Tuesday, February 7, 12 pm
Virtual, Watch from Home, Free
Polly Adler’s life as a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe is a classic American story of success and assimilation. In the 1920s, Adler became Manhattan’s most notorious madam, playing hostess to every gangster, politician, writer, sports star, and Cafe Society worth knowing. As much as any historical figure, she helped make the 1920s roar.
American historian and biographer Debby Applegate shares the stories of Adler’s decadent parties, unpacking the appallingly corrupt, yet glamorous and transformational era of the 1920s.
Presented as a part of the Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival’s Arts + Ideas Book of the Month series: Book-club-style conversations with authors. Pre-registration required. For more details or to register, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.
See Skip Sacks’ review of Madam: The Biography of Polly Adler, Icon of the Jazz Age in the Dec. 19, 2022 issue of Jewish News.
–Sierra Lautman