The Katz’s JCC’s annual Festival of Arts, Books and Culture brings together thousands of individuals, families, and artists to revel in the rich tapestry of Jewish heritage and creativity.
All events will be held at the Katz JCC unless otherwise noted
1301 Springdale Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
The Festival will host movie screenings at the Katz JCC. It is located at 1301 Springdale Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.
Contact Us:
Mentalist | Jason Suran
8:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by
Platt Memorial Chapels
Get ready for an unforgettable evening of laughter and intrigue with acclaimed mentalist Jason Suran, whose groundbreaking illusions and virtual hit Reconnected have captivated audiences worldwide, from Carnegie Hall to the Pentagon.
Member: $40 • Guest: $50
Need assistance purchasing tickets? Please contact our Festival Concierge at (856) 424-4444 x1113 or x1706.
For additional questions, please e-mail thefestival@jfedsnj.org.
Dr. Jonathan Reisman and Dr. Anna Wexler
11:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc (HQSI)
Dr. Jonathan Reisman and Dr. Anna Wexler explore healthcare's frontiers in Exploring New Frontiers in Healthcare: Overcoming Access Barriers in Remote Wilderness and Your Home, with Dr. Reisman sharing insights from remote medicine and Dr. Wexler focusing on DIY and direct-to-consumer healthcare innovations.
Free & Open to the Community with Pre-Registration Required
Diamond Package
Member: 1 Ticket $499 • 2 Tickets $899
Guest: 1 Ticket $550 • 2 Tickets $950
Includes All 39 Events!
Access to 39 Festival Events
Reserved Seating
Plus Bonus Gifts
Your generosity benefits the community while sustaining cultural events. Enjoy exclusive receptions and priority seating while making a difference when purchasing a patron ticket.
Platinum Package
Member: 1 Ticket $360 • 2 Tickets $650
Guest: 1 Ticket $430 • 2 Tickets $790
Access to 30 Festival Events
Reserved Seating
Plus Bonus Gifts
** Excluded: Champagne brunch
Gold Package
Member: 1 Ticket $280 • 2 Tickets $510
Guest: 1 Ticket $310 • 2 Tickets $570
Access to 30 Festival Events
Reserved Seating
Plus Bonus Gifts
** Excluded: Champagne brunch
Series Member Package
Member: 1 Ticket $200 • 2 Tickets $360
Guest: 1 Ticket $244 • 2 Tickets $448
Access to 30 Festival Events
Reserved Seating
Plus Bonus Gifts
** Excluded: Luncheon with Emily Matcher
** Excluded: Champagne brunch
Ticket Sales Available in the JCC Lobby
Tuesdays, 10:00am-1:00pm: October 8, 15, 22, 29
Wednesdays, 10:00am-1:00pm: October 9, 16, 23, 30
Saturday, November 2
Sunday, November 3
Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Susan Bass Levin, President & CEO of the Cooper Foundation, former Mayor of Cherry Hill
Sponsored by
The Heart House
A riveting diplomatic history praised by global leaders, The Art of Diplomacy is a compelling, expansive work that chronicles international negotiations shaping modern America, aimed at inspiring future diplomats.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Sunday, November 3
Audrey Galex
2:00 pm • Classroom 205
Sponsored by Isdaner Family Endowment Fund of the JCF, Inc.
Join author Audrey Galex and Tuckerton the Turtle for a fun-filled afternoon of reading, art, and a lesson on turtles from Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, all inspired by the whimsical children’s book Turtle Rocks.
Member: $15 per child
Guest: $18 per child
Adults Free of Charge
Sunday, November 3
Jason K. Friedman
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
In Liberty Street, Friedman embarks on a personal journey through letters, diaries, and hidden histories to explore the Cohens' family struggles with love, duty, and political conflicts in a transforming city.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Monday, November 4
Ronald H. Balson
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Hyland Levin Shapiro, LLP
In Ron Balson's National Jewish Book Award-winning novel, Teddy and his girlfriend Sara adopt an orphaned girl and, amid escalating oppression, he joins underground resistance groups, using his position to rescue others in a perilous time.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Monday, November 4
Monday, November 4
Appel Art Gallery Opening
5:00 pm • Appel Art Gallery
Artist: Alan Brooks
M3 Jewels, Meryl Greene
Sponsored by Mindel Kaufman Lifelong Learning Art Institute Endowment Fund of the JCF, Inc.
Alan, a former award-winning graphic designer with a passion for vintage-themed and whimsical art, now creates pop art and custom commissioned pieces, with his classic rock artwork currently on display at SoundPlex in Pennsauken.
