More than 30 programs and 35 authors will highlight the 38^th annual St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, which runs from Nov. 6-20. 

The festival’s range of author topics is vast and includes business, cooking, economics, family, fiction, history, music, religion, sports and more. 

“What I’m so excited about is that there’s a lot of Jewish content built into these two weeks,” said Scott Berzon, director of the festival. “We have everything from a memoir of a gay Jewish child, to the debate about how opinions on Israel have changed, to new takes on Jewish cooking, to Jews on Broadway, to what it means to be a mensch, to Jewish humor. The program is Jewish in the most diverse sense.”

Premier passes for the festival are available at the box office in the Arts and Education Building, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, or by calling 314-442-3299. Each pass costs $95 and allows access to all festival events year-round. Tickets to individual events range from $18 to $45. 

Several fall, book-related events will precede the festival. One of them, featuring TV weatherman extraordinaire Al Roker and his wife, broadcast journalist Deborah Roberts (“Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom for Modern Times”), is being rescheduled to a yet undetermined date in September from October.  Two other October events are:

• 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6: Geraldine Brooks (“The Secret Chord,” a novel) 

• 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19: Jennifer Weiner (“Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love and Writing”)

The festival gets underway at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, with a keynote conversation with best-selling author and lawyer Scott Turow, who will take on a number of topics and talk about many of his 11 books. RSVPS are required to attend the sponsor reception that follows. Other festival events planned include:

 

Monday, Nov. 7

• 10:30 a.m. — Steven Gaines (“One of These Things First,” a memoir)

• 1 p.m. — Ronald H. Balson (“Karolina’s Twins,” a novel)

• 7:30 p.m.—Kristallnacht event with Robert P. Watson (“The Nazi Titanic”)

 

Wednesday, Nov. 9

• 10:30 a.m. — Ina Pinkney (“Ina’s Kitchen: Memories and Recipes from the Breakfast Queen”)

• 1 p.m. — Victoria Kelly (“Mrs. Houdini,” a novel)

• 6:30 p.m. — Sponsor Dinner (no author program), RSVP required.

 

Thursday, Nov. 10

• 10:30 a.m. — Neil Abramson (“Just Life,” a novel)

• 1 p.m. —Greg Milner (“Pinpoint: How GPS is Changing Technology, Culture and Our Minds”)

• 7:30 p.m. — Kenneth S. Rogoff (“The Curse of Cash”)

 

Friday, Nov. 11

• 10:30 a.m. — Chef Mike Solomonov and Steven Cook (“Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking”)

• 1 p.m. — Lloyd Handwerker (“Famous Nathan: A Family Saga of Coney Island, the American Dream and the Search for the Perfect Hot Dog”)

 

Saturday, Nov. 12

• 7:30 p.m. —  William Novak (“Die Laughing: Killer Jokes for Newly Old Folks”)

 

Sunday, Nov. 13

• 3 p.m. — St. Louis Symphony and Leonard Slatkin perform “Porgy and Bess,” “Billy the Kid Suite” and more.  All attendees must purchase a ticket (prices vary); premier pass holders may receive a 20 percent discount on their purchased seats. A reception featuring light food and drink and then an intimate Q&A with Leonard Slatkin will follow the performance. 

• 7:30 p.m. — Keynote Conversation with Rabbi Harold S. Kushner (“Nine Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life”)

 

Monday, Nov. 14

• 10:30 a.m. — Rabbi Ben Kamin (“I Don’t Know What to Believe: Making Spiritual Peace With Your Religion”)

• 1 p.m. — Missouri’s Own panel with Gary Belsky (“On the Origins of Sports”), Diane Everman (“Jewish Community of St. Louis: 1890-1929”) and Henry Schvey (“The Poison Tree,” a memoir)

• 7:30 p.m. — Cardinals Sports Night with Howard Megdal (“The Cardinals Way: How One Team Embraced Tradition and Moneyball at the Same Time”) and Gary Kodner (“St. Louis Cardinals Uniforms and Logos: An Illustrated History”), with an introduction by Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III.

 

Tuesday, Nov. 15

• 10:30 a.m. — Dr. Romy Block and Dr. Arielle Levitan (“The Vitamin Solution: Two Doctors Clear the Confusion About Vitamins and Your Health”)

• 1 p.m. — Kim Friedman and Kate Siegel (“Mother, Can You Not?”)

• 7:30 p.m. — Dov Waxman (“Trouble in the Tribe: The American Jewish Conflict Over Israel”)

 

Wednesday, Nov. 16

• 10:30 a.m. — Kenneth L. Marcus (“The Definition of Anti-Semitism”)

• 1 p.m. — Lauren Belfer (“And After the Fire,” a novel)

• 6:45 p.m. — Women’s Event Reception followed by author, chef and comedian Robert Rosenthal (“Short Order Dad: One Guy’s Guide to Making Food Fun and Hassle-Free”). RSVP required.

 

Thursday, Nov.17

• 10:30 a.m. — Claudia Kalb (“Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder: Inside the Minds of History’s Great Personalities”)

• 1 p.m. — Alyson Richman (“The Velvet Hours,” a novel)

7:30 p.m. — Michael Riedel (“Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway”)

 

Friday, Nov. 18

• 10:30 a.m. : Game Day with Karen Gooen (“Small World: A Mah Jongg Table Talk Tale”). Lunch and game time will follow the author talk and book signings. RSVP  required

 

Saturday, Nov. 19

• 7:30 p.m. — Shep Gordon (“They Call Me Supermensch: My Amazing Adventures in Rock ’n’ Roll, Hollywood and Haute Cuisine”)

 

Sunday, Nov. 20

• 3 p.m. — The Carole C. Levin Ballet Program at the Touhill Performing Arts Center (program to be announced)

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/hfky8ou.