Festival of Books and Arts at the JCC Indianapolis
For more than a quarter century, the Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts has been a place where stories, ideas, and creativity come alive. Each fall, we gather to celebrate acclaimed authors, dynamic artists, and thought-provoking conversations that connect us across cultures and generations. Now in its 27th year, the festival continues to honor the power of words and art to inspire, challenge, and unite our community. With the support of our generous sponsors, we invite you to explore this year’s lineup and join us in experiencing the joy of discovery together.
Festival Pass: $50 gets you into every event (books not included). Save when you plan to see more than one. Buy a Festival Pass!
2025 Festival
The 2025 Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts will be held October 23-November 12. For more than a quarter century, the Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts has been a place where stories, ideas, and creativity come alive. Each fall, we gather to celebrate acclaimed authors, dynamic artists, and thought-provoking conversations that connect us across cultures and generations. Now in its 27th year, the festival continues to honor the power of words and art to inspire, challenge, and unite our community. With the support of our generous sponsors, we invite you to turn the page, explore this year’s lineup, and join us in experiencing the joy of discovery together. We also send arts-only emails to those interested in arts events at the JCC.
The JCC is committed to learning and hosts authors of books covering a wide range of topics throughout the year with Taste Of Ann Katz events.
Thurs., Oct. 23 | 7 pm | FREE
“The Holy Land at War: A Journey Through Israel, the West Bank and Gaza” by Mark Patinkin
Register for free tickets here.
In a revealing odyssey through Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza itself, longtime journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Mark Patinkin explores the world’s most divisive conflict, capturing the stories of both sides in his new book, “The Holy Land at War.” The book is not a political analysis but a personal journey, one writer’s attempt to bear witness and take readers with him from a targeted kibbutzim to Hostage Square; from Ramallah and Bethlehem to Sheba Hospital where wounded Israeli soldiers are recovering, and finally into the war zone in an IDF Humvee.
Mark Patinkin, longtime Providence Journal columnist has traveled abroad over the decades to write about African famine, the Lebanon civil war, the first Intifada, the collapse of European communism and now the current conflict in the Middle East. Mark was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for international reporting and has authored a half dozen books. He holds two honorary degrees, grew up in Chicago, graduated from Middlebury College and currently lives in Providence.
Patinkin will be interviewed by David Sklar.
This is a Jewish Book Council Program, sponsored by JCCA Mit-Habrim Connections.
Register for free tickets here.
Sun., Oct. 26 | 7 pm | $10
Marni Loffman is a composer, vocalist, educator, facilitator and ritualist. Marni’s musical work weaves together the sounds of a multi-denominational Jewish American religious upbringing, of Ashkenazi ancestry, and of cultural influences growing up in the United States such as American Folk, Pop, Jazz and Neo-Soul. Marni’s music explores diasporic identity, doubt, greif and healing through combining rabbinic and liturgical poetry and prose with original lyrics.
Marni’s public start was on TikTok under the handle “@singing_jewess,” gaining followers in a few short months after posting Jewish singing and parody videos. Struggling with deep musical imposter syndrome at the time, it was the overwhelming requests from followers that first encouraged Marni to start recording and performing in real time. Listeners remark that Marni’s voice brings them solace, tears, deep connection and that Marni’s music is a source of cultural, emotional and spiritual healing.
For Marni, the process of art making is just as, if not more central than, the product itself. Dancing between structure and improvisation, new and old, and born out of encounters with human and beyond-human friends, Marni’s music emerges from live recording, fostering relationships and raw emotion. Marni’s debut album, “The Long Short Path,” is available on all streaming platforms.
Join us for an exciting performance open to all.
Sponsored by Lori Ecker & Ronnie Katz.
Marni Loffman | Collaborative Being
Listen here!
https://youtu.be/de83zZQniMo?si=2H6CDGs2jVCM1jVv
Tues., Oct. 28 | Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation presents Hen Mazzig
@Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation (6501 N. Meridian St.)
IHC’s Justice and Judaism: A Fireside Chat with Hen Mazzig
Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation welcomes Hen Mazzig to a moderated conversation.
The New York Times described him as one of the most nuanced online commentators on Israel and Jewish people. He is a globally recognized speaker, educator, author, and digital influencer. With an audience of over 600,000 followers across his social media platforms and content reaching more than 100 million users, Hen has become a trusted voice on Jewish issues, appearing as an expert in media across four continents, including outlets like BBC, CNN, The Washington Post, SkyNews, New York Times, and more. Named among Algemeiner’s Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life in 2018 and 2021,
Top 50 most influential Jewish LGBT voices, Hen recently received CAMERA’s Portrait in Courage Award. His debut book, The Wrong Kind of Jew, was released in 2022. This year, Jewish News recognized him as one of the Top 20 Young Jewish Creatives in the UK, and he was named among the Top 25 Most Influential Young Jews by The Jerusalem Post. In 2019, Hen co-founded the Tel Aviv Institute, dedicated to researching and combating online antisemitism.
