arts & culture
‘The Offi ce’ Star B.J. Novak
Coming to Katz JCC
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
B .J. Novak, best known for co-writing
“Th e Offi ce” and playing its hilar-
ious and depraved con man character
Ryan Howard, will culminate the Katz
JCC’s Festival of Arts, Books and Culture
with a talk on Nov. 13.

Novak’s appearance will begin at 7
p.m. in the Lahn Social Hall at the Cherry
Hill, New Jersey facility. Tickets are $75
for JCC members and $95 for guests. You
can buy them on the JCC’s website or at
this link: howclix.com/event/novak.

“Th e Offi ce” co-star grew up in a
Jewish family in the Boston area and
attended the Solomon Schechter Day
School and Camp Ramah. His talk will
conclude a week’s worth of events that
feature an illusionist and several authors.

But Novak is the biggest name on the
list. Th e co-writer of the classic NBC
sitcom has been busy in recent years, too.

Over the past two years, he has written
and starred in a black comedy movie,
“Vengeance,” and created and produced
a Hulu series, “Th e Premise.”
A JCC email about the event called
Novak a “multi-talented pioneer” and
“authority on turning raw creativity into
bona fi de success.” Th e writer, actor and
producer did not agree to be interviewed
for this story or to make himself available
at the talk.

“He’s an intellectual. He’s a smart per-
son. I like that,” said Roberta Abramowitz,
one of the festival’s co-chairs. “Smartness
appeals to a lot of people.”
Th e Jewish kid from Boston “began
his career as a stand-up comedian” in
the early 2000s, the event email said. He
landed his “Offi ce” job when the show’s
executive producer, Greg Daniels, enjoyed
his routine at a comedy club, according to
a Boston Globe article from 2009.

Th e sitcom’s nine-year, 201-episode
run ended in 2013, and its co-writer went
on to sign a seven-fi gure book deal with
Alfred A. Knopf. In 2014, he published a
book of short stories, “One More Th ing:
Stories and Other Stories,” and a chil-
dren’s title called “Th e Book with No
Pictures.” Both spent weeks on Th e New
York Times bestseller list.

He has also created an app and main-
tained an on-again, off -again relationship
with fellow comedian and “Offi ce” star
Mindy Kaling. He has even advised cor-
porations on how to apply the “collabora-
tive, improvisational spirit of Th e Offi ce’s
writing room to their teams,” according
to the event email. In other words, not
unlike his “Offi ce” character, who created
a website and got promoted to corporate,
among other ventures, Novak has done a
lot. Ryan Howard even had an on-again,
B.J. Novak
off -again relationship with Kaling’s char-
acter, Kelly Kapoor, in the show.

“He encourages listeners of all ages
and backgrounds to embrace the
unknown by breaking out of established
formats and modes of thinking, while
emphasizing the inherent importance of
approaching every endeavor with a sense
of humor,” said the email.

In a summer interview with
JewishBoston to promote “Vengeance,”
Novak discussed how his Jewish upbring-
ing shaped him. Perhaps not surprisingly,
he said Jewish humor infl uenced him
See Arts, Page 31
PLAN AHEAD FOR peace of mind.

W H E N YO U M A K E YO U R F I N A L A R R A N G E M E N TS I N A DVA N C E ,
you can plan a memorial that truly reflects your faith and passions.

Whether planning for yourself or a loved one, rely on your
Dignity Memorial professionals to help you design a memorial
that honors the customs and rituals you cherish.

When you’re ready to get started, we’re here to help.

® FOREST HILLS/SHALOM
ROOSEVELT HUNTINGDON VALLEY
TREVOSE 215-673-5800
215-673-7500 Memorial Park
> DignityPennsylvania.com <
20 NOVEMBER 10, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
Courtesy of The Katz JCC
Memorial Park