The 16

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annual San Diego Jewish Book Fair will continue its tradition of excellence this year with a lineup of some 40 acclaimed authors, including Cathleen Schine, Gary Shteyngart, Paula Shoyer, Sam Zien (aka Sam The Cooking Guy) and Mosab Hassan Yousef (aka the Son of Hamas). 
The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla will host the literature festival and book sale Nov. 3-15 at its Jacobs Family Campus, 4126 Executive Drive.

New features include “Coffee Conversations,” “Unusual Jewish Stories,” “Talk and Tea,” and “What’s So Funny? An Evening of Comedy.” Complete details are on the Web at sdjbf.org.

Family Day with free music, storytelling, kids books, and more will run from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 7.

The North County events, sponsored by the Leichtag Family Foundation, will be held at Temple Solel in Cardiff and the Dove Library in Carlsbad, Nov. 14-15.

The book fair is underwritten by the Viterbi Family Foundation and the U.S. Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management and presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture.

Mosab Hassan Yousef, eldest son of the founder of Hamas, will lead off the lecture series on Nov. 3. Yousef recounts his experiences as a member of the terrorist family and his conversion to a new way of life promoting peace in the NYT bestseller “Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue and Unthinkable Choices.“

The book fair will also present activist Todd Gitlin, who examines the U.S./Israel relationship in “The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel and the Ordeals of Divine Election” on Nov. 4; best-selling absurdist novelist, Gary Shteyngart of “Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel” in conversation with Mark Oppenheimer of “Wisenheimer: A Childhood Subject to Debate” about their off-beat views on being wordy in America on Nov. 6; and stand-up comic Joel Chasnoff of “The 188

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Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah: A Memoir” who will perform his comedy routine on Nov. 7.

Scholar Mitchell Bard will discuss “The Arab Lobby: The Invisible Alliance That Undermines America’s Interests in the Middle East,” on Nov. 10. His book probes “the scarily secret history of a group that includes former elected officials and diplomats, academics, human rights organizations, Christian groups, UN agencies, and even law enforcement.”

San Diego cooking star Sam Zien will provide food for thought and thought for food while promoting his new book “Sam the Cooking Guy: Awesome Recipes & Kitchen Shortcuts” on Nov. 16.

Dr. Erica Brown will offer her answer to countering negative Jewish stereotyping, “Confronting Scandal: How Jews Can Respond When Jews Do Bad Things,” on Nov. 9; and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein whose “36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction” has been called “fearless, funny and brilliant,” will be the Nov. 15 guest. Her talk is at Carlsbad’s Dove Library. Admission $6-$8.

Evening Lectures

Authors will speak at 7:30 p.m. with book signings afterward, most presentations at the JCC in La Jolla. Admission $14-$17. Box Office (858) 362-1348.

Web has Schedule :

sdjbf.org

Other Highlights

• Journalist Marilyn Berger, “This is a Soul: The Mission of Rick Hodes,” 2 p.m. Nov. 4
• Oscar Andrew Hammerstein III, “The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family,” 4 p.m. Nov. 8
• Huffington Post writer Angella Nazarian, “Life as a Visitor Imagine being Jewish in Iran!” noon, Nov. 9
• Author Sheila Isenberg, “Muriel’s War: An American Heiress in the Nazi Resistance,” 2 p.m. Nov. 14, Temple Solel, 3575 Manchester Ave., Cardiff
• Stem cell insights with Laurie Strongin, “Saving Henry: A Mother’s Journey,” 4 p.m. Nov. 9 and at 5 p.m., Dr. Lawrence Goldstein, director of the UCSD Stem Cell Program, Professor of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, and author of “Stem Cells for Dummies”