M3 Jewels joins The Festival to offer fashion jewelry from Israel, India, Bali, Canada and the United States. Each piece is hand selected for its uniqueness, array of colors, Swarovski crystal elements and use of semi-precious stones.
Free and Open to the Community
*Purchase a raffle ticket during The Festival to win Alan Brooks's Artwork.
Joe Posnanski
6:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
6:00 pm | Tailgate
7:00pm | Presentation
Moderated by Chris Willis, Head of Research at NFL Films
Sponsored by Double Nickel Brewing Co. and Super Buy Rite Wine & Liquor
Joe Posnanski, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, explores football's rich history through 100 pivotal moments. Highlighting legendary games, players, and decisions that have shaped both the sport and its cultural impact on America.
Member: $30 • Guest: $36
Monday, November 4
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Benyamin Cohen
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Miriam & Stan Meltzer / Elaine (z”l) & Bart Greenspan
Benyamin Cohen, news director of The Forward and manager of Albert Einstein's social media, explores the genius's lasting relevance in his new book The Einstein Effect, sharing funny and fascinating insights from his global quest, including interviews with two Rabbi Einsteins.
Tuesday, November 5
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Film | All About the Levkoviches
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by The Faktorow Family Endowment Fund of the JCF, Inc.
When Tamás' estranged son Iván returns from Israel with his grandson for Shiva after Tamás' wife dies, the father and son confront old conflicts. They help Ariel navigate his grief and belief that his grandmother’s spirit lingers in the house, leading to unexpected self-reflection and reconciliation.
Tuesday, November 5
Wednesday, November 6
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Donna Freed
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Amy Stanley, Sari Isdaner Early Childhood Center Director
Sponsored by Davis Enterprises
Donna Freed's birth parents were infamous con artists at the center of one of the US's biggest crime investigations of the 1960s. Donna set out to find her birth mother, uncovering a shocking truth. This gripping memoir tackles motherhood, identity, and nature vs. nurture in a fast-paced and moving narrative.
Wednesday, November 6
Wednesday, November 6
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Joan Nathan
4:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Dr. Andrew Mulberg,
JCC Vice President
Sponsored by The Betty Mulberg Memorial Culinary Program at the Katz JCC
Joan Nathan, a renowned food expert and cookbook writer, weaves her passion for food, global travel, and personal stories into her latest book, sharing her in-depth knowledge of ingredients and recipes gained through on-the-ground research and guest visits to kitchens around the world.
Wednesday, November 6
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Dan Slater
7:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by The Plaza Grande
In the early 1900s, New York City's Lower East Side was rife with vice and corruption, prompting affluent German-Jewish uptowners to form the off-the-books vice squad known as the Incorruptibles. Their efforts to combat crime inadvertently empowered a new mobster class, a saga Dan Slater reveals in his exploration of crime and redemption that shaped modern society.
Thursday, November 7
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Marcia Zug
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
This book critically examines marriage as a uniquely American institution, tracing its evolution from the Colonial era to the #MeToo age and arguing that society's portrayal of marriage as a solution to societal problems allows the government to avoid addressing broader injustices directly.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Local Authors Panel
1:00 pm • Cherry Hill Public Library
Moderated by Barbara Leap, Writer
Mindie Barnett, You Don't Need to Be a Bitch to Be a Boss
Davon Loeb, The In-Betweens
Dr. Steven Pfeiffer, Parenting From the Heart
Gail Priest, Soul Dancing
Thursday, November 7
Member: $15 per family
Guest: $18 per family
Challah Bake with The Challah Fairy
3:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by TD Bank
Join us for an intergenerational afternoon of baking and books, where toddlers to grandparents will prepare challah dough, enjoy a reading of The Challah Fairy by co-author Robyn Greenberg, and help solve the mystery of the magical baker who delivers homemade challah with heartfelt notes each Shabbat.
*Limit 2 challahs per family. 6 people per family.
Thursday, November 7
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Film: The Catskills
7:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Golden Nugget Jewelers
With archival footage and colorful stories from proprietors, guests, and entertainers, The Catskills explores the famed mountain getaway that was both a refuge for Jewish immigrants and a playground for affluent Jewish families, capturing vibrant 20th-century American Jewish life, with director Lex Gillespie, a three-time Peabody Award-winning journalist, joining for a post-film discussion.
Thursday, November 7
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Micah Siva
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Soom Foods
Nosh is a vegetarian cookbook for the modern Jewish kitchen, blending historical inspiration with a 21st-century perspective through 80+ plant-based recipes, stunning photography, and enlightening sidebars; join author Micah Siva as she demos one of her delicious recipes with us.