Moderated by Rabbi Brett Krichiver and Cantor Aviva Marer
Presented by The Herbert Simon Family Foundation & Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation
Register for free tickets here.
Wed., Oct. 29 | 7 pm | $10 (Free with Purchase of Hardcover Book)
“The Great Mann: A Novel” by Kyra Davis Lurie
“The Great Mann: A Novel” is a poignant retelling of “The Great Gatsby,” set amongst L.A.’s Black elite. A young veteran finds his way post-war, pulled into a new world of tantalizing possibilities — and explosive tensions.
Kyra Davis Lurie is a New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter. Her books have been published in nine languages across six continents. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband where they both serve as advisors to their dog, Potus.
Davis Lurie will be interviewed by Ira Mallory.
Free admission with the purchase of a hardcover book.
This is a Jewish Book Council Program.
Thurs., Oct. 30 | 7 pm | $36
“How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love and Plenty” by Bonny Reichert
Event includes a tasting of several recipes from Reichert’s book.
A moving culinary memoir about the relationship between food and family, sustenance and survival, from a chef, award-winning journalist, and daughter of a Holocaust survivor. When raised by someone who once survived on potato peels and coffee grounds, you develop a pretty healthy respect for food. Bonny Reichert avoided everything to do with the Holocaust until he found herself, in midlife, typing those words into an article she was writing.
The journalist had grown up hearing stories about her father’s near starvation and ultimate survival in Auschwitz-Birkenau, but she never imaged she would be able to face this epic legacy head-on. Then, a chance encounter with a perfect bowl of borscht in Warsaw set Bonny on a journey to unearth her culinary lineage, dish by dish. Stepping into the kitchen to connect her past with her future, the author recounts the defining moments of her life in a poignant tale of scarcity and plenty: her colorful childhood in the restaurant business, the crumbling of her first marriage and the intensity of young motherhood, her decision to become a chef, and that life-altering visit to Poland. Throughout, cuisine is both an anchor and an identity; a source of joy and a signifier of survival.
Bonny Reichert is a chef and the author of “How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love and Plenty,” one of NPR’s best memoirs of the year. A National Magazine Award-winning journalist, Bonny honed her editorial skills in the journalism world before packing up her knives and heading to culinary school. In the years since, she has explored her relationship with food on the page, penning a chef column in the Globe and Mail and features in a variety of publications. Bonny holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from King’s University. “How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love and Plenty” is a national bestseller in Bonny’s native Canada, an Amazon editor’s pick and it won the Dave Greber work-in-progress award in 2022.
This is a Jewish Book Council Program, sponsored by Studio Lauren Zoll.
Sun., Nov. 2 | 2 pm | FREE
“Hanukkah Pajamakkas” with Dara Henry
Enjoy a read along with crafts and a snack as picture book author and educator Dara Henry leads a joyful early celebration of Hanukkah.
Register for free tickets here.
When Ruthie receives pajamakkahs for Hanukkah, she loves them so much she refuses to take them off. Will she be able to keep them spotless for eight whole nights?
Inspired by debut picture book author Dara Henry’s own three children―who love to wear Hanukkah “pajamakkahs” but always seem to get into a mess―Hanukkah Pajamakkahs is a fresh, silly read-aloud about togetherness and holiday customs. Not only is it the perfect way for families to celebrate the festival of lights, but it may also inspire them to create a new, special Hanukkah tradition of their own!
Dara Henry is a children’s book author living in Southern California. She has a master’s degree in elementary education and worked as an elementary school teacher for many years. While she no longer has a classroom of her own, Dara still finds joy in connecting with children and families—only now, she’s sharing her stories while visiting classrooms, synagogues, and bookstores all over the country.
When she is not writing, her favorite pastimes include being active in the beautiful California weather, spending time at the public library, and enjoying time with her husband, children, and three cats. Dara’s debut picture book, Hanukkah Pajamakkahs, was published with Sourcebooks Kids in 2024. Her second book, “Mazel Tov, Baby!” will be out in the world as of September 16, 2025, with Sourcebooks Kids. She’s honored and excited to share she stories with readers.
Register for free tickets here.
