J Blog

Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Season of Theatre Presents Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins 

Who is Hershel? With the first nips of crisp Fall weather in the air, and piles of pumpkins lining the entrances to our grocery stores, we can be sure of one thing – the Holiday Season is just around the corner!  And just in time to get folks in the mood for Hanukkah, this year the J is offering an exciting treat in the form of the new play, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. 

This year’s Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Fair offers a broad range of programs, topics, and events. There is something for everyone, or so I’ve been told!

It is rare that I single out a book by an author who will appear, but I believe Dov Waxman’s book, Trouble in the Tribe: The American Conflict Over Israel, is the most important Jewish book published this year. As someone who has devoted 40 years in service to our Jewish community, I have witnessed, and addressed, the many challenges we have faced. But today, I am both saddened and frightened by the disunity over Israel that we are experiencing to the likes I’ve never seen.

Families can’t have reasonable conversations about Israel—I personally experienced this last year. At shul...

One of the headliners of the 1986 Jewish Book & Arts Fair was Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique and influential leader of the Women’s Rights movement. JCC Patron Barbara Paull was her host that year. One afternoon, Betty complimented Barbara on her outfit which led to an afternoon of shopping. What happened next is the image that keeps this story alive thirty years later. When they walked into the J that evening, Betty was unrecognizable wearing a fabulous black dress, a silver necklace and lipstick, which she never wore.