Find an Author by Location
USA
Northeast

Welcome to Host-a-Jewish-Book-Author.com, an independent site created by literary agent Anna Olswanger, where you can contact Jewish book authors by name, location, or genre. Host-a-Jewish-Book-Author.com lists only authors who have agreed to participate, with authors themselves providing their contact information, book titles, lecture topics, and areas of travel.

Host a Jewish book author today!

Connecticut

Sharon Reiss Baker (A Nickel, A Trolley, A Treasure House) lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, where she is an educational consultant. She presents book-based, participatory programs about Jewish historical fiction to children in Grades 1-8. Her "Historical Fiction: A Backstage Tour" focuses on research materials and methods in writing historical fiction, "Begin and Begin Again" examines the writing process with an emphasis on revisions, and "Between Two Covers" explores the publishing process from first draft to first printing. Baker is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. or Israel. To arrange a program, email her at info@sharonreissbaker.com or visit her website www.sharonreissbaker.com.

Andrée Aelion Brooks (Russian Dance: A True Story of Intrigue and Passion in Stalinist Moscow, The Woman Who Defied Kings: The Life and Times of Dona Gracia Nasi, and Out of Spain: An Educational Program for Children Covering the History and Culture of Sephardic Jewry is a journalist and lecturer in Westport, Connecticut. A National Jewish Book Award finalist, Brooks gives talks on unexplored aspects of Jewish history based on the research behind her books and on recent news articles. Her talks include "The Ancient Origin of Merchant Jews and Their Impact on Jewish History," "The Cradle of Jewish Life in Europe and the Birth of Ashkenaz," " The Incredible Story of Dona Gracia Nasi: a Woman Leader during the Renaissance," and "Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: Serious History Builds on a Legend." Brooks is willing to travel anywhere, provided her travel costs are covered. To arrange a program, email her at andreebrooks@hotmail.com or visit her website www.andreeaelionbrooks.com.

Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins (Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul, The Wisdom of Judaism: An Introduction to the Values of the Talmud, Yom Kippur Readings: Inspiration, Information, and Contemplation, and The Bible's Top Fifty Ideas: The Essential Concepts Everyone Should Know) is the rabbi of Congregation B'nai Jacob in Woodbridge, Connecticut, and lives in nearby Orange. Winner of a National Book Award, Rabbi Elkins gives talks on "Jewish Stories: The Key to Transmitting Jewish Values," "Shabbat: A Day for the Rest of Your Life," "The Bible's Top 50 Ideas," and "The Talmud's Top 50 Ideas." He is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email Rabbi Elkins at DPE@JewishGrowth.org or visit his websites www.JewishGrowth.org and wisdomofjudaism.org.

Martin Schiller (Bread, Butter, and Sugar: A Boy's Journey Through the Holocaust and Postwar Europe), a retired electrical engineer and former consultant for air pollution control, lives in Fairfield, Connecticut. He is a survivor of the Skarzysko-Kamienna and Buchenwald camps and gives these Holocaust-related talks: "Survival and Responsibility," "The Responsibility of Freedom," "The Burden of Survival," and "Remembering the Past." Schiller is willing to travel anywhere within the U.S. and Canada. To arrange a program, email him at martischill@optonline.net or visit his website www.breadbutterandsugar.com.

Massachusetts

Sarah Marwil Lamstein (Annie's Shabbat and Letter on the Wind: A Chanukah Tale) lives in Newton, Massachusetts, where she is a puppeteer and writer. Winner of a Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award, Lamstein gives school and library visits for children in grades K-5 in which she discusses the process of writing books, including the collaborative aspects of working with an editor and illustrator. Her program specific to Letter on the Wind consists of a shadow puppet show of the story of Chanukah, a discussion of heroes throughout Jewish history, a demonstration of making olive oil, and a menorah fashion show. Her program specific to Annie's Shabbat includes a discussion of Shabbat customs throughout history and the world. Slides and music accompany the programs. Lamstein is willing to travel anywhere throughout the U.S. To arrange a program, email her at sarahm45@aol.com or visit her website www.sarahlamstein.com.

