Bergdorf's and Neiman Marcus, applauding her for designing clothes that make them look superb. Few know better than Vicky Tiel that it's all about the dress, and she takes us inside the world of international fashion in her memoir, telling us what she learned in 40 years about men, women, sex and fashion.

"A delicious romp...her memoir reads like all of the juiciest bits of your favorite gossip magazine, pushing back the curtains of an over-the-top life among the who's who of the '60s-'80s." - Kirkus Review

Learn more about Vicky Tiel

Sponsored by Davis Enterprises

Book Club Selection
Vaclav and Lena

Vaclav and Lena is a story about friendship, devotion, and the illusion of destiny. Vaclav, under the ever-watchful eye of his mother, is a burgeoning magician. Lena, struggling with a difficult childhood and the intricacies of the English language, is his best friend and contrary assistant. Tanner's first novel, already optioned for film rights, follows the youthful companionship, tragic separation and reconciliation of these two protagonists and teaches us that happy endings are in the eye of the beholder. Vivid, universally resonant, and highly original, her debut novel will establish Haley as one of our most exciting literary talents.

Learn more about Haley Tanner

Sponsored by Incredible Edibles

Loose Diamonds...
and other things I've lost (and found) along the way

Screenwriter, producer, and novelist Amy Ephron is part of a venerable writing dynasty, being the daughter of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron and the sister of Nora Ephron. Her novels include the New York Times-bestselling A Cup of Tea and the stirring One Sunday Morning. Now, Amy presents us with a witty and insightful peek into her own story. Loose Diamonds takes us from Ephron's childhood up to her present-day life and touches on everything in between. Reading this personal narrative, we are privy to details of romance, marriage, an opinionated and alcoholic mother, parenthood, an unending love affair with Saks 5th Avenue, and a cast of characters too fascinating to be fictional.

Learn more about Amy Ephron

Sponsored by Holman Enterprises

National Best Seller
The Jersey Sting: A True Story of Crooked Pols, Money-Laundering Rabbis, Black Market Kidneys, and the Informant Who Brought It All Down

It was the biggest federal corruption sting in history. On July 23, 2009, the FBI culminated a three year investigation by arresting 44 people for various charges including money laundering and taking bribes. The Jersey Sting is the inside, untold account of the federal sting operation that moves from the streets of Brooklyn to the diners of Jersey City and all the way to Israel. It is a wonderful tour-de-force of investigative journalism by two of New Jersey's finest reporters. Sherman and Margolin grittily show white collar crime caught as it was being committed.

Michael Aron is in his 29th year as senior political correspondent of NJN News. He was named the #1 political reporter in the state by the website InTheLobby.net and was named one of the 101 most influential people in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly magazine.

"Two very good reporters at The Star-Ledger have done this state - and the whole country, for that matter - a great service... Juicy... a masterful job." - The Newark Star-Ledger

Learn more about The Jersey Sting

Sponsored by South Jersey Radiology Associates, PA

The Memory of All That: George Gershwin, Kay Swift, and My Family's Legacy of Infidelities

One of America's 50 Best Young American Novelists, Katharine Weber, mines her rich family history, hitting the mother lode of pedigreed romances and remembrances... Grandmother Kay Swift, the first female Broadway composer and George Gershwin's longtime lover; grandpa James Paul Warburg, FDR's economic adviser; and daddy Sidney Kaufman, serial womanizer, unconventional filmmaker, and producer, literally walk off the pages of this captivating multigenerational saga.

Learn more about Katharine Weber

NPR's "Best Book of the Year"
Half a Life: A Memoir

He's back! We were the first to hear the first chapters of his new book, and now Darin Strauss, international bestselling author, makes a return visit to the Katz JCC. In this poignant memoir, Strauss confesses what the accident insurers call a "no fault fatality." The moment Strauss' car struck and killed his classmate Celine, a girl he hardly knew, his life was understandably changed forever. Strauss delivers an unexpected take on remorse with the maturity that only comes from earnest reflection.

Learn more about Darin Strauss

Sponsored by Hutchinson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling

Confidential: The Life of Secret Agent
Turned Hollywood Tycoon - Arnon Milchan

Arnon Milchan has led a secret double life. This is a story of nuclear proliferation, billion-dollar high-tech defense transactions, ideology, patriotism, love, heartbreak, and the awe-inspiring Hollywood career of a mysterious mogul. In a true story that puts James Bond to shame, Confidential details with nail-biting suspense how Milchan evolved from his youth into one of the most important covert agents that Israeli intelligence has ever fielded. Gelman and co-author Meir Doron cast a global net to expose the legendary producer of blockbusters like Pretty Woman, LA Confidential, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, unveiling his role as a key player in many of Israel's most important intelligence operations.

"Arnon has never forgotten where he came from... in the emotional, deeply personal way that he has been attached to Israel and Israeli projects. He has always remembered his country." - Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel

Learn more about Joseph Gelman

Sponsored by SHM Financial Group / Jewish Community Foundation, Inc.

Jerusalem Maiden: A Novel

Equally as impressive is acclaimed author Talia Carner, who takes readers into old Jerusalem with her newest novel. In the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, a young Orthodox Jewish woman in the holy city of Jerusalem is expected to marry and produce many sons to help hasten the Messiah's arrival. While the feisty Esther Kaminsky understands her obligations, her artistic talent inspires her to secretly explore worlds outside her religion, to dream of studying in Paris - and to believe that God has a special destiny for her. When tragedy strikes her family, Esther views it as a warning from an angry God and suppresses her desires in order to become an obedient "Jerusalem maiden."

