November 2018

A Different Type of Festival

In Rochester, film festivals and those unrelated to media altogether tend to get a lot more buzz than book festivals. To make our residents aware of an even wider array of local events, we’re sharing not just one but two book festivals taking place in November. One of those was the one-day Children’s Book Festival held right down the road in Henrietta. This second one, by contrast, spans nearly all of November and part of October, too!

A Cultural Showcase

The JCC Lane Dworkin Rochester Jewish Book Festival, now in its 26th year, is an annual celebration of literature showcasing Jewish authors and books with Jewish content. More than that, it’s a celebration of reading and learning. Running October 21st through November 19th,  the festival cultivates awareness, appreciation, and pride in the diversity of the Jewish people. It also provides a community forum to stimulate dynamic and provocative dialogue. A testament to this last goal is the process for selecting books, which are chosen for their appeal to a wide array of Rochesterians.

Books, Talks, Films & More

The highlight of the Jewish Book Festival, aside from the great reading material, is the series of nearly daily ticketed talks by authors from Rochester and around the world. Another series, Nosh & Knowledge, features free casual lunchtime conversations with community leaders in the JCC Festival Bookstore Café. The festival also includes several Film Screenings (one of which JCC members can watch from the pool) and live music. For the kids, there’s a Curious George Day, a Graphic Novel Workshop, and a TYKES (Theatre Young Kids Enjoy) performance of Diary of a Worm, a Spider & a Fly. Click here to download the festival brochure.

Whether you’re a member of the Jewish community or just looking to expand your horizons and make new connections, you’re sure to find an atmosphere rich with meaning.