SIMCHA BOSTON!

traditional Klezmer music, and authentic Eastern European cuisine. The event, to be held in the Newsfeed Café at the BPL from 6:30pm - 8:30pm on Wednesday, May 16, will feature a talk by Neville Frankel, author of National Jewish Book Awards Finalist On the Sickle’s Edge, and a musical performance by famed New England Conservatory Klezmer Duo Hankus Netsky and Eden MacAdam-Somer.
The event emcee will be Laura Mandel, Executive Director of the Jewish Arts Collaborative. The evening program is part of an Author Series sponsored by the Newsfeed Café at the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston. As an added feature, a cocktail reception will precede the program, where traditional Eastern European dishes and Kosher wines will be available for purchase at The Newsfeed Café. Space is limited, so reserve early!” 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neville Frankel is an Emmy award-winning writer of literary and historical fiction. His most recent historical novel, On the Sickle’s Edge, was a Finalist for a 2017 National Jewish Book Award. A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, Frankel immigrated to Boston with his family at the age of 14. He is a contributor to The Huffington Post and The Good Men Project. His work has been published in the LA Times, Signature Magazine, Lit Hub, and The Prosen People. He is a 2013 Boston Book Lab author and a 2013 and 2017 Jewish Book Council author. 
At SIMCHA BOSTON!, Frankel will bring to life the family legends that inspired On the Sickle’s Edge—a Jewish family’s journey, with roots in Latvia, South Africa and Soviet-era Russia—and finally lead them to the US. Steeped in Russian history and Jewish heritage, Frankel’s novel explores the way that culture and identity thread their way through generations. It bears witness to the importance of family stories as an integral part of our heritage and the legacy we leave to future generations.
ABOUT THE MUSICAL PERFORMERS
A multi-instrumentalist, composer and ethnomusicologist, Hankus Netsky is founder and director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band. He has composed extensively for film, theater, and television and has collaborated closely with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Robin Williams, Joel Grey, Theodore Bikel, and Robert Brustein. Netsky serves as chair of The New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Improvisation Department. In 2013, The Forward named him “One of the fifty most influential Jews in America” for his work spearheading the resurgence of traditional Eastern European Jewish music.
Eden MacAdam-Somer recently released her first solo album “My First Love Story” and maintains an active international recording career with bands such as Notorious Folk, the Sail Away Ladies, and the Klezmer Conservatory Band. MacAdam-Somer has also taught at the Afghanistan National Institute of Musicland and collaborated with Afghan artists. She serves as co-chair of The New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Improvisation Department.
 ABOUT THE JEWISH ARTS COLLABORATIVE
The Jewish Arts Collaborative explores and presents the rich, diverse, and creative world of Jewish culture—past, present, and future—to the widest possible audience across Greater Boston. We seek to bring people together for moving experiences inspired by Jewish traditions and themes, where everyone can enjoy the depths of its creativity and identity. We are driven to share the richness of Jewish culture with all—those who love and those who know nothing of it. www.jartsboston.org
ABOUT THE NEWSFEED CAFE 
The Newsfeed Café is located at the prominent 700 Boylston Street address on the corner of Exeter and Boylston Streets inside the Central Library’s recently renovated Johnson building. The Newsfeed Café is operated and managed by The Catered Affair and offers a selection of chef-inspired grab-and-go fare featuring gourmet salads, pastries, and family-friendly snacks. The beverage menu features cold-brewed iced tea and an extensive selection of premium loose leaf tea.
ABOUT JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have contributed to the fabric of American society and culture. The Newsfeed Café at the Boston Public Library is proud to be part of this celebration of culture, which has so enriched the City of Boston.