About this Event
Discover the legacy and traditions of the B’nei Israel of India through Rabbi Sasso and Benjamin’s new book, “Solly and the Elephant.”
6 pm | Gallery Reception, featuring art work by Siona Benjamin
7 pm | Book Launch and Discussion with Rabbi Sasso and Siona Benjamin, moderated by J.R. Sandadi
Sponsored by Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in partnership with Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation and the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council.
This is a free event. Registrations are appreciated!
Purchase a Festival Pass HERE to attend paid events for free!
This event is a part of the 28th Annual Ann Katz Festival of Books & Arts
To help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all guests, please note that weapons are not permitted. Small bags only. A valid photo ID is required for entry. Outside food and beverages, including water bottles, are not permitted.
About the Book | "Solly and the Elephant"
Solly's family makes the best sesame oil in Bombay, India. When he is invited to visit the royal palace one day, he is fascinated by the baby elephant in a parade. He befriends the elephant and sings him his favorite song, the Shema prayer. When Solly grows up, he comes to work as a guard at the palace, until one day he is accused of theft. Despite his innocence, Solly is found guilty and sentenced to be trampled by the wild elephants. But this elephant seems familiar to Solly, and after singing the Sh'ma prayer, he reconnects with an old animal friend.
From the award-winning team of Rabbi Sandy Sasso and Bene Israel artist Siona Benjamin, this eighteenth-century folktale from the Bene Israel community of Jews in India shows how kindness can be repaid where you least expect it.
About the Author | Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Sandy Eisenberg Sasso served as Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis from 1977–2013. Dr. Sasso is the founding director of The Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts Initiative of IUI Herron School of Art and Design. She is active in the arts, civic, and interfaith communities and has written and lectured on biblical storytelling, women and spirituality, and the discovery of the religious imagination in children. Sasso was ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974 and received her Doctor of Ministry from Christian Theological Seminary in 1996.
She is the author of many nationally acclaimed children’s books. She was the winner of the 2005 Sugarman Family Book Award and the 2006 Best Book of Indiana Award. Rabbi Sasso was the 2004 recipient of an Indiana Author’s Award, and the Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature. There are over 500,000 of her books in print.
Her latest two books are Miriam and Her Dancing Shoes and Solly and the Elephant. A book for adults, Midrash: Reading the Bible with Question Marks, has been reprinted in paperback. She has co-authored several books about the parables with Amy-Jill Levine including Who is My Neighbor, a retelling of the Good Samaritan.
About the Artist | Siona Benjamin
"As a Bene Israel Jew from India now living in the United States, I am a Jewish artist creating cross cultural and transcultural art. My perspective bridges the traditional and the modern, and sparks discourse across cultures." -Siona Benjamin
Siona Benjamin has an MFA in painting from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Ill., and an MFA in theater set design from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign. She has exhibited in the United States, Europe and Asia.
She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 2011 to India, and a second Fulbright fellowship in 2016-17 to Israel. As not just a Jewish artist but also as one who crosses cultural boundaries, her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Art In America, ArtNews, and other publications.
Her multicultural art has also been featured in The Jewish Week in New York City and New Jersey, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, and other publications.
Event venue & nearby stays
Arthur M. Glick JCC, 6701 Hoover Rd, Indianapolis, United States
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