Arts & Entertainment
7th Annual Jewish Book Festival: Marilyn Berger, This is a Soul
"When Marilyn Berger went to Africa to write about Dr. Rick Hodes she had no idea how profoundly her own life would be affected. Twenty-eight years ago, Dr. Hodes went to Africa to help famine victims. While caring for some of the world's poorest children he began taking some of them into his home, officially adopting five of them. He has remained in Ethiopia as a single father and Director of JDC's Medical Programs. His journey from suburban America to Mother Teresa's clinic in Addis Ababa is not just a story about the savior and the saved, but a celebration of love.
Join us as Ms. Berger, a contributing writer to the NY Times and former diplomatic correspondent for Newsday and the Washington Post, speaks about how she became involved with the story. Her adopted son's story, intertwined with Dr. Hodes and Ms. Berger's, is unforgettable in its pathos and subtle humor. It is an exploration of how charity and devotion can actually change lives. "