Meet the author

Adam Valen Levinson, author of “The Abu Dhabi Bar Mitzvah,” will be the next speaker in the “Meet the Author” series at 11 a.m. at Congregation Torat El, Oakhurst.

Armed only with college Arabic and restless curiosity, the author set out to “learn about the world 9/11 made us fear.” From a base in Abu Dhabi, he lunches in Taliban territory in Afghanistan, travels under the watchful eye of Aleppo’s secret police, and risks shipwreck en route to Somalia.

Valen Levinson is an affiliate of the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., and a fellow at the Center for Cultural Sociology at Yale University, where he studies humor as a key to cultural understanding.

The book is available for purchase at the temple at a reduced price of $18 and will be signed by the author during the program. A light brunch will be served.

Pre-paid reservations at $15 can be made at torat-el.org or by calling
732-531-4410; cost is $20 at the door.