Should everything be allowed in the name of free speech? How do we react to offensive cartoons? Can we make fun of the Holocaust? Are mothers sacred? Does criticizing Israel necessarily make you a self-hating Jew? Will comedy as a genre survive our politically correct and fearful age? These are some of the questions our witty and provocative panel addressed.

The characters in Jon Canter, Lana Citron and Rudolph Delson’s novels seem to be mostly bewildered at life, often angry. They meet romance by accident as they certainly can’t believe in it being either misanthropic or disillusioned. The results are hilarious. They’ve been compared to Woody Allen, Nora Ephron and Tony Parson.

Sponsored by UJIA

For the first time, JBW commissioned new work; storytelling with a common theme. We entitled this evening ‘True Tales?’ and selected some of our favourite writers who presented works of either truth or fiction. The tales were themed ‘Imprints of Home and Exile’. Throught the evening the writers offered suggestions of what remains when we leave home; which aspects of home leave us and which do we carry with us? Then they turned to the audience to vote on whether the story they j...