Emmy Award-winning comedian Judy Gold will share her experiences growing up Jewish in New Jersey as part of the six-week Ninth Annual Festival of Books, Culture, and the Arts sponsored by the JCC of Greater Monmouth County in Deal.

The ninth annual festival, running from Nov. 7 through Dec. 16, will feature nationally known authors discussing their acclaimed books.

The festival, chaired by Leslie B. Posnock of Ocean Township, is open to the public. The suggested fee is $5 per event. For more information, call 732-531-9100.

On the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, graduate student Orbach traveled through the Middle East. Beyond the anti-American sentiment he expected, he found complex, curious people whose lives were made even more difficult by an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness.

Sharon Estroff — Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah?: The Essential Scoop on Raising Modern Jewish Kids
This syndicated parenting columnist and award-winning Jewish educator and mother of four illuminates the ways that Jewish tradition can be used to form a lasting emotional safety net for modern families.

Stephen Fried — Husbandry: Sex, Love & Dirty Laundry, Inside the Minds of Married Men
Why do men hog the remote? Refuse to stop and ask for directions? Have such a hard time sharing their emotions? Why can"t they drop their socks in the laundry basket instead of near it? Fried"s essays fearlessly tackle the realities of love, sex, and marriage with wit and tenderness.

Lisa Garrigues — Writing Motherhood: Tapping Into Your Creativity as a Mother and a Writer
Garrigues dispels the myth that motherhood is an impediment to creativity. Whether you are a new mother or a grandmother, someone who has long aspired to write or who has never written before, Writing Motherhood will help you tap into your creative self.

Monday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. (children"s program)
Michelle Shapiro Abraham — My Cousin Tamar Lives in Israel
Cosponsored by the JCC"s Center Play School
In this introduction to Israel for young children, a young boy and his cousin Tamar learn about Jewish life in Israel and North America. Abraham is the author of Good Morning: Boker Tov, Good Night: Lilah Tov, and Shabbat Shalom.

Monday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.
Judy Gold and Kathleen Moira Ryan — 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother
Cosponsored by Ocean Township Hadassah
In 25 Questions, Gold imparts her own adventures in Jewish motherdom and her memories of growing up Jewish in suburban New Jersey along with the voices of 50 other Jewish mothers. One of the questions: "Are there any Jewish mothers out there like me, or are they all, God forbid, like my mother?"

Sunday, Dec. 16, 11 a.m.
Jen Krause — The Answer
By examining seven thought-provoking questions, The Answer offers an unexpected approach to discovering the truths, wisdom, and insights that will transform readers" lives in substantial ways.