WE ARE ALL A STORY

On March 14, Rosh Hodesh Adar II, Janice Alper, an active member of Congregation Beth Israel, and local author will discuss her book, Sitting on the Stoop: A Girl Grows in Brooklyn, 1944-1957. She will share her writing journey, read excerpts from her book, and engage the Women of Beth Israel in sharing their stories through short writing prompts. Be sure to bring, pen, or pencil and paper to share your most joyful memories.

There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event will be held virtually on Zoom and is open to all.

Janice Alper, author of Sitting on the Stoop: A Girl Grows in Brooklyn, 1944-1957, is an active member of Congregation Beth Israel, where she frequently participates in the Shabbat morning minyan. She is a memoirist, essayist and inveterate traveler who has explored all seven continents. In her book, Janice recounts what her life was like living in a home with Orthodox grandparents, her parents, younger brother and assorted relatives. The essays and poems in the book depict a time before television, when neighbors, through a haze of cigarette smoke, shared stories and news while sitting on the stoop. Readers see how this young girl, who travels on city buses by herself from the time she is seven years old, makes her way in the world.

Janice is a graduate of Brooklyn College with both a BA and MA in Speech therapy. She married the love her life, Marvin Alper in 1962, and the couple were together for more than fifty years until his death in 2013. They moved to Rancho Palos Verdes, California in 1970 with four children, under the age of three, and a dog. They joined Temple Beth El in San Pedro, California where Janice became the first adult Bat Mitzvah in the congregation. This turned out to be a turning point in her life.
Janice obtained a master’s degree in Jewish Education from the Hebrew Union College in 1978 and went on to direct several synagogue schools, and a communal agency in Atlanta, Georgia. She capped her career with a retirement position as Executive Director of the Union for Progressive Judaism, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.

When they left Australia, Janice and Marv traveled half-way around the world for twelve weeks before they took up residence in La Jolla. They joined CBI and attended the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UCSD. Janice edited the newsletter the Osher Observer for five years.
In 2016 Janice joined a Read and Critique Group at San Diego Writers Ink. Sitting on the Stoop, started while she was attending OLLI, and was finished after thirteen years, as a result of her participation in this group.

You can follow her at www.janicesjottings1.com.

Sitting on the Stoop: A Girl Grows in Brooklyn, 1944-1957, Janice Pearlstein Alper is available in hard copy and kindle on Amazon.
Janice, who has visited all seven continents, is living proof you can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but you can’t take Brooklyn out of the girl.