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People of the Book 5786

People of the Book 5786

Olam Tikvah is excited to embark on an adventure we are calling People of the Book, a year-long exploration of all the ways we tell our stories as a Jewish people. As part of this project, we are proud to welcome authors to our community, in partnership with the Jewish Book Council, to share their stories with us. We also have the opportunity to dive into the words of dozens of Jewish authors by reading over 100 books currently waiting to be discovered in the Beit Midrash. And throughout the year we'll offer opportunities to talk about books and writing with teachers we've learned with before (including a book discussion with Rabbi Kalender) as well from new educators joining us from both within our community and from the larger Jewish world.

Visiting Author Series

Sun, Nov 9, 7pm

Join Adam Chandler,  journalist (and son of OT member Nada Chandler), to hear about what he learned from Americans when he asked the ques­tion: What hap­pens when per­spi­ra­tion isn’t enough?  Register Here

Sat, Jan 10, 7pm

Join us for a Havdalah program featuring Adam Nimoy, to hear from him about his life as the son of one of the most rec­og­niz­able actors of our time. Register Here

Sun, Feb 1, 3pm

Celebrate Tu Bishevat with chef and entrepreneur Rachel Simons at this cook-along event featuring flavors that highlight seasonal produce and the tastes of Israel!  Register Here

Sun, Mar 29, 3pm

OT Young Families is proud to welcome Tovah P. Klein for an afternoon of conversation about how to help our children thrive as they grow. Childcare for children 18mo-6yo will be available at no cost for the event. Register Here

Sun, Apr 12, 7pm

Mark Yom HaShoah  with author Richard Hurowitz as he shares the stories of indi­vid­u­als from var­i­ous nations who took sig­nif­i­cant risks to do what they believed was right. Register Here 

To purchase any of the books by our visiting authors, please visit our online store at bookshop.org/olamtikvah

A limited number of books will also be available for purchase at Jewish Treasures

People of the Book Classes and Discussions

Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging by Angela Buchdahl Dinner and Book Discussion with Rabbi Kalender, Wed. Dec 3, 6:30pm. Join Rabbi Kalender for a discussion over dinner of Rabbi Angela Buchdahl's memoir. Rabbi Buchdahl was born in Seoul, the daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and Jewish American father. Profoundly spiritual from a young age, by sixteen she felt the first stirrings to become a rabbi. Today, Angela Buchdahl inspires Jews and non-Jews alike with her invigorating, joyful approach to worship and her belief in the power of faith, gratitude, and responsibility for one another, regardless of religion.

Register for the Dinner and Discussion Here and to purchase the book (which will be published in Oct) Click Here

There are Always More Jewish Authors! with Nada Chandler, Wed, Jan 14, 21, & 28, 7:15pm. We are not the “people of the book” without good reason, and there are a host of contemporary Jewish authors with challenging, entertaining, engaging, and interesting books. This class is a survey of prize winning and otherwise notable Jewish authors of fiction. All of them have achieved a measure of literary fame; some have even acquired a popular following. The criteria used in selecting the authors included is their significance in contemporary literature; the breadth of their audience; their notable awards, their name recognition, the promise of more to come. No matter how good, there are no debut novels. The most important criteria of all is that they are "good reads!” Register Here

Have We Got A Book For You!

As part of our participation in the Jewish Book Council, we have been the lucky recipients of over 100 books written by Jewish authors. We've got books about moments in Jewish history, beach reads, biographies, memoirs, cookbooks, children's books....it's an amazing array of titles just waiting to be explored!  And while five of these authors will be visiting us this year, all of these authors are worth getting to know. Everyone is invited to be a part of this community read and it's so easy to join in!

  • All of the books are located on the marked shelves in the Beit Midrash (the library) at Olam Tikvah. 
  • Once you choose your book, you can sign it out and take it home to enjoy!
  • When you've finished the book, be sure to return it AND let us know what you thought about it by visiting our People of the Book review page!
  • You can also learn about the books by visiting the Jewish Book Council author page. 
  • Be sure to check our bookshop.org page, where you can buy copies of our visiting authors' books, as well as many of the titles on our shelves. Your purchase helps support People of the Book programming!
Thu, October 2 2025 10 Tishrei 5786