Logo from Austin Jewish Book Fair Keynote Lecture: "Iraq, Al Qaeda, and the Future of Israel" with Jeffrey Goldberg and Lawrence WrightSunday, November 11Jewish Community Association of Austin (7300 Hart Lane)7:30pm, $12 Gen Ad, $10 Students/Seniors/JCC Members[info] | [tickets] Austin Graphics and Comics Night with Paul Benjamin and Terry and Patty LaBanThursday, November 8Barnes and Noble Westlake (701 S. Capital of Texas)7:30pm, Free[info]Less than four days are left in the 2007 Austin Jewish Book Fair,......

Ambassador Dennis Ross, U.S. point man on the Middle East peace process during Bush I and the Clinton administrations, is coming to town to deliver a special morning lecture in advance of the Austin Jewish Book Fair. Now counselor to the Washington Institute and author of Statecraft, And How to Restore America's Standing in the World, Ross will discuss "how it came to pass that, not so long after 9/11 brought the free world to......

Austin's overabundance of cultural stimuli is one of the things that make it such a great city -- heck, Austinist wouldn't be around were it not for the myriad theatre, music, film, and art events happening around us on a nightly basis. It turns out, in fact, that the cultural sector employs roughly 44,000 Austinites and accounts for an astounding $2.2 billion of economic activity per year. Beyond just improbably large numbers, these figures......

Activist and author Elie Weisel is in town to speak tonight to a sold-out audience. He is kicking off the 23rd Austin Jewish Book Fair which starts today and goes through Sunday, November 12. Tonight Wiesel will most likely speak on the topics of racism, anti-Semitism, genocide in Darfur, religious fanaticism and more. When we heard him speak he was still working on his lecture for this evening. "Indifference is the enemy of humanity."......

From the “Get The Pork Out Of Here” Files, one of this weekend’s best culinary bets comes from the good people at Congregation Agudas Achim who are rolling out their 2nd Annual Kosher Chili Cookoff on the grounds of the Dell Jewish Community Center at 7300 Hart Lane this Sunday from 12:30-4pm. It’s too late to register to compete, but you can still show up and eat. Make reservations online, or call (512) 735-8400.......