Richard Michelson (Across the Alley, As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March Toward Freedom, A is for Abraham: A Jewish Family Alphabet, and Too Young for Yiddish) lives in Amherst, Massachusetts. Owner of R. Michelson Galleries, he represents Jewish artists such as Leonard Baskin, Leonard Nimoy, Mordicai Gerstein, and Neil Waldman. Michelson gives the following talks: "Too Young for Yiddish: How Language Affects Culture/Jewish Identity in the American Melting Pot," "No, and I Can't Dance Either: Writing Across Racial Lines (Being Jewish and Writing in Other Voices)," "Turning Autobiography into Picture Books: How Much Is True, How Long Did It Take to Write and How Much Money Do You Make?" and "How Young Is Too Young?: Picture Books about the Holocaust." He is willing to travel throughout the United States. To arrange a program, email Michelson at RM@RMichelson.com or visit his website www.RichardMichelson.com.

Lesléa Newman (Runaway Dreidl!, Matzo Ball Moon, The Eight Nights of Chanukkah, and A Letter to Harvey Milk: Short Stories) lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. Winner of a Gemini Award, she gives a talk for grades 1-5 entitled "Dreidels, Maidels and Ladles!" in which she shows students how a book is created from start to finish. Her talk includes early handwritten drafts, artist's sketches, book dummies, and press sheets. With photographs from her childhood, she shows students where her ideas come from, and how the people in her family appear in her books. Newman also gives a talk for adults entitled "How Can You Be a Lesbian—You're Jewish!" She reads from her poetry and from her short story collection A Letter to Harvey Milk while exploring themes of Jewish and lesbian identity: where the two intersect and where the two collide. Newman is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at leslea@lesleakids.com or visit her websites www.lesleanewman.com and www.lesleakids.com.

Alan Radding (Miracles: Stories for Jewish Children and Their Families), lives in Newton, Massachusetts. A freelance writer, ghostwriter, and lay leader of his synagogue's children's service, he gives readings of his original stories for children in synagogues, schools, summer camps, and Jewish Community Centers throughout the New England area. Radding is willing to travel anywhere within a day's drive of Boston. To arrange a program, contact him by phone at 617-332-4369, email alan@radding.net, or visit his website www.jewishfamilystories.com.

Rabbi Dennis S. Ross (God in Our Relationships: Spirituality Between People from the Teachings of Martin Buber and The Ten Commandments: From the Shadow of Eden to the Promise of Canaan) is the rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Worcester, Massachusetts, and serves as director of Concerned Clergy for Choice for the Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of New York State in Albany. Rabbi Ross gives talks on "Spirituality in Relationships from the Teachings of Martin Buber," "The Hasidic Stories of Martin Buber," "Religious Support for Stem Cell Research," and "Jewish Views of Intimate Relations, Birth Control and Abortion." Although most of his speaking is in the Northeast, he is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. To arrange a program with Rabbi Ross, email him directly at dennis@dennisross.net.

Peter Zheutlin (Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry's Extraordinary Ride) is a freelance journalist in Needham, Massachusetts. He offers a PowerPoint presentation in which he takes readers back to the 1890s and explores the connections between the bicycle craze, the women's suffrage movement, and globalization. Zheutlin shows how these forces created the fertile ground for Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, a Jewish housewife and mother, to become the first international female sports star under her pseudonym Annie Londonderry, taken from her first corporate sponsor: the Londonderry Lithia Spring Water Company of New Hampshire. Zheutlin is willing to travel anywhere in North America. To arrange a program, email him at pzheutlin@rcn.com, phone 781-444-9056, or visit his website www.annielondonderry.com.

New Hampshire

Rebecca Kohn (The Gilded Chamber and Seven Days to the Sea) lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she writes full time. Kohn gives talks on "How the Stories of Biblical Heroines Can Inspire Us Today," "The Importance of Jewish History to Contemporary Jews," and "How to Make Torah More Meaningful in Our Lives," along with a seminar on character development for novice fiction writers. She is willing to travel anywhere as long as her expenses are paid. Email Kohn at rebecca.kohn@valley.net or visit her website rebeccakohn.com.

New Jersey

Matthew Gewirtz (The Gift of Grief: Finding Peace, Transformation, and Renewed Life After Great Sorrow) lives in Maplewood, New Jersey. The senior rabbi of Temple B'nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, New Jersey, he gives these talks: "A Time to Prepare," "Surrender Before Tragedy," "The Light at Our Core," and "Healthy Versus Unhealthy Religion." Rabbi Gewirtz specializes in speaking about grief and is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program with him, contact Ingrid Hawkinson, associate publicist of Ten Speed Press, at (510) 559-1600 x 3065 or ihawkinson@tenspeed.com, or visit the Temple B'nai Jeshurun website www.TJB.org.

