Bethanie Gorny with Jack Fox. This month Bethanie Gorny, author of the new book “Fridays with Eva” spoke to a large crowd at the Katz JCC as part of the Jewish Author series, earlier this month.

The book revolves around the growing relationship between the author and her mother in law, Eva, who moves to the Jersey shore to be closer to family in her later years.

Eva's move from the chicken farming area in Vineland to the beach community of Ventnor is a turning point for them both. Eva is a Holocaust survivor, observant Jew, joke teller, and widow, while Bethanie is a middle-aged professor hard at work on her career.

As their relationship develops, the pragmatic professor discovers another side to herself that she had neglected. She begins listening to her intuition and trusting her feelings as well as logic.

Her priorities in life begin to shift. There is a gradual role reversal and Eva becomes the teacher while Bethanie is the student. Much to her surprise, Bethanie comes to understand that the role of caregiver provides more benefits to her than to Eva.

Bethanie Gorny spoke to a large crowd at the Katz JCC as part of the Jewish Author series. Fridays with Eva is a heartwarming memoir that will inspire, entertain and enlighten all who read it. Parents, grandparents and grandchildren will all connect on some level with this story that crosses generations and cultures.

“Fridays with Eva” is ultimately about how relationships have the power to change us, what makes life meaningful, and how to survive life's vicissitudes from small to large.
Bethanie Gorny signs books after her talk.
ERWIN MARKMAN, AVODA NASSI at recent Avoda luncheon with speaker Andrea Steinberg, executive director of Jewish Family Service of Atlantic and Cape May Counties.
CERTIFIED FITNESS TRAINER NANCY ADLER receives a gift from program chairman Jane Stark following her presentation to Emeth Shalom's Chavurah.