JCC in Marblehead lines up writers for Jewish Book Month

This year’s program, which kicks off Sunday, features seven events throughout the month.

“You can figure out in two minutes if an author is a good speaker. The whole premise is to try to offer something for everyone: men, women, fiction, non-fiction,’’ said Steigman, who spends a year developing the program.

Another criteria is that the author is Jewish or the book is on a Jewish subject. The goal is to expand and enrich cultural life in the region.

Featured authors include Louis Ferrante, author of “Unlocked: A Journey from Prison to Proust;’’ Daniel Asa Rose, “Larry’s Kidney;’’ Beth Teitell, “Drinking Problems at the Fountain of Youth;’’ Noah Alper, “Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Entrepreneur;’’ Maggie Anton, “Rashi’s Daughters;’’ Chris Bohjalian, “Skeletons at the Feast;’’ and Joseph Kahn, “Last Lion.’’

All events are open to the public. For a schedule and ticket prices, call 781-631-8330, ext. 132, visit www.jccns.org, or follow the Jewish Community Center on Facebook.

COLLEGE PREP: Salem CyberSpace, together with Salem State College, has launched a College Success program.

The program provides services to high school juniors and seniors as they navigate the college testing, selection, application, and financial aid process. It continues to guide students through their college years into graduate studies or a job.

The program, funded through a community development grant from the city of Salem and a grant from the Amelia Peabody Foundation, is serving 20 students the first year.

Kelly Quinn is College Success’s first counselor. She graduated from Salem State in 2008 with a degree in social work and Spanish and is pursuing her master’s degree in social work at Salem State.

Salem CyberSpace is a part of North Shore Community Action Programs, which helps low-income people become economically self-sufficient.

Its goal is to teach computer skills to low-income and unemployed people to effect positive change for them, their families and community.

Visit www.salemcyberspace.org.

HOPE FLOATS: For the third year, more than 500 pink rubber ducks were released into Mendal Pond on the campus of Merrimack College in North Andover in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The ducks were sold at the college for $1 and personalized with the name of a cancer patient and a message of hope and support.

All proceeds benefit the Monica Cooper Children of Breast Cancer Fund Scholarship, awarded to children who have lost a parent to breast cancer.

The event included a blessing, a silent walk on a bridge, and a talk by a student about her mother’s battle with breast cancer.

The ducks will float on the pond through the end of the month.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS: The Autumn Rhapsody Auction to benefit Girls Inc. of Lynn is next Thursday at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem.

Bidding online will go through Tuesday at www.girlsinclynn.cmarket.com.

The event features an autumn menu and wine, music by Kevin Kennedy, the auction, and a themed basket raffle.

Girls Inc. of Lynn provides developmental resources and challenging programs to high-risk, low-income girls and their families. Its programs help girls confront societal messages about their value and potential, and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives.

Tickets are $75 per person. For reservations, call 781-592-9744, ext. 262, or visit www.girlsinclynn.org.

WHO’S WHAT WHERE: Dr. Donald C. Goff of Marblehead and Samuel A. Vitali of Lynn have been honored by Bridgewell, a Lynnfield nonprofit that serves adults with psychiatric and developmental disabilities. Goff, director of the Schizophrenia Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, was recognized for his visionary leadership. Vitali, a lawyer, has worked with Bridgewell for more than 30 years, advocating that individuals with disabilities have the right to live in the community with respect and dignity. He was recognized for his excellence in service. . . . Josephine Modica-Napolitano of Tewksbury has been named dean of the School of Science and Engineering at Merrimack College in North Andover. She had been interim dean since March. She began working at Merrimack in 1995 as an associate professor of biology and was named full professor in 2004. She has a doctorate from Tufts University and specializes in the study of mitochondria, biotechnology, and biomedical sciences.

Items can be sent to wdkilleen@gmail.com.