Celebrate 26 years of the Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts! The Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts is a three-week festival featuring well-known authors, award-winning films and local visual and performing artists.

Schedule Of Events

October 21 2024

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm : Sarah Aroeste Live in Concert

Get ready to kick off our Festival with a rousing night of song that celebrates the richness of Sephardic culture!

Sarah Aroeste, inspired by her family's Sephardic roots in N. Macedonia and Greece, has spent the last two decades bringing her contemporary vision for Sephardic culture - through music and books - to audiences around the world. Aroeste writes and sings in Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish dialect that originated by Spanish Jews after their expulsion from Spain in 1492. Those who left Spain, including Aroeste's family, carried the medieval language with them to the various points where they later settled, primarily along the Mediterranean coast and North Africa. In time, Ladino came to absorb bits and pieces of languages all along the Mediterranean coast, including some Greek, Turkish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Hebrew, and more.

This exotic pan-Mediterranean language has, unfortunately, been fading away. But the continued musical legacy of Spanish Jews highlights the strength of an oral tradition that spans centuries and crosses many geographic boundaries.

American born and trained in classical opera as a teenager at Westminster Choir College and then at Yale University, Aroeste became drawn to her Sephardic musical past after spending a summer in 1997 performing at the Israel Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv.

There, she had the fortune of studying with Nico Castel, one of the world's great Ladino singers and coaches at the Metropolitan Opera, with whom she learned she shared a similar Sephardic background. Continuing to study with Castel upon her return to the US, Aroeste started incorporating classical Ladino songs into her opera repertoire. She quickly realized that Ladino, not opera, was her true musical passion and soon after made the leap to studying Ladino full time.

Since then, Aroeste has been a vocal advocate for exposing new audiences to Sephardic culture and has worked tirelessly to keep Ladino alive for a new generation. Aroeste is one of few Ladino composers today who writes her own music, and whether with her original compositions or with interpreting Ladino folk repertoire, she has developed a signature style combining traditional Mediterranean Sephardic sounds with contemporary influences such as rock, pop and jazz. Join us for an exciting Ladino-language concert open to all.

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October 22 2024

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm : The Klansman's Son with R. Derek Black

The Klansman's Son is an aston­ish­ing mem­oir of a child­hood built on fear, and of break­ing from a com­mu­ni­ty of hate. Derek Black was raised to take over the white nation­al­ist move­ment in the Unit­ed States. Their father, Don Black, was a for­mer Grand Wiz­ard in the Ku Klux Klan and start­ed Storm­front - Derek built the kids' page. David Duke, was also their close fam­i­ly friend and men­tor. Racist hatred was all Derek knew. Then, while in col­lege in 2013, Derek began engag­ing with stu­dents of var­i­ous reli­gions and races. A Jew­ish class­mate, Matthew Steven­son, bucked cam­pus pres­sure to ignore and iso­late Derek and invit­ed them to Shab­bat din­ner in his dorm. Derek began join­ing every week for the con­ver­sa­tions and cama­raderie. It set them on course to pub­licly renounce white nation­al­ism and apol­o­gize for their actions. In 2016, as they watched the rise of Don­ald Trump, they imme­di­ate­ly rec­og­nized what they were hear­ing - the spread and main­stream­ing of the hate they had helped cul­ti­vate - and they knew that they couldn' t stay silent. Derek traces a unique­ly insid­er account of the rise of white nation­al­ism, and how a child indoc­tri­nat­ed with hate can become an anti-racist adult, com­mit­ted to com­bat­ting antisemitism.

R. Derek Black (they/?she) is a doc­tor­al can­di­date in his­to­ry at the Uni­ver­si­ty of Chica­go. Since 2016, they have spo­ken to many audi­ences at uni­ver­si­ties, foun­da­tions, insti­tu­tions, muse­ums, syn­a­gogues, and church­es. They received the Elie Wiesel Award and a human­i­tar­i­an award from the Anti-Defama­tion League. The Klansman' s Son is their first book.

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October 26 2024

7:00 pm - 9:30 pm : An Evening with Moshe Basson of the Eucalyptus Restaurant

In his Jerusalem restau­rant, chef Moshe Bas­son seeks to bring "a mod­ern Israeli inter­pre­ta­tion to the Land of Milk and Hon­ey with food from the Bible." This may be a lofty aim, but it is mag­nif­i­cent­ly achieved.