Barbara Kessel (Suddenly Jewish: Jews Raised as Gentiles Discover Their Jewish Roots) is the director of administration for the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York. A freelance writer of nonfiction and poetry, she lives in Edison, New Jersey. In her talks, Kessel explores the phenomenon of people who discovered as adults that they are of Jewish descent. For many, the discovery of Jewish roots confirmed long-held suspicions or even, more mysteriously, conformed to a long-felt attraction toward Judaism. Kessel also recounts interviews she didn't have room to include in her book. She is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email Kessel at maydl49@aol.com.

Anna Olswanger (Shlemiel Crooks) is a literary agent with Liza Dawson Associates in New York and the coordinator of the Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference each fall at the 92nd Street Y. She lives in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. A Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award winner and a Koret International Jewish Book Award finalist, Olswanger gives talks to adults on "How to Get Your Children's Book (or Any Book) Published from a Literary Agent's Point of View" and "Helping Children Write Fiction from Family History." She visits schools and libraries to give talks to children about the research behind Shlemiel Crooks and how writers of any age can research their family history and use it to write short fiction. Olswanger is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at anna@olswanger.com or visit her websites www.shlemielcrooks.com and www.olswanger.com.

Rosalind Reisner (Jewish American Literature: A Guide to Reading Interests), a librarian, divides her time between Ocean, New Jersey (Monmouth County), and New York City. Winner of the Best Reference Book Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries, she gives two talks based on her book: "Hungry Hearts: 350 Years of American Jewish History in Fiction and Memoirs" and "Beyond Faye Kellerman and The Red Tent: Great Jewish Mysteries, Thrillers and Historical Fiction." Reisner is willing to travel throughout the Eastern corridor from Boston to Washington, DC, including Baltimore and Metro New York City. To arrange a program, email her at roz@thereisners.net.

Rabbi Ilene Schneider (Chanukah Guilt) lives in Marlton, New Jersey, where she is coordinator of the Jewish Hospice Program of Samaritan Hospice. In addition to giving book readings and signings, she speaks on "What Makes a Jewish Mystery Jewish," "Judaism and Ecology" (specifically birding), and "Why Jewish Hospice?" She is willing to travel anywhere as long as her expenses are covered. To arrange a program with Rabbi Schneider, email her at rabbiavivacohen@yahoo.com or visit her website rabbiavivacohenmysteries.com.

New York

Haggai Carmon (The Red Syndrome: A Dan Gordon Intelligence Thriller and Triple Identity: A Dan Gordon Intelligence Thriller) lives in Long Island, New York, where he is an international attorney representing the U.S. Department of Justice in its Israeli litigation. On assignment by several federal agencies, Carmon has gathered legal intelligence around the world in complex, multimillion dollar cases, most involving money laundering. In his talks, he describes his real-life adventures that have inspired his intelligence thrillers. Carmon is willing to travel anywhere within the Tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut; he is willing to travel elsewhere as long as his travel expenses are paid. To arrange a program, contact him at haggai@carmonlaw.com, phone 212-751-0406, or visit his websites www.tripleidentity.com and www.carmonlaw.com.

Janice Eidus (The War of the Rosens), a novelist, short story writer, essayist, and writing coach, lives in Brooklyn, New York, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She has twice won the O.Henry Prize for her short stories, a Pushcart Prize and a Redbook Prize. Eidus gives talks throughout the U.S., Europe, and Central America on "Reading and Writing Jewish: Literary Heritage from a Writer's Perspective," "The Multiracial Jewish Family: Transformation and Creativity," and "Growing Up As a Secular Jew and Writing About It." In her talks, she includes readings from her fiction and nonfiction about Jewish identity. To arrange a program, email Eidus at janice@janiceeidus.com or visit her website www.janiceeidus.com.

