The 2013 St. Louis Jewish Book Festival has planned an array of author- and book-related events, from sports and humor to the financial world and world affairs, kicking off Nov. 3 with a keynote talk by Broadway and film star, as well as children’s author, Harvey Fierstein (see Page 16). The festival continues with nationally recognized authors and special nights for comedy and sports, women and Missouri authors, as well as concert and ballet events. 

Festival Co-Chair Judy Kramer said she is particularly looking forward to seeing author and spiritual medium Rebecca Rosen, author of “Awaken The Spirit Within: 10 Steps to Ignite Your Life & Fulfill Your Divine Purpose.” 

“I am a doubter but everyone tells me she is for real — and amazing. I can’t wait to see for myself,” Kramer said.

Kramer said among the must-see events are Fierstein’s talk (“He is very well spoken and stands up really beautifully and sincerely for human rights…Love this guy.”) as well as the St. Louis Ballet performance (Nov. 10), which will give “a great taste of several types of ballet,” she said. “Our St. Louis Ballet Company is wonderful and the dancers are so excited to speak about their profession.”

Festival Co-chair Gail Feldstein said among this year’s top highlights is the concert program with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conductor David Halen and symphony musicians on Nov. 17, a partnership now in its 10th year, which gets “more amazing every year,” she said. 

She is also looking forward to “Good Girls Getting Hammer’d – An Unconventional Evening,” featuring comedienne Wendy Hammers and authors Lynn Povich (“The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued their Bosses and Changed the Workplace”) and Tania Grossinger (“Memoir Of An Independent Woman: An Unconventional Life Well Lived”) for an evening of “girl power” with cocktails and sweets on Nov. 5.

One of the “hot tickets” for the festival, according to its director, Marcia Evers Levy, is the Nov. 6 Sports Night event. “Ron Kaplan’s great guide for finding the absolute best baseball books out there! And to broaden the evening, we have the NY Times bestseller on golf, “An American Caddie In St. Andrews” by Oliver Horovitz. The evening will be moderated by KMOX Radio’s Sports Director Tom Ackerman and there will be free sports-related prize drawings, too.” 

Levy said she tries to provide a good balance of author events with a variety of topics in planning the festival. “I want to make sure there’s something for everyone,” Levy said. “You want fiction? We have it! You want show biz? We have that! You want biographies or world affairs? We’ll have those for you too!”

“Something different that I’ve added to the festival over the last several years has been the creation of panel programs,” Levy said. “(The) Missouri’s Own local author program we’ve had for a while, I can’t claim that brilliant idea. But programs such as Sports Night, Encore Fiction, Comedy Night, those are exciting pairings of authors that I thought audiences would really enjoy spending some time with. Some have been such successful ‘shidduchs’ – Yiddish for ‘match’ – that the authors have paired themselves up for presentations elsewhere on their own.”

This year’s festival has two fiction panels. The Premier Fiction Panel features three authors who are new to the festival while the Encore Fiction Panel welcomes back authors to the festival.  

History is always part of the book festival but this year coincides with the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  “The ‘Dallas 1963’ book could not be more timely and gives a very in-depth look at the climate in that city leading up to JFK’s assassination,” Levy said. “The annual community Kristallnacht Event, in partnership with the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, features Jonathan Kirsch’s compelling research into the event that the Nazis exploited to unleash the ‘Night of Broken Glass.’ “

 “If you would like to talk personal histories, the Festival features the biography of comic songster Allan Sherman, ‘Twillight Zone’ creator Rod Serling, plus more,” she said.

Co-chair Feldstein said that some of her favorite presentations over the years have been ones that she might not have gone to, but ended up finding a new favorite author and meeting an engaging person. “Some of the less well-known and first-time authors are on their way to becoming bestsellers,” she said. “My advice to someone who has only one morning or afternoon to attend: go to whatever program fits into your schedule. You won’t be disappointed.”

Levy also notes that the festival’s reach isn’t limited to the Jewish community. “Remember the old advertising campaign ‘You Don’t Have to be Jewish to Love Levy’s (rye bread)?’ You don’t have to be Jewish to love the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival,” she said. “Meet new people, hear thoughts and share opinions in a safe and welcoming environment. There really is something for everyone at the festival.”