Bas­son opened his first Euca­lyp­tus restau­rant in 1986, which he named for the tree he plant­ed one Tu B'Shevat near his fam­i­ly home in Jerusalem. Today, the restau­rant is locat­ed out­side Jerusalem's city walls, in the artists’ colony, and reser­va­tions are essential.

Bas­son is an inter­na­tion­al­ly-renowned Mas­ter Chef spe­cial­iz­ing in Mod­ern Israeli-Bib­li­cal cui­sine. Uti­liz­ing his school­ing in agri­cul­ture and pas­sion for study­ing ancient script, Bas­son has incor­po­rat­ed into the restaurant's kosher menu many dish­es that are based on foods eat­en for many cen­turies in this region. Join us for an evening of Kosher Israeli food and a discussion of food, spirituality, and the Holy Land. This is a Jewish Book Council Program.Basson will be intereviewed by restauranteur and founder of Won't Stop Hospitality, Martha Hoover.

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October 27 2024

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm : Indiana Authors Awards Panel with Indiana Humanities

Great writers come from all over the world. And that includes our home: Indiana.

Celebrating the works of local writers, the JCC Indianapolis and Indiana Humanities proudly partner together to curate a star-studded panel of finalists and award-winners from the 2024 Indiana Authors Awards.

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October 28 2024

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm : Cousins: Siblings of the Heart Gallery Reception

Spouses Joani & Jeff Rothenberg and their Israeli cousin Yael Buxbaum have been making art together for decades-their collaborations and critiques of each other's work have pushed each of them to become better individual artists as they have been a constant source of inspiration. This exhibition features new works in painting, fused and blown glass, jewelry, mosaics and ceramics. "Indianapolis has been an ideal incubator for our artistic journey-the city and people have embraced the arts in all forms leading to a richer and more diverse culture". Come to the JCC and experience this show as the colors, forms and painterly aspect of the exhibition is sure to be a visual standout of your week.

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October 30 2024

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm : Black, Jewish, and Queer with Rabbi Sandra Lawson

The 2018 Reconstructionist Rabbinical College graduate is one of the first African American, queer, female rabbis. The thought-leader has consciously sought to alter the perception of what a rabbi - and the rabbinate - looks like. Lawson is known for tackling difficult questions surrounding Jews and race in podcasts, essays, media appearances and speeches. A social media pioneer, Lawson models what it means to teach Torah in digital spaces. She has built a following of more than 50,000 people on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok. In 2020, the Forward named Lawson to its "Forward 50" proclaiming her a "truth-teller".

Prior to joining Reconstructing Judaism, Lawson served as the Associate Chaplain for Jewish Life and the Senior Jewish Educator at Hillel at Elon University in North Carolina. She is also the founder of Kol Hapanim – All Faces – an inclusive, Jewish community that is relevant, accessible, and rooted in tradition, where all who come are welcomed and diversity is embraced.

Lawson was born in St. Louis, Mo. and grew up in a military family. She graduated from Florida's Saint Leo University magna *** laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in sociology from Clark Atlanta University.

Lawson sees her multiple identities as an asset and uses her identities as a bridge builder. Her 21st century rabbinate takes her from nursing homes, to cafes, to the world of social media where she uses the aspects of her identity to connect with others. Lawson will be interviewed by JCC Indianapolis CEO, Sam Dubrinsky. Presented thanks to the generous donors to the JCC Social Justice Fund, Congregation Beth-El Zedek, and Indy Pride.

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November 02 2024

8:00 pm - 9:30 pm : The Einstein Effect with Benyamin Cohen

The next time you have a pizza delivered to your home, thank Einstein.

Albert Einstein was the first modern-day celebrity and, decades after his death, still has the world's most recognizable face. His influence is seen in much of the technology we use every day: GPS, remote controls, weather forecasts, even toothpaste. But it's not just his scientific discoveries that continue to shape our world. His legacy underpins the search for aliens, the rescue of refugees, the invention of time machines and the debunking of fake news. He appears in new books, TV shows and movies - and fans are paying millions for Einstein relics at auction.