David Evanier (The Great Kisser, Red Love, and The One-Star Jew) lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he teaches and writes full time. Winner of the Aga Khan Fiction Prize, Evanier gives talks on "Jewish Fiction in a Post-Holocaust World," "Turning Life Experience into Fiction," "Why I Write," and "Mentors and Friends: A Writer's Journey." He is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email Evanier at devanier@earthlink.net or visit his website www.davidevanier.com.

Amalia Hoffman (Purim Goodies) lives in Larchmont, New York (Westchester County), where she is a designer specializing in store window displays. Winner of a Portfolio Award in Fantasy from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, she gives three programs in themed costumes for grades K-5: "Purim Goodies" with a Yiddish sing-a-long and hamantaschen baking demonstration, "The Klezmer Bunch" with fiddle playing and klezmer songs, and "The Mystery of the Cairo Genizah" with a treasure hunt in which children learn the meaning of genizah and "discover" some of the medieval manuscripts found in the Ben Ezra synagogue in Cairo. Hoffman gives a workshop for older children in grades 3-6 in which they make three dimensional paper cards for the Jewish holidays using the same techniques she uses as an illustrator. Hoffman will travel anywhere in the U.S. and in in Israel. To arrange a program, email her at amaliah@optonline.com or visit her website amaliahoffman.com.

Ann D. Koffsky (Eight Nights for Eight Lights, More Than Matzah: A Passover Feast of Fun, Facts, and Activities, My Cousin Tamar Lives in Israel, and Shabbat Shalom!) lives in West Hempstead, New York, where she creates art for children's books, greeting cards, and toys. Koffsky gives school and library talks for children in grades K-6. Using her books as a starting point, she discusses composition, color choices, working with research, and the process of illustration from the first sketch to the final book. Her program is interactive with a sketching demonstration, grab bag of props, and sometimes a craft from one of her books. Koffsky is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at ann@annkoffsky.com or visit her website www.annkoffsky.com.

Sandy Lanton (Daddy's Chair and Lots of Latkes) lives in Plainview, Long Island, New York. Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award, Lanton gives presentations to students in pre-K to second grade about how a book is made. She gives three writing workshops for grades 3-12: "Show, Don't Tell," "Using Sensory Details," and "Major Dramatic Question—The Secret to Plot." Lanton has a certificate in Bereavement Counseling from the SIDS Center at SUNY Stony Brook, and for teachers, parents, and librarians, gives talks about bibliotherapy and the ways children react to death at different developmental ages. Lanton is willing to travel anywhere. Email her at sandylanton@yahoo.com or visit her website www.sandylanton.com.

Christos Nicola (The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story) lives in Astoria, New York, where he is a New York State Professional Conduct Investigator. Winner of a Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award, Nicola gives these talks: "Cave Exploration around the World," "Survival in Extreme Conditions," "Climbing and Rappel Techniques," and motivational talks, such as how the Jews featured in The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story survived the Holocaust by taking refuge in a cave for a year. Nicola is wiling to travel anywhere, as long as his travel, lodging, and meal expenses are covered. To arrange a program, email Kar-Ben Publishing at publicity@karben.com or visit Nicola's website www.priestsgrotto.com.

Rosalind Reisner (Jewish American Literature: A Guide to Reading Interests), a librarian, divides her time between New York City and Ocean, New Jersey (Monmouth County). Winner of the Best Reference Book Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries, she gives two talks based on her book: "Hungry Hearts: 350 Years of American Jewish History in Fiction and Memoirs" and "Beyond Faye Kellerman and The Red Tent: Great Jewish Mysteries, Thrillers and Historical Fiction." Reisner is willing to travel throughout the Eastern corridor from Boston to Washington, DC, including Baltimore and Metro New York City. To arrange a program, email her at roz@thereisners.net.

Debra L. Schultz, Ph.D. (Going South: Jewish Women in the Civil Rights Movement) is a writer, historian, and human rights consultant based in Brooklyn, New York. She gives talks throughout the area on "Jews and Social Justice," "Jews and Race," and "The Politics of Holocaust Memory." A long-time global women's rights activist, Schultz also addresses the history, development, and challenges of women's movements worldwide, including the history of Jewish women's activism in Eastern Europe and the United States. She is willing to travel anywhere if her expenses are covered. To arrange a program with Dr. Schultz, email her at debralynnschultz@gmail.com.

