Join graphic novelist Julian Voloj and Zack Bodner, CEO of the OFJCC, for a lively conversation on the American comic book industry.

They will also discuss the evolution of Jewish representation in comics and the exciting world of Jewish graphic storytelling.

Hyphen: Jewish Stories in Our Own Words is a vibrant new graphic novel anthology celebrating the rich diversity of Jewish experiences across the globe, featuring twelve stories of Jews with different ethnic, racial and gender identities. Recently honored with the prestigious Wilbur Award—the first time a graphic novel has taken home Book of the Year.

There will be a book signing at the event on the 4th floor. Books are available for purchase on the event ticket page.

This event is suitable for ages 12+

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hyphen is a powerful celebration of Jewish life, amplifying voices that have too often been overlooked. This collection features twelve deeply personal, real-life stories of Jews from racially, ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds around the world. Each story is told in their own words and uniquely illustrated by a roster of acclaimed international artists. From ancient traditions to modern journeys, these voices reflect the true diversity of the Jewish experience today.

Not stories about them—stories by them.

At the heart of Hyphen is the belief that Jewish identity is not one-size-fits-all. By empowering contributors to tell their own stories, Hyphen offers an authentic, nuanced and deeply human look at what it means to belong.

Curated by Julian Voloj and Fabrice Sapolsky.

Stories from: Haftam Yitzhak Heathwood, Joshua Sky, Souks Soukhaseum, Eddna Samuel, Dubbs Weinblatt, Julian Voloj, Dana Schneider, Shoshana Nambi, Natan Badalov, Carmel Tanaka, Fabrice Sapolsky, Koren Shadmi.

Featuring art by: Guy Moshayov, Moritat, Toni Cittadini, Dorylis Giacchietto, Shannice Alagoga, Wagner Willian, Sergio Varbella, Chiara Raimondi, Makoto Tanaka, Jon Lankry, Aude Massot, Koren Shadmi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julian Voloj is the author of sev­er­al crit­i­cal­ly acclaimed graph­ic nov­els, often focus­ing on historical and/or biographical topics, including books on Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, chess genius turned madman Bobby Fischer and Liberty, retelling the chaotic creation story of the Statue of Liberty. He serves as the exec­u­tive direc­tor of Be'chol Lashon, an orga­ni­za­tion cel­e­brat­ing Jew­ish diver­si­ty through arts, cul­ture and sto­ry­telling. With the Hyphen: Jewish Stories in our own words anthol­o­gy he com­bines his pas­sions, cel­e­brat­ing diver­si­ty through com­ic book sto­ry­telling. Born in Ger­many to Colom­bian par­ents, he lives in New York.

Author Julian Voloj  |  Photo credit: Bob Krasner

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Zack Bodner is President and CEO at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, CA. 

Zack is also the author of the book Why Do Jewish? A manifesto for 21^st century Jewish Peoplehood which takes one of our oldest wisdom traditions and provides an accessible road map for anyone looking for answers to life's most important questions.

Under Zack's leadership, the JCC began hosting an annual conference called Zionism 3.0 which became The Z3 Project, a global effort to reimagine Diaspora-Israel relations. Before joining the JCC, Zack served for 14 years as the Pacific Northwest Regional Director of AIPAC. Zack holds a master’s degree in philosophy of religion and theology from Claremont Graduate University, earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University, studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and at Stanford Business School's program for Executives in Non-Profit Leadership.

Zack is an accomplished speaker and a board member of the JCC Association of North America and is on the Advisory Board of the Taube Center for Jewish Studies at Stanford University. He lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and three children.

Moderator Zack Bodner

For questions, please contact Tamara Thiel Prizant at tprizant@paloaltojcc.org