West Bloomfield, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/02/2013 -- The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit’s 62nd Annual Jewish Book Fair will be held November 6-17 and will feature leading figures from the arts, entertainment, politics, business, journalism and much more, including an opening night appearance by Jeffrey Toobin, author, staff writer at The New Yorker and senior legal analyst with CNN and the closing of the two week event with an intimate conversation with celebrated entertainer and author, Michael Feinstein The Gershwins and Me: A Personal History in Twelve Songs.
The country’s oldest and largest Jewish book fair, the event will include presentations at both JCC campuses, 6600 W. Maple Road in West Bloomfield and 15110 W. Ten Mile Road in Oak Park. In addition to the speakers, the Book Fair will include a comedy night with Detroit native, Mindy Raf, kids story-time, a local author program, fashion and photography with Stuart Weitzman executive, Jane Weitzman, the showing of the documentary Crime After Crime and discussion with Eileen Rochefeller on Being a Rochefeller as well as a store with more than 10,000 titles.
Among the highlights of this year’s Book Fair is Patron Night, Tuesday, November 12 with Peter Max. The art world had never seen anything like Peter Max. His images of Mick Jagger, the Mona Lisa, the Statue of Liberty and George Washington were wild swirls of bold and bright color. He was the official artist for the Grammys, five Super Bowl games and the Olympics, and his work appeared everywhere from the cover of U.S. News & World Report to a Boeing 777. Peter Max’s new memoir contains some of his most dazzling works of art and tells the extraordinary story of his life.
Additional speakers and events include:
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 at 11 a.m.
Florine Mark presents...Weight Watchers 50th Anniversary Cookbook: 280 Delicious Recipes for Every Meal
Florine Mark celebrates the 50th anniversary of Weight Watchers. A celebration of food for anyone who loves to eat well – and eat smart! Florine Mark is president and CEO of The WW Group, Inc., the leading U.S. franchise holder of Weight Watchers International. The president of the JCC of Metropolitan Detroit, she is seen each week on the popular “Ask Florine” segment on Local 4 News (WDIV-Channel 4 in Detroit).
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 at 11 a.m.
Michigan native and mother of three, Karin Jill Katz, Story time, There’s a Fly in My Soup
Jill Katz will share her latest book, a short, rhyming story that teaches tolerance, manners and respect. There’s a Fly in My Soup is a tale about restraint and forgiveness that eventually lead to friendship.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 at 5:30p.m.
Eric Kahn Gale, The Bully Book
Eric Kahn Gale, an Ann Arbor native, is an actor, writer and producer. The Bully Book is his first novel and is based on incidents from his own experiences in sixth grade. That’s when the school bully and his pals decide their classmate needs a new name: Eric the Grunt.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13 at 8 p.m.
Allen Salkin, From Scratch: Inside the Food Network
Big personalities, high drama: here is the extraordinary behind-the-scenes story of the Food Network, the business, media and cultural juggernaut that changed the way America thinksabout food.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 at 10 a.m.
Eileen Rockefeller Being A Rockefeller, Becoming Myself: A Memoir
The daughter of David and Peggy Rockefeller and a great-granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller, Eileen Rockefeller understood at an early age that her name was synonymous with American royalty. She learned in childhood that wealth and fame could open any door, but as the youngest of six children and one of 22 cousins in one of the world’s most famous families, she began to realize that they could not buy a sense of personal worth. Eileen Rockefeller is the founding chair of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisers and the Growald Family Fund. She lives in Vermont with her husband.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14 at Noon
Fashion and Philanthropy Luncheon with Jane Weitzman
Art & Sole: A Spectacular Selection of More Than 150 Fantasy Art Shoes from the Stuart Weitzman Collection
When Stuart Weitzman opened its first boutique on Madison Avenue, its displays of specially commissioned fantasy shoes quickly became a destination, drawing crowds from all over the world. With its inventive and beautifully crafted footwear in a vast range of materials-from watercolor paper to playing cards, from fresh flowers to frosting-this stunning showcase where fashion and fantasy meet thrilled shoe and art lovers alike. Jane Weitzman was executive vice president of Stuart Weitzman designs and the first vice president of Stuart Weitzman retail. She spearheaded philanthropy for the company by generating funds to support breast and ovarian cancer research and awareness. Her efforts were brought to life through innovative charity events, including the Stuart Weitzman Celebrity Breast Cancer Shoe Auction, on its website.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 8:30 p.m.
Emcee Alan Muskovitz will guarantee you will laugh.
Comedy Night with Fred Stoller, Marion Grodin and Mindy Raf!
Maybe We’ll Have You Back: The Life of a Perennial TV Guest Star by Fred Stoller
Standing Up: A Memoir of a Funny (Not Always) Life by Marion Grodin
The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf
Sunday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m.
An intimate conversation with celebrated entertainer and author, Michael Feinstein
The Gershwins and Me: A Personal History in Twelve Songs
The “Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” Michael Feinstein was just 20 when he got the chance of a lifetime: a job with his hero, Ira Gershwin. During their six-year partnership, the two became close friends. Feinstein blossomed under Gershwin’s mentorship and Gershwin was reinvigorated by the younger man’s zeal for his and his brother George’s legacy. Now, in The Gershwins and Me, the only book of its kind, Michael Feinstein shares stories and discusses the music that defined American popular song, along with rare Gershwin memorabilia he’s collected through the years.
For a complete list of authors, dates and times please visit http://bookfair.jccdet.org/ Most events are free and open to the public. Tickets and additional information is available at www.theberman.org or call the box office at (248) 661-1900. Every month The Berman Center for the Performing Arts offers audiences the finest music, theatre and entertainment performances.