JOIN JFS FOR AUTHOR TALK FEATURING LESLÉA NEWMAN
Springfield – Join us on Thursday, September 19th, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., for a special presentation by author Lesléa Newman. Lesléa will talk about her journey to become a children’s book writer, and present and discuss some of her Jewish children’s books including “Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story”. Lesléa will also show a short film entitled “We Are a Country of Immigrants” in which she interviews Phyllis Rubin, her godmother and daughter of the real Gittel.
About the book, “Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story”:
Gittel and her mother were supposed to immigrate to America together, but when her mother is stopped by the health inspector, Gittel must make the journey alone. Her mother writes her cousin’s address in New York on a piece of paper. However, when Gittel arrives at Ellis Island, she discovers the ink has run and the address is illegible! How will she find her family? Both a heart-wrenching and heartwarming story, “Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story” offers a fresh perspective on the immigration journey to Ellis Island. The book includes an author’s note explaining how Gittel’s story is based on the author’s own family history.
About the Author:
Lesléa Newman is the creator of 70 books for readers of all ages including the children’s books “Here Is The World: A Year Of Jewish Holidays”; “Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed” (winner of the Massachusetts Book Award and the Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Award); “A Sweet Passover”; “Runaway Dreidel”; and “Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story”. She has received creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation. From 2008 – 2010, she served as poet laureate of Northampton, MA. Her newest children’s book, “Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale With A Tail”, will be published in 2020.
The program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served and books by the author will be available for purchase.
Location: Jewish Family Services’ Community Room, 1160 Dickinson St., Springfield, MA (parking lot is on the Converse Street side).
Please pre-register. RSVP online www.jfswm.org or call 413.737.2601.
For other upcoming events, visit www.jfswm.org.
Founded in 1915, Jewish Family Service’s mission is to provide exceptional social services, grounded in Jewish values, to support and empower individuals and families from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.