Mon., Nov. 3 | 7 pm | $10
“Boy From the North Country: A Novel by Sam Sussman”
“Boy From the North Country” is one of the most tender mother-son novels of our era. The book is based on the author’s life story as told in his Harper’s Magazine memoir essay, “The Silent Type: On (Possibly) Being Bob Dylan’s Son.” Evan, 26, returns home to his ill mother to discover the astonishing truth of his origins and the secrets of a woman whose life he is only beginning to understand. Caring for his mother as she tells him painful truths, Evan comes to understand the startling gift this extraordinary woman has bequeathed him. The novel is also a rare view into the life of Bob Dylan, including the most intimate portrait ever published of Dylan in the year he turned to Jewish spiritual wisdom as he struggled through personal crisis to write “Blood on the Tracks.” This novel is a tribute to 1970s New York Jewish bohemia and a love letter from a son to a mother. This stunning debut is for readers of Jonathan Safran Foer, Dara Horn, Vivian Gornick, and Ben Lerner.
Sam Sussman grew up in the Hudson Valley. He graduated with a BA from Swarthmore College and an MPhil from the University of Oxford and has lived in Berlin and Jerusalem. His writing has been recognized by BAFTA and published in Harper’s Magazine. Sam has taught writing seminars in India, Chile, and England and participated in the PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. He lives in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan and his native Hudson Valley.
Sam Sussman will be interviewed by Max Newman.
This is a Jewish Book Council Program.
Wed., Nov. 5 | 7 pm | $10
“3…2…1…We’re on the Air” with Robert Steinfeld
Imagine what it’s like to make hundreds of decisions in just two hours on “live” network television with your work seen by millions of people. That’s what a sports television producer does each time they sit in “the big chair.” In Amazon’s #1 Bestselling, Hot New Sports Journalism Memoir, “3…2…1… We’re On the Air,” Emmy Award Winning Producer Robert Steinfeld takes readers inside the world of sports television through his five-decade career producing the biggest sporting events such as the Summer Olympics, NBA, WNBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and FIFA World Cup. Along the way, he’s crossed paths with athletic stars like Caitlin Clark, Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Bill Walton, Nancy Lieberman, and announcers Bob Costas, Jim Nantz and Robin Roberts. Join Robert Steinfeld on his path from eager ambitious Jewish teenage BBYO journalist to ultimately realizing his dreaming producing major sports events. “3…2…1…” has been called “a blueprint for success in both your personal and professional lives.”
Robert Steinfeld has produced and directed network sports television for five decades, covering MLB, NBA, WNBA, college basketball and football, NCAA Championships, World Cup Soccer, Cotton Bowl Classics, and Summer Olympics. He’s Executive Producer of the WNBA Dallas Wings. His innovative work has earned him 10 Sports Emmy Awards plus five more nominations, a national Cable Ace Award nomination, plus additional industry accolades.
Steinfeld will be interviewed by Les Morris.
This is a Jewish Book Council Program.
Thurs., Nov. 6 | 5:30 pm | FREE
A duo of Vietnamese American Women Artists present:
Vibrant Chromocosms: Ancient Tradition Meets Modernity
Register for free tickets here.
“Vibrant Chromocosms: Where Ancient Tradition Meets Modernity” with Nhat Tran and Dr. Elizabeth T.D. Le
Two esteemed Vietnam-born, Indianapolis-based women artists will present “Vibrant Chromocosms: Where Ancient Tradition Meets Modernity.”
Nhat Tran is one of only a handful of artists in the world and fewer than 10 in the United States making works in Urushi, a 6,000-year-old traditional Japanese art form using lacquer.
Elizabeth T.D. Le is a physician, author, and global traveler whose watercolor paintings depict H’mong people in the Northwest mountains of Vietnam. Together, a deep cultural connection and passion for human experience shape both artists’ work.
Sat., Nov. 8 | 7 pm | $10
FILM SCREENINGS
Heartland Film’s Award-Winning Shorts
A beloved film event returns, as two incredible festivals unite in one unforgettable program. Heartland Film presents a curated selection of award-winning short films from its recent 2025 Indy Shorts International Film Festival.
Tues., Nov. 11 | 7 pm| FREE
Presentation & Conversation
The Nature of Belief: How Translation of Sacred Text Decides Meaning
Part of the Spirit & Place Festival
Register for free tickets here.
Translation is never neutral, and it shapes more than words. In fact, it shapes the very nature of belief. Compare different English translations of sacred texts in small groups and how they have influenced understanding and belief across time, cultures, and communities. Participants will be challenged to rethink the meaning of well-known verses and how different meanings can reconstruct our thoughts.
A partnership between Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Northminster Presbyterian Church, and JCC Indianapolis’s The Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts. Part of the Spirit & Place Festival.
Wed., Nov. 12 | 7 pm | $10
“Why God Why? How to Believe In Heaven When It Hurts Like Hell” by Rabbi Gershon Schusterman
When his wife — the mother of their 11 children — died unexpectedly at age 36, Rabbi Gershon Schusterman’s faith was nearly broken. In his grief, the respected community rabbi abandoned his role as God’s “defense attorney” when counseling the bereaved and instead delved into the great moral and spiritual questions of life: Why is there evil in the world? Is there purpose in all the suffering we see?
