Join us at the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival November 2 – 15, 2025.

Inspiring and entertaining, the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts Festival annually delivers a variety of opportunities for the community to learn and experience Jewish literary, culture and the arts. The Book Festival is one of the largest events of its kind in the U.S., attracting established and emerging writers from around the world, representing a myriad of themes and drawing a large and varied audience.

This  event is sponsored in part by Congregation Brith Shalom Men's Club.

THIS EVENT:
MARILYN HASSID EMERGING AUTHOR 
Rachel Cockerell 
Melting Point: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land 
Sunday, November 9 | 7:00 PM | Kaplan Theatre | Presented with Congregation Beth Israel 
Tickets: Members: $16 | Public: $21 | Premium Ticket with book: $46 
 
In 1907, a ship packed with 10,000 Russian Jews set sail for Texas, led by the author’s great grandfather. These rebel Zionists were seeking security beyond Palestine and desperate to start a new life. In this innovative family memoir, Cockerell weaves together primary sources – letters, diary entries, interviews, and articles to bring long-silent voices to life in a deeply personal and fascinating exploration of a plan to create a Jewish state in Texas. The story’s ultimate question asks what it means to belong, and what can be salvaged from the past.