Jewish Book Council

Established in 1944, the Jewish Book Council is the oldest organization dedicated solely to promoting and celebrating Jewish literature. For more than seventy years, we have utilized literature as a way to foster meaningful conversations about Jewish life, identity, and culture. The written word has been essential in the growth and strengthening of Jewish communities globally. The Jewish Book Council is honored to continue this vital legacy.

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Articles

The Holy and the Broken: A Cry for Israeli-Palestinian Peace from a Land That Must Be Shared

1 week ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Ittay Flescher

Most books about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict today pick sides. Rather than treat the subject with the nuance it deserves, and rather than see all those involved in their full humanity, the authors argue their corner, hoping to persuade their readers. Not so with Ittay Flescher’s newest work, The Holy and the Broken. On nearly every page, Ittay walks patiently with his readers, introducing them to the stories, people, and narratives that make up the conflict.
Excerpt: Autocorrect

1 week ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Etgar Keret

Guided TourThe aliens’ spaceship arrived every Thursday. Meron would wait for them next to the ruins of what used to be Ramat Gan City Hall, with a cooler in tow. They always came in groups of four, or five if you counted the hovering robot who seemed to be their guide.
Rembrandt Chooses a Queen

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Deborah Cohen

Review By – June 2, 2025 Samuel, a Jewish apprentice to the sixteenth-century Dutch painter Rembrandt, is eager to prove himself by taking on tasks more significant than simply cleaning brushes. Other apprentices progress more quickly because they can spend full days in the studio; Samuel spends half of each day in yeshiva learning holy Jewish texts.
‘The Spirit of Radicalism’: A Conversation Between Sara Lippmann and Seth Rogoff

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Simona Zaretsky

Smashing the Tablets: Radical Retellings of the Hebrew Bible is a bold, new collection of twenty-three writers’ responses to biblical stories. Through fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, these invigorating pieces invite readers to reconsider and reflect on storytelling itself. JBC spoke with the editors of the volume, Sara Lippmann and Seth Rogoff, on the origin story of the project, the similar themes that emerged across pieces, the the power of retelling, and more.
The Baker of Lost Memories

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Shirley Russak Wachtel

At the heart of Shirley Russak Wachtel’s new novel, The Baker of Lost Memories, is Lena, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, who grows up in the shadow of both her parents’ trauma and the absence of her murdered sister, Ruby. As the story unfolds, Wachtel weaves together themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, culminating in a surprising and emotionally satisfying conclusion. Lena’s childhood is shaped both by her parents’ resilience and their emotional distance.
Beyond Dispute: Rediscovering the Jewish Art of Constructive Disagreement

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Daniel Taub

As a former ambassador and peace negotiator, Daniel Taub is no stranger to hard conversations. Beyond Dispute: Rediscovering the Jewish Art of Constructive Disagreement is the culmination of his many years of practice. In it, Taub lays out a pathway out of today’s divisive, intractable political logjam and toward compromise, dialogue, and acceptance. In his introduction, Taub explains that most people have two approaches to conflict, flight or fight.
Finding the Words: Women and Prayer

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Jaime Herndon

Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, my Jewish day school and synagogue were Conservative, but not egalitarian. At the time, this meant that I was mostly not allowed to be on the bimah for any religious ceremonies except for my bat mitzvah. It was simply a given that girls didn’t read the Torah at their bat mitzvah (every girl in my class had a Sunday bat mitzvah and chanted haftarah instead).
The Keeper of Stories

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Caroline Kusin Pritchard

Libraries are repositories of knowledge, havens for scholars, promoters of literacy. In Caroline Kusin Pritchard and Selina Alko’s picture book, the role of these institutions is even more fundamental. They are keepers of stories, essential to the communities that they serve. In 1966, a fire destroyed many of the books in the library of New York City’s Jewish Theological Seminary.
Illustrating the Emotion of Jewish Life: A Conversation with Jenny Kroik

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Becca Kantor

Jenny Kroik is a renowned illustrator whose work has appeared in literary journals such as The New Yorker and The Paris Review, news outlets including The Washington Post and The LA Times, streaming services and broadcasts like HBO and PBS, and many more. Kroik has also illustrated short stories published in JBC’s literary journal, Paper Brigade—most recently “The Roman Palms” by Barak Kassar.
Glass Century

1 month ago | jewishbookcouncil.org | Ross Barkan

Review By – May 5, 2025 Glass Century, Ross Barkan’s ambitious and wide-reaching second novel, starts with a comedic deceit: Saul Plotz, married father of two, arranges a fake wedding with his lover, Mona Glass, to trick and appease Mona’s old-world parents. It’s New York City in the early seventies, and the two lovers believe that, despite their fictional union, their arrangement — involving Saul sneaking out to see Mona on a weekly basis — will be okay, at least for now.