Award - winning author and journalist Benyamin Cohen has a bizarre side hustle as the manager of Einstein's official social media accounts, which have 20 million followers - more than most living celebrities. (Einstein has more Facebook fans than Tom Hanks!) He embarks on a global quest to unearth Einstein ongoing relevance today. Along the way, he meets scientists and celebrities, speaks to dozens with the last name Einstein (including two rabbis), and even tracks down the brain of Einstein, stolen from his body during the autopsy. Cohen shows us the myriad ways the Nobel Prize winner's influence is still with us, giving an in-depth - and often hilarious - look at the world's favorite genius like you've never seen him before. Benyamin Cohen will be interviewed by Max Newman. This is a Jewish Book Council Program.

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November 03 2024

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm : A Blessing, Not a Burden with Alex Kor and Graham Honaker

By all accounts, Dr. Alex Kor's life has been a miracle. The son of two Holocaust survivors, including the Mengel twin Eva Kor, Alex will discuss his book A Blessing, Not a Burden. In his book, Alex details his incredible journey, from his unique upbringing to his present-day mission of carrying on his parents' inspiring legacy. From his mother's controversial stance on forgiving the Nazis to his father's unbridled optimism, Alex shares life lessons that have helped him overcome his own hardships along the way.

Alex also offers his own perspective on forgiveness as he nurtures his parents' legacies in a world still fraught with discrimination. Dr. Kor and Honaker will be interviewed by Troy Fears, Executive Director of CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Presented in partnership with CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Hooverwood Living, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis.

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November 04 2024

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm : Community Reads: The House is On Fire with Rachel Beanland

A riveting reimagining of one of early America's deadliest tragedies, the Richmond Theater Fire of 1811, told from the perspectives of four characters whose lives are irrevocably altered in the aftermath of the inferno.

A "GMA Buzz Pick" by Good Morning America
An April 2023 Indie Next pick by the American Booksellers Association
One of the Washington Post's most anticipated books of April
One of 12 books to Add to Your Reading List for April by E! News
One of NPR's Best Books of 2023
One of The New Yorker's Best Books of 2023

Based on the true story of Richmond's theater fire, The House is On Fire offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious-and fleeting-chances at redemption. This is a Jewish Book Council Program.

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November 07 2024

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm : 10/7: 100 Human Stories with Lee Yaron

The defin­i­tive account of the 10/7 mas­sacre through the sto­ries of its vic­tims and the com­mu­ni­ties they called home.

A mas­ter­ful work of inves­tiga­tive jour­nal­ism by acclaimed Haaretz reporter Lee Yaron, 10/7 chron­i­cles the mas­sacre that ignit­ed a war through the sto­ries of more than 100 civil­ians. These sto­ries are the prod­ucts of exten­sive inter­views with sur­vivors, the bereaved, and first respon­ders in Israel and beyond. The vic­tims run the gamut from left-wing kib­butzniks and Burn­ing Man-esque partiers to rad­i­cal right-wingers, from Bedouins and Israeli Arabs to Thai and Nepalese guest work­ers, peace activists, elder­ly Holo­caust sur­vivors, refugees from Ukraine and Rus­sia, preg­nant women, and babies.

Lee Yaron has been a jour­nal­ist with Haaretz, Israel's old­est and most award-win­ning news­pa­per, for near­ly a decade. Her inves­tiga­tive report­ing has result­ed in the found­ing of state-lev­el com­mis­sions and the chang­ing of sub­stan­tial bod­ies of Israeli pol­i­cy and law. She is an elect­ed mem­ber-rep­re­sen­ta­tive of the Exec­u­tive Com­mit­tee of the Union of Israeli Jour­nal­ists. She has also writ­ten and direct­ed acclaimed the­ater pro­duc­tions notable for their use of found mate­ri­als, includ­ing offi­cial gov­ern­men­tal texts, to bring atten­tion to mar­gin­al­ized com­mu­ni­ties both in Israel and through­out the Mid­dle East. Born in Tel Aviv, Yaron splits her time between her native city and New York.

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November 11 2024

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm : Heartland Award-Winning Shorts Featuring the Ice Cream Man

A perennial favorite – two great Festivals in one program. Heartland Film will present award-winning shorts, including the hit Indiana-produced Audience Choice Award Winner the Ice Cream Man.

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November 12 2024

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm : Justice and Judaism with BJ Novak

Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation welcomes co-executive producer, writer, and star of NBC's The Office B.J. Novak to a moderated conversation with Senior Rabbi Brett Krichiver and Cantor Aviva Marer with a VIP reception to follow. This event is free and open to the entire greater Indianapolis community.

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Date: October 21 - November 12 2024

Location :

Various Venues in Indianapolis

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