Friday, November 8
Member: $30 • Guest: $36
Amir Tibon
8:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Oded Kraus, Katz JCC Executive Director
Sponsored by Ravitz Family Foundation
Amir Tibon, Haaretz's award-winning correspondent, shares the gripping story of his family's October 7, 2023 rescue from Kibbutz Nahal Oz by his father, a tale revealing the tensions behind Hamas's attacks, featured on 60 Minutes and optioned for film by Fauda creators Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz.
Friday, November 8
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Fiction Author Panel
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Zibby Owens
Sponsored by Valerie & David Gladfelter, Endowment Fund of the JCF, Inc.
Zibby Owens, Blank
Anna Bliss, Bonfire Night
Debra Green, Mahjong at Mara's
Rochelle Weinstein, What You Do to Me
Saturday, November 9
Community-Wide Kristallnacht Observance
11:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Held in partnership with Raab/Goodwin Esther Raab Holocaust Museum & Goodwin Education Center
A Conversation with Paula S. Apsell, Executive Producer
and Co-Director of Resistance: They Fought Back.
Free & Open to the Community with Pre-Registration Required
Sunday, November 10
Lawrence P. Levitt and
Stephanie Smartschan
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Before World War II, there were 200 Jewish children in Humenné, Czechoslovakia, but only six survived, including Evitchka, whose survival was a testament to her parents' resilience, a brave Catholic couple's courage, and a story spanning continents and decades, culminating in the unlikely opportunity to repay an unpayable debt.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Sunday, November 10
Robin Judd
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Historian Robin Judd examines the marriages of Jewish Holocaust survivors to Allied soldiers, exploring their journey from courtship to immigration and the impact on officials, blending romance, survivor's guilt, and the challenges of rebuilding their lives.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Monday, November 11
Steven Ujifusa
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Between 1890 and 1921, 2.5 million Jews fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe, many from Hamburg, were able to migrate to the United States thanks to the efforts of businessmen Jacob Schiff, Albert Ballin, and J.P. Morgan, with descendants including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Estée Lauder, George Gershwin, and the author's great grandparents.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Monday, November 11
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Larry Tye with Music by Gary Negbaur
7:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Fox Rothschild, LLP
The Jazzmen explores the lives of three African American bandleaders, their role in the civil rights movement, and the Black-Jewish alliance through their Jewish managers and bandmates, with Larry Tye interviewed by pianist Gary Negbaur, who will perform jazz, blues, and American roots music.
Monday, November 11
Tuesday, November 12
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Arthur Smith
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Marianne Aleardi, President/Publisher SJMAG Media
Arthur Smith, known for his innovation in unscripted television with hits like Hell’s Kitchen and American Ninja Warrior, shares his adventures, triumphs, and lessons in Reach, detailing his rapid rise to become the youngest-ever head of CBS Sports and offering anecdotes about figures like Marlon Brando, Gordon Ramsay, and Magic Johnson, highlighting the power of hard work, risk-taking, and following your dreams.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Fiction Authors Panel
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Minna Siegel, Librarian
Sponsored by Needleman Management
Shira Dicker, Lolita at Leonard’s of Great Neck and Other Stories from the Before Times
Sara Goodman Confino, Don’t Forget to Write
Tuesday, November 12
Free & Open to the Community with Pre-Registration Required
A Musical Play|
Freedom Song
6:30 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Dessert Reception to Follow
Sponsored by Gregg B. Wolfe in loving memory of his 21-year old son Justin Matthew Wolfe
In partnership with Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Southern New Jersey
Freedom Song interweaves a Passover Seder with personal stories of recovery, featuring real addicts who use song, dance, and discussion to explore the fight against self-bondage, while Beit T'Shuvah provides care to those battling addiction, never turning anyone away for inability to pay.
Tuesday, November 12
Luncheon with Emily Matchar
11:30 am • Lahn Social Hall
In conversation with Marcy Dash Friedman, owner, Dashing Designs Inc., past JCC President
Sponsored by Dashing Designs Inc.
In the Shadow of the Greenbrier is a poignant multigenerational Jewish family saga set against the backdrop of West Virginia's Greenbrier Resort, where four generations of the Zelner family navigate love, loyalty, and identity over the course of ten decades, as historical events shape their lives and relationships.
