Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean

A lecture by Andree Aelion Brooks
Sunday, January 12, 2014
11:30 am

            Ahoy, Mateys. Come hear award-winning journalist, author and lecturer Andrée Aelion Brooks present Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: their origins and exploits. The lecture begins at 11:30 am on Sunday, January 12, 2014 at Congregation B’nai Israel (CBI) in Rumson. Enjoy bagels and coffee as Ms. Brooks leads a discussion about how and why Jewish pirates lived and worked in the Caribbean in the 16th and 17th centuries. “We are thrilled that Ms. Brooks is returning to our synagogue to speak,” said Yona Shulman, Chair of the Adult Education Committee at CBI.  “She is a popular lecturer and a great story teller. Her presentations are always fascinating and filled with interesting insight and humor.” 

            An expert on Sephardic, Caribbean and Mediterranean Jewish communities, Ms. Brooks is an Associate Fellow at Yale University. A journalist for The New York Times for 18 years and guest essayist for The Wall Street Journal, Brooks has received an outstanding achievement award from the National Federation of Press Women as well as the Mark Twain Award from the Connecticut Press Club. She is the author of a number of books; one, entitled The Woman who Defied Kings, is a biography of the16th century Jewish banker Doña Gracia Nasi, and another, entitled Russian Dance, is a romantic thriller based on the true story of a Bolshevik spy.

            The lecture is open to the public but advance registration is required. For congregants, there is no fee. For non-congregants there is a $5 fee. To register, go to the events page at www.cbirumson.org or contact Synagogue Director, Emilie Kovit-Meyer at 732-842-1800, x203.