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Wednesday November 21, 2007

Shorts: Art

Professor to speak at Beth David

Beth S. Wenger, author of a companion book to an upcoming PBS series about Jewish American history, will speak and sign copies of her book at Congregation Beth David in Saratoga.

Her book, “The Jewish Americans,” accompanies a PBS documentary of the same name, airing in January 2008. The book and TV program examines the growth, difficulties and accomplishments of the Jewish-American community from the mid-17th century to the present day. Wenger is the Katz Family chair in American history at the University of Pennsylvania and serves as director of its Jewish studies program.

Her talk will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29. Admission is free. For information, contact the synagogue at (408) 257-3333.

‘One Way Ticket’ reading in Berkeley

Rita Lowenthal will read from her latest book “One Way Ticket” during the Aquarian Minyan’s weekly author series at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28 at JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut St. in Berkeley.

“One Way Ticket” is a memoir of Lowenthal’s son’s addiction to heroin. Her son Josh started using heroin just after his bar mitzvah, then died of a drug overdose at the age of 38. Lowenthal wrote “One Way Ticket” to understand her son’s suffering, to help families in similar situations know they are not alone or worthy of blame and to speak out on the urgency to combat addiction.

Lowenthal, of Los Angeles, is retired from the faculties of Hebrew Union College and the University of Southern California School. She currently serves on the Drug Policy Committee of the Progressive Jewish Alliance.

Tickets are $10-$20 sliding scale to benefit Aquarian Minyan.

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