Celebrating Jewish writers

Young Chang

Selma Sladek is confident that the upcoming Jewish Festival of Books

will appease even the most voracious reader of her faith.

Jews are called the “People of the Book,” she said, with Israel

churning out authors, poets, book consumers and readers in “monumental”

numbers.

The fifth annual, two-week book sale, which starts Dec. 3 with 5,000

to 7,000 copies of new releases and 19 author appearances, should leave

no one disappointed.

“I think it’s going to be the best one we’ve ever had,” said Sladek,

director of culture and arts for the Jewish Community Center in Costa

Mesa. “The [titles] are very diverse. I think [the organizers] pulled in

just a fabulous group of authors.”

The festival, part of National Jewish Book Month from Nov. 21 to Dec.

21, will introduce the public to newly released books by Jewish authors.

A committee chaired by Susan Monz and Sue Ann Cross selected titles on

Jewish history, spirituality, women’s issues, fiction and even cooking.

Nine featured authors, including Tova Mirvis, Niles Elliot Goldstein,

Elie Kaplan Spitz, Rich Cohen, Myla Goldberg, Nomi Eve and David Liss,

will participate in lectures, panel discussions and demonstrations about

their work.

From Dec. 3 to 10, 10 local authors will autograph copies of their

books. Among them are Susan Goldstein, who wrote “Healthy Dining in

Orange County;” Louis Posner, author of “Thru a Boy’s Eyes;” and

Stephanie Schneider, who wrote “Raising a Spiritual Child.”

“We hit interests and ages that are quite varied,” Sladek said.

She expects Niles Goldstein, the featured speaker Dec. 5, to appeal

especially to a young adult audience, which includes fortysomethings too.

The New York rabbi wrote “God at the Edge,” which can be seen as a

critique of the way popular culture approaches spirituality.

“Most approach the topic in a way that is comforting and clean,” he

said. “There are 12 steps for this, 10 steps for that and there are

guardian angels . . . which is, for the most part, a warm and fuzzy point

of view.”

Goldstein’s book emphasizes meeting God, or one’s spirituality, not

only in places of comfort but discomfort.

“At the edge,” he said. “I try to show people that there’s a great

deal of spiritual wisdom to be learned from these often discomforting and

difficult experiences we have.”

Goldstein also is the spiritual advisor for a Jewish singles Web site,

o7 https://www.jdate.comf7 .

His monthly column stresses the importance of having a grounded

relationship with your creator before having a grounded relationship with

a human partner.

“He attracts young people who are seeking a sense of spirituality,”

Sladek said.

Spitz, a rabbi at Tustin’s Congregation B’Nai Israel and a member of

the Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Law and Standards, will discuss his

book “Does the Soul Survive? A Jewish Journey to Belief in Afterlife,

Past Lives and Living with a Purpose” on Dec. 10.

He said he believes there is a part of everyone that survives after

death.

“It’s important to answer the question because it determines how we

feel about death but also how we live this life,” Spitz said. “If we

believe in our soul, that it does survive, it gives us a context for

living this life more purposefully.”

The rabbi has participated in Jewish book festivals in other cities

but is a newcomer to the Orange County book fair.

“I’m very excited to be able to speak in my own community about a

topic that I think is important both Jewishly and humanly,” he said.

FYI

* WHAT: Orange County’s fifth annual Jewish Festival of Books

* WHEN: Dec. 3 to 17. Niles Goldstein will speak at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5

and Elie Spitz will speak at 7 p.m. Dec. 10.

* WHERE: Jewish Community Center, 250 E. Baker St., Costa Mesa

* COST: $8 per event for center members and $12 for the public.

Discounted series prices are available.

* CALL: (714) 755-0340