Poised and charming and offering insightful discussions, Jessica Fechtor, a guest author and speaker for the Beyond the Book Festival, established immediate rapport with her audience while reading from her book, Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home.
Fechtor shared her journey of recovery from a ruptured brain aneurysm at the age of 28, in which she reclaimed her life through the restorative power of food and cooking. Laughter filled the room when she apologized about offering such a story over lunch, but by then she had become family.
Ashley Zittrain, a JFS board member, says, “Everything about my time with Jessica Fechtor felt very organic, from the short time I spent with her on the ride to and from her hotel, to hearing her eloquently read passages from her book, and particularly when she made a statement about how during her recovery she felt robbed of her generosity. That was an “Ah Ha” moment for me. It put into perspective why, when I’m unable or incapable of doing for others, I feel frustrated and anxious. I truly feel that the acts of Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam fuel the soul and I was thrilled to hear Jessica help put this feeling into perspective for me.”
More than 100 people attended this Beyond the Book Festival event, an extension of the Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. It was presented by Simon Family JCC in partnership with Jewish Family Service of Tidewater.
*of blessed memory