The Mandell JCC Jewish Book Festival

Purchase tickets: www.mandelljcc.org/tix |  Purchase books: www.riverbendbookshop.com
 
Debbie Mehlman and Jodie Sadowsky, Co-Chairs

For questions, contact Leslie Sax, Chief Program Officer, lsax@mandelljcc.org, 860-231-6455

 


All Book Festival Pass - Purchase Here

Enjoy access to all events during the 2026–27 season of our Book Festival - $99

Perfect for book lovers who want flexibility and savings while exploring a rich lineup of author talks, panels, and more!


 

Rebekah Lowin

A Year of Jewish Joy

September 23 | 6:30pm | $15

 

Artist and author Rebekah Lowin—aka a "Jewish Martha Stewart"—known for her inventive creations like black and white dot cakes and schnitzel sandwich boards—will share her recipes and handmade touches for meaningful gatherings anchored in Jewish traditions, blessings, and rituals. Join us for this conversation and demonstration.

 

>Tickets




Amy Blumenfeld
Such Good People
October 8 | 7:00pm | $12
When April's buried past resurfaces, she must choose between the life she's built and the man who once saved it. A powerful novel about justice, loyalty, love, and second chances.

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Eric Litsky
Solved: The Greatest Art Heist in History
November 1 | 1:00pm | Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation | $10
A bumbling realtor stumbles onto the truth behind history's greatest unsolved art heist at the Gardner Museum—but surviving the FBI, the mob, and a $500 million secret proves surprisingly complicated. A delightful mystery from a Simsbury author.

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Jonathan Kaufman
When America Roared: How the 1980s Saved, then Broke, the Country­­-and Led Us to Today
November 10 | 7:00pm | $12
A Pulitzer-winning reporter chronicles the 1980s through five transformative figures whose decisions reshaped American business, media, and politics—illuminating how that pivotal decade built the modern world we inhabit today.

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Emily Franklin
Love & Other Monsters
November 19 | 7:00pm | $12
A retelling of Frankenstein's origins—exploring sisters, survival, and monster-making with urgent relevance to celebrity worship, climate disaster, and complicated womanhood.

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In partnership with Hall High School

Buzzworthy Books
December 1 | 7:00pm | $12
Get the inside scoop on the season's most talked-about reads with the River Bend Bookshop team and special guests! From compelling fiction to unforgettable memoirs, discover new releases perfect for book clubs, gifting, or cozy nights in—don't miss it!

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Susan Kleinman
All Afternoon
January 10 | 2:00pm | $10
In 1978 New Jersey, a Jewish housewife who abandoned her literary dreams must choose between tradition and self-discovery when a bestselling author reignites her long-buried passion for writing.
#1 Amazon new release in Jewish-American Fiction

>Ticket Sales TBA

     

Martin Dobrow
Original City, Original Sin: King, the Klan, and the Fight for Civil Rights in St. Augustine, Florida.
January 14 | 7:00pm | Free
The riveting, overlooked story of St. Augustine's civil rights campaign—where Martin Luther King faced his gravest test of nonviolence as the fate of the Civil Rights Act hung in the balance.
“Woven with journalistic rigor and lyrical wonder, this is a timely and beautiful book.’  

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Calvin Alexander Ramsey
The Library in the Woods
February TBD
After a 1959 storm uproots his family, nine-year-old Junior discovers a hidden log cabin library serving his segregated North Carolina community. The books he borrows spark wonder, belonging, and an unexpected secret about his father — celebrating family and the transformative power of reading. Much more than a children’s story; it’s a powerful message about the impact of the Rosenwald schools.

>Ticket Sales TBA

Janice Kaplan
What Your Body Knows About Happiness
February 28 | 2:00pm | $12
From the bestselling author and host of The Gratitude Diaries: groundbreaking research revealing how the body shapes emotions before the brain catches up—with simple shifts to spark happiness and joy.

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Mark Oppenheimer
Judy Blume: A Life
March 25 | 7:00 pm | $12
The highly anticipated biography of one of the world’s most treasured literary voices – Judy Blume, showcasing a life as triumphant and inspiring as the stories she crafted.

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Sam Sussman
Boy from the North Country: A Novel
April 6 | 7:00 pm | $12
A son returns home to his dying mother—and uncovers the astonishing truth of his origins, including his mother’s secret romance with Bob Dylan, in this deeply moving debut novel.
“Come for the riveting father-son mystery, stay for the most beautiful and moving mother-son story in recent memory.”  - Ken Burns 

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