But when a surprising opportunity forces itself on to her preordained path, Esther finds her beliefs clashing dangerously with the passions she has staved off her entire life - forcing her to confront the most difficult and damning question of all: To whom must she be true, God or herself?

Hear Us Roar! A powerful conversation with dynamic women to talk about the role of women yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Discussion led by Susan Bass Levin, President and CEO of the Cooper Foundation.

Stephanie Coontz - A Strange Stirring recounts the catalytic impact of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique, the first book to tell women they could be people in their own right, in addition to being wives and mothers. Coontz places Friedan's work in its historical context and examines what has changed for women, men, and families since, and what has not. As women continue to struggle with the effort to balance life and work, Coontz traces the roots of current discontents, which she dubs the "Supermom Mystique."

Learn more about Stephanie Coontz

Iris Krasnow - Bestselling author and journalist Iris Krasnow speaks on issues related to family, relationships and female empowerment. In her latest endeavor, she interviewed more than 200 wives whose marriages have lasted for 15 to 70 years. She wanted to know why theirs endured in an era where many fail. These are the stories your friends and family will never tell you.

Learn more about Iris Krasnow

Sponsored by Dashing Designs

Create your own masterpiece with the guidance of Carla Goodstein.

Dara Alter
Visual artist Dara Alter makes autobiographical aerial landscape paintings that fall somewhere between abstraction and representation with elements of architecture, cartography, and utter randomness. Her art reflects places she has lived or has strong religious ties to.

Carla Goodstein
Carla's oil paintings bring out the spirituality of the physical objects displayed in the picture. Her rich colors and fluid strokes offer viewers the opportunity to relate and reflect to the image in their own way.

Amy Kahn Russell
The forerunner in one-of-a-kind naturalistic jewelry, Amy transforms an exotic blend of cultural heritages and nature's beauty into contemporary handcrafted jewelry design. Her pieces can be seen at museums internationally and on the arms and necks of the rich and famous.

Sponsored by Cabot Creamery

Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music

His are the classics we love and grew up with - the theme songs of over 100 TV shows and motion pictures including Monday Night Football, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Love Boat, Barbarella, Nine to Five, Foul Play, and the Emmy award-winning Love American Style. Fox relates a multitude of stories on his collaborations with Garry Marshall, Barry Manilow, Lena Horne, Roberta Flack and many other legends. Reminisce with the tunes you love and meet the man behind them as Fox plays his favorite songs for us.

Special performances by Cherry Hill East High School's Casual Harmony and The Key of She.

"Fox's breezy writing style captures a man who seems grateful for his successes and the longevity of his career, and holds few, if any, grudges over the ups and downs of the film and music industries." - Film Score Monthly

Learn more about Charles Fox

Sponsored by Werbitt/Shehata/Balani Gastroenterology

Straight from New York!

Award-winning playwright Tony Glazer and Regional Tony Award-winning director Wendy C. Goldberg deliver a hilarious play that will keep you entertained. In Reading Under the Influence, the wine hits the fan as the women of the Westchester Book Club gather to discuss their current required reading, The Homeless Dogs of Egypt. During their chardonnay-fueled discussion, they find out that the rights to their book club have been sold to a reality TV production company. It's the "The Real Housewives" meets "Oprah." Don't judge a book club by its cover... you never know how the pages will turn!

Event includes Havdallah

Learn more about Reading Under The Influence

Sponsored by Platt Memorial Chapels

My Side of the Car

Join us for an interactive car ride to the zoo with acclaimed children's author, Kate Feiffer. On a much anticipated trip to the zoo, dad says, "Sadie, it's raining." Sadie looks out her window and replies, "It's not raining on my side of the car." Parents and kids will love this jolly story and have lots of fun with a hands on car-decorating craft.

Learn more about Kate Feiffer

Sponsored by Safety Bus Service

Jumping Jenny

It's a Hop-A-Thon!!! Author Ellen Bari finds a wonderful way to channel kids' endless amount of energy into a mitzvah moment. Jenny just can't stop jumping, but with the help of her teacher, she discovers that her need to move can be used for good. Bring your bouncing children to hop and jump for literacy.

Learn more about Jumping Jenny

Best New Parenting Book
Baby Barbells: The Dad's Guide to Fitness and Fathering

Who needs free weights when you have a 10-pound bundle of joy to lift? This sweet, funny book is full of advice on how Dad can buff his body while bonding with his baby and young kids. Levitt's book demonstrates to men how to work their biceps and quads while providing amusing yet poignant advice. Moms and Dads, bring your baby or toddler with you for a fun morning activity.

Learn more about Joshua Levitt

Following Ezra: What One Father Learned About Gumby, Otters, Autism, and Love From His Extraordinary Son

Tom Fields-Meyer, Harvard grad, writer and journalist for People Magazine has written a beautiful, funny, tender book. Following Ezra is one parent's loving account of raising his autistic son and the great lessons about patience, and the blessings that can come when we let our unique children lead us.

Learn more about Tom Fields-Meyer

Sponsored by Lexus of Cherry Hill