Member: $40 • Guest: $50
Wednesday, November 13
Daniel Schulman
7:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Harvey Shapiro of Hyland Levin Shapiro, LLP
Sponsored by Townsend Press Foundation/
Judith Nadell and John Langan
The Money Kings chronicles Jewish immigrants like Joseph Seligman, the Lehmans, and Marcus Goldman, who rose from peddlers to founding major investment banks, shaping America's financial power amid Gilded Age antisemitism and global upheaval.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Wednesday, November 13
Thursday, November 14
Talia Carner
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
From the acclaimed author of The Third Daughter comes an epic historical novel of love, loss, and courage, spanning from postwar France, where Israeli agents rescued hidden Jewish orphans, to the daring 1969 escape of the Israeli boats of Cherbourg.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Robert Steinfeld
1:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Seth Friedman
Sponsored by Creative Print Group
Emmy Award-winning producer Robert Steinfeld shares his journey in sports television, producing events like the Olympics and World Cup, and working with stars like Cal Ripken and announcers Bob Costas and Jim Nantz.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Thursday, November 14
Noah Rinsky
7:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Moderated by Art Abramowitz & Art Simons
Sponsored by Life & Legacy of the JCF, Inc.
This humorous and stylish guide celebrates Old Jewish Men (OJMs), offering tips on how to eat, dress, schmooze, and embrace the OJM lifestyle, with insights into deli culture, jargon, and archetypes, making it a perfect gift for fans of classic Jewish humor—whether or not you're old, Jewish, or a man.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Thursday, November 14
Heather Dune Macadam
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Virtua Physical Therapy
Star-Crossed is an epic WWII love story by the award-winning author of 999, blending historical drama with a tribute to Paris and its people, as it follows the doomed romance between a Catholic Resistance fighter and a Holocaust victim whose love is torn apart by war, prejudice, and family disapproval.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Friday, November 15
Film: 999: The Forgotten Girls of the Holocaust
11:30 am • Lahn Social Hall
999 uncovers the hidden story of 999 young Jewish women falsely registered for government service, only to be sent to Auschwitz as part of the First Official Jewish Transport, with survivors like Edith Grosman revealing their harrowing experiences in this overlooked chapter of women's history, now explored in a documentary based on the international bestseller.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Friday, November 15
David & Susan Schwartz
2:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Snacks provided by Costco Wholesale in Cherry Hill
Join the Schwartz’s on a whimsical A to Z journey through over 225 Costco warehouses worldwide, offering behind-the-scenes insights and product samplings, all while celebrating their love for Costco from one of NYC's smallest apartments.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Friday, November 15
Comedian|Taylor Williamson
8:00 pm • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Resintech and the Gottlieb Families
Taylor Williamson, a proudly Jewish comedian and America’s Got Talent runner-up, has headlined globally, performed for US troops, and hosted events for Jewish organizations, with his latest standup special streaming on YouTube.
Member: $40 • Guest: $50
Saturday, November 16
Champagne Brunch with Eddie Shapiro and Rita Neidich
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by Classic Cake in partnership with Super Buy Rite Wine & Liquor
In Here's to the Ladies, journalist Eddie Shapiro offers intimate conversations with Broadway's greatest female performers, exploring their careers in-depth, while brunch features Rita Neidich’s one-woman cabaret Far from Our Home, highlighting Jewish heroines in musical theater and Neidich’s own journey as a Ukrainian Jewish refugee.
Member: $40 • Guest: $50
Sunday, November 17
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Susan Blumberg-Kason
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by The Plaza Grande
Fritz, a Jewish salon host in 1930s Shanghai, attracted prominent figures from politics, arts, and Hollywood, eventually founding the International Arts Theater to showcase avant-garde performances, bringing inspiration and cultural vibrancy to the city.
Stan Middleman
7:30 pm • JFSNJ Board Room
Moderated by Neil Levine, CPA, Managing Partner, Marcum LLP
Equal parts memoir and business strategy guide, Seeing Around Corners tells the inspirational rags-to-riches story of entrepreneur Stan Middleman and shares his principles for achieving business success. Follow Stan's journey from humble beginnings in Philadelphia to building Freedom Mortgage, one of the largest privately held mortgage companies in America.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Tuesday, November 12
Susan Blumberg-Kason
10:00 am • Lahn Social Hall
Sponsored by The Plaza Grande
Fritz, a Jewish salon host in 1930s Shanghai, attracted prominent figures from politics, arts, and Hollywood, eventually founding the International Arts Theater to showcase avant-garde performances, bringing inspiration and cultural vibrancy to the city.
Member: $15 • Guest: $18
Thank you to our sponsors!