Arthur Schwartz (Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited) lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he writes and lectures about food history and cooking and does restaurant consulting. Winner of Best American Cookbook and Cookbook of the Year, he gives these talks: "Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited" and "Why Jews Love Food." Schwartz teaches cooking in the U.S. and Italy, and is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email him at kuker@aol.com, phone 718-783-2626, or visit his website www.thefoodmaven.com.

Steve Sheinkin (The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, and Rabbi Harvey Rides Again) is a writer/illustrator in Brooklyn, New York. Sheinkin gives talks around the country about the stories behind his comics, specifically about the traditional Jewish sources behind Harvey's adventures and the process of adapting them into comics set in the Wild West. He also gives an interactive workshop for kids ages 10-12 called "Making Your Own Graphic Novels," in which he shows sample stories, visual sources, and steps in the process of making comics. Sheinkin is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. Email him at steve@rabbiharvey.com or visit his website www.rabbiharvey.com .

Leora Skolkin-Smith (Edges: O Israel, O Jerusalem) is a full-time writer in New York City. Nominated by Grace Paley for a PEN Ernest Hemingway Award, Skolkin-Smith gives talks on "Gender Issues and Mother/Daughter Relationships in Jewish Fiction," "Writing About War in Fiction," "Israel and Palestine in Fiction," and "From Novel to Feature Film" (the last about her novel's acquisition by Triboro Pictures). Skolkin-Smith is willing to travel anywhere. To arrange a program, email her at skolkin@nyc.rr.com or visit her website www.leoraskolkinsmith.com.

Sara Stave (Siddur Sababa) lives in New York City, New York. A teacher in the Jewish Studies department at the Solomon Schechter Day School in Bergen County, New Jersey, Stave gives talks on "Connecting Tefillah to Tikkun Olam" and "Creating a Tefillah Curriculum for Middle School." She is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S. To arrange a program, email her at sstave@sabababooks.com or visit her website http://sabababooks.com.

Michele Zackheim (Einstein's Daughter: The Search for Lieserl and Violette's Embrace) lives in New York City where she teaches a master's class at the School of Visual Arts on writing from a visual perspective. When Zackheim gives talks about the Jewish aspect of her books, she describes growing up in a little town in California with no Jews and making Einstein her idol and reason for withstanding the ugliness she experienced as a Jew. She also describes how the memoir part of Violette's Embrace reflects what she knew about life as a Jew in a small town. Zackheim will travel anywhere as long as her expenses are covered. Email her at michelezackheim@mac.com or visit her website www.MicheleZackheim.com.

Pennsylvania

Steven Silbiger (The Jewish Phenomenon: Seven Keys to the Enduring Wealth of a People) lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he works as a director of television marketing to develop new products and brand them through television commercials. Silbiger gives talks around the country about the extraordinary success of Jewish Americans in the United States and their contributions to the world in the arts, sciences, and business. He is willing to travel anywhere in the U.S., if expenses are paid. To arrange a program, email Silbiger at Jewish7s@juno.com.

Rhode Island

Tami Lehman-Wilzig (Keeping the Promise: A Torah's Journey, Mayer Aaron Levi and His Lemon Tree, Passover Around the World, and Tasty Bible Stories: A Menu of Tales & Matching Recipes) lives in Petach Tikva, Israel, but will be living in Providence, Rhode Island, from September-May, 2008-2009. Winner of the International Reading Association Teacher's Choice Award and the New York State Reading Association's Charlotte Award, Lehman-Wilzig gives readings with interactive Powerpoint presentations based on her books. For Keeping the Promise, she focuses on three aspects of Judaism: Torah, mitzvot, and Jewish history. For Mayer Aaron Levy and His Lemon Tree, she ties in the cultural heirloom in the book with daily life and asks children and adults in the audience to tell their own stories. For Passover Around the World, she discusses various Hagaddah customs and ends the session with a post-Passover Moroccan Mimouna accompanied by eating sweets and making a stuffed-date recipe. For Tasty Bible Stories, she gives a Bible food quiz and includes a cooking session. While based in Rhode Island, Lehman-Wilzig is willing to travel along the East Coast, from Maine to Florida, and to northern Mid-America (e.g., Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Chicago). She is willing to travel to other parts of the country if she can combine appearances. To arrange a program, email her at tamisam@writestuff.co.il.

To participate in this website, contact Anna Olswanger.