The author challenged classic Jewish teachings to offer satisfying answers. As a result of this struggle he began to understand that because life has meaning, suffering must also have meaning. Though difficult to accept, we are not victims of random occurrences, and can choose a response to transcend our grief and embrace a life-affirming, optimistic path forward.
Rabbi Gershon Schusterman was born in Paris, France in 1947 while his parents were enroute from the Soviet Union to the United States. They arrived in March of 1948 and settled in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. His formal education began at the age of 5 when he entered first grade of the United Lubavitcher Yeshivah. Besides a one-year period at the Rabbinical College of Canada in Montreal, Rabbi Schusterman studied in the Brooklyn based Lubavitcher school system through his ordination in 1969. Rabbi Schusterman’s Smicha is of the highest caliber ordaining him to address, not only in rabbinical matters, but also in matters of Jewish civil law, the Jewish religion’s equivalent of a judge.
Rabbi Schusterman will be interviewed by Megan Maurer.
This event is sponsored by Megan & Greg Maurer.
See More, Pay Less with the Festival Pass!
If you’re planning to see multiple events, you can save by purchasing a Festival Pass. For only $50 you can purchase our Festival Pass which will get you into all the events. Please note that the Festival Pass includes all events but does not include books.
Thanks to Our Sponsors
The Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts is made possible with funding from the Irwin and Ann Katz Cultural Arts and Education Endowment Fund and our major festival sponsors including The Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, and Katz Sapper & Miller.
Support Our Authors
Purchase books of visiting authors at our pop-up bookstore and have the authors autograph them for you.
Past Events
- 60 Minutes producer Ira Rosen, author of a behind-the-scenes look at the memorable and groundbreaking stories at America’s most iconic news show.
- Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie, introducing his novel The Next Person You Meet in Heaven.
- Daniel Silva, one of the greatest American spy novelists ever, has visited multiple times to promote the release of a new novel.
- Cooking demonstration and dinner with New York chef and restaurateur Einat Admony who debuted her cookbook, Balaboosta (from the Yiddish term for perfect housewife, homemaker, mother, cook & gracious hostess).
- Music concert with Kenny Aronoff, world-renowned rock and roll drummer formerly with John Mellencamp.
About Irwin and Ann Katz
The Ann Katz Festival of Books and Arts is made possible with funding from the Irwin and Ann Katz Cultural Arts and Education Endowment Fund. Irwin “Irv” Katz was devoted to the JCC for more than 70 years, serving as president of the JCC board of directors at its old location from 1950-52 and again from 1958-61 during a pivotal time: its move and construction at its current location. The resulting 24,000-square-foot facility boasted meeting rooms, nursery school facilities, a gym, locker rooms, and outdoor space for summer camp.
The annual Ann Katz Festival of Books and Arts was transformed from a one-week book fair to a major cultural arts program in Indianapolis when, in the year 2000, Katz infused the festival with a significant annual contribution. At that time, the festival name was changed to honor the memory of his wife, Ann, an inveterate reader and lover of books and literature.
Friends of the Arts
In 2024, the Arthur M. Glick JCC Indianapolis Arts & Education department hosted more large-scale, no-cost events than ever before. These programs entertained, inspired, and educated hundreds of community members. Most importantly, at a time when our community needed it most, Jewish arts and culture were celebrated and brought our community together. This year, in 2025, our programs and events are slated to surpass the number of opportunities provided in 2024. All of this is made possible thanks to JCC Friends of the Arts, who – through their generous support – help JCC Arts & Education act as a strong creative force and education resource for JCC members, guests, and the Central Indiana community. As a donor, you can help serve the diverse Central Indiana community through the arts and strengthen JCC Arts & Education. We need your help to ensure our JCC Arts & Education program continues to make a significant impact. If you’re interested in making a donation, please email Abby Katz at akatz@jccindy.org
Lifelong Learning Is a Core Jewish Value
The story of the Jewish people is one of freedom from tyranny and oppression. As a people, we believe that true freedom is experienced in a community’s ability to educate, to expand minds and perspectives, and to tolerate opposing ideas rooted in truth. The goal of JCC programs is to educate and inform and also to forge and strengthen partnerships, e.g., The Unity Project whose mission is to build respect and understanding between various communities, especially the black and Jewish communities, through dialogue and the arts. Other partnerships include The Indy Jazz Foundation for our Jazz at the J series; Dance Kaleidoscope and Indiana Writers Center for Spirit & Place events; Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library for our Circle City Authors series and many others.