Local Author Jeffrey Zaslow to be Recognized at 61st Annual Book Fair

The 61st annual Jewish Book Fair kicks off Nov. 7 at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center, offering a diverse array of art, music, and speakers as a tribute to the written word. Among the speakers are Jordan Zaslow, daughter of world-renowned author and columnist Jeffrey Zaslow of West Bloomfield.

Zaslow passed away Feb. 10 in an auto accident while on a promotional tour in Northern Michigan.

Zaslow's family settled in West Bloomfield and as his work grew from gracing the pages of The Wall Street Journal to several New York Times bestselling books, they were involved with local public schools and nonprofit organizations. Zaslow's book The Magic Room: A Story about the Love We Wish for Our Daughters, released earlier this year, has been recently released on paperback (Gotham, $27; $16 paperback).

Jordan Zaslow, one of Zaslow's three daughters, will be speaking to promote The Magic Room, which chronicles the love stories and challenges discovered in the mid-Michigan bridal store Becker's Bridal.

Her father's work is frequently discussed by readers and family even eight months after his death, Zaslow said, at least in part because they were a part of it — he frequently turned to his daughters and wife, Sherry Margolis, for their perspective as well as their copy-editing skills.

Now, she said, they help the family to heal.

"It's more meaningful because we get to keep his words, which helps us heal," said Zaslow, 23, a 2011 graduate of Indiana University. "I love the story of the family who owns the bridal shop. They have a unique story in the sense that it's a family business. I think their love is reflected in the way they interact with customers."

Zaslow is scheduled to speak on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Other highlighted guests of the fair include Stuart E. Eizenstat, who served in the White House, the State Department, the U.S. Treasury and as ambassador to the European Union and Lincoln Center pianist Caroline Stoessinger, who will perform and discuss her book A Century of Wisdom, the story of 108-year-old Alice Herz-Sommer, a Holocaust survivor raised in a home where regular guests included Kafka, Freud and Rainer Maria Rilke.

The basics

• What: The oldest and largest Jewish book fair in the United States, according to organizers, featuring leading figures from the arts, entertainment, politics, business, journalism, and more. 
• When: Opening night kicks the fair off with a performance by singer Judy Collins at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7. Events will be held every day in West Bloomfield until Nov. 18.
• Where: The Berman Center for the Performing Arts and Handleman Hall and Auditorium in the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center, 6600 W. Maple Rd., and the the Oak Park JCC at 15110 W. 10 Mile Rd.
• Cost: Paid admission is required for some events, but most are free. Tickets cost between $8-$56. To purchase tickets, visit theberman.org or call 248-661-1900.
• What else: "This year there are books on arts, letters, and science; our senses will experience both fine art and music as our minds are stimulated by science and medicine," writes fair chair Sue Lutz in a press release. "The U.S. election will be over, so the Annual Jewish Book Fair will fill the gap with plenty of debate in the areas of international politics and religion, while embracing those of all faiths locally."