Jewish Book Council

The Jewish Book Council (JBC)'s origins date to 1925, when Fanny Goldstein, a librarian at the West End Branch of the Boston Public Library, set up an exhibit of Judaic books as a focus of what she dubbed "Jewish Book Week".{{Cite web |title=Fanny Goldstein, librarian and founder of Jewish Book Week, is born |url=https://jwa.org/thisweek/may/15/1895/fanny-goldstein |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Jewish Women's Archive |language=en}} In 1927, with the assistance of Rabbi S. Felix Mendelssohn of Chicago, Jewish communities around the United States adopted the event.{{Cite web |date=2020-11-16 |title=More than 90 years later, how Jewish Book Month became a tradition |url=https://forward.com/culture/458617/more-than-90-years-later-how-jewish-book-month-became-a-tradition/ |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=The Forward |language=en}} Jewish Book Week proved so successful that in 1940 the National Committee for Jewish Book Week was founded, with Goldstein as chairperson.{{Cite web |title=Fanny Goldstein |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/fanny-goldstein |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org}} Dr. Mordecai Soltes succeeded her one year later. Representatives of major American Jewish organizations served on this committee, as did groups interested in promulgating Yiddish and Hebrew literature.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-20 |title=Jewish Book Week Committee Publishes First Annual in English, Yiddish and Hebrew |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/jewish-book-week-committee-publishes-first-annual-in-english-yiddish-and-hebrew |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}

Jewish Book Week activities proliferated and were extended to one month in 1943. At the same time, the National Committee for Jewish Book Week became the Jewish Book Council, reflecting its broader scope. In March 1944, the National Jewish Welfare Board, which would ultimately become the Jewish Community Centers Association (JCCA), entered into an agreement with the Book Council to become its official sponsor and coordinating organization, providing financial support and organizational assistance. This arrangement reflected the realization that local JCCs were the primary site of community book fairs. While under the auspices of the JCCA, the Jewish Book Council maintained an executive board, composed of representatives from major American Jewish organizations and leading figures in the literary world.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

On January 1, 1994, the Jewish Book Council became an independent non-profit organization, splitting off from the JCCA. The Council's executive board voted to create an independent entity.{{Cite web |last=Futterman |first=Allison |date=2019-06-06 |title=Naomi Firestone-Teeter: Between the Pages of the Jewish Book Council |url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/299670/naomi-firestone-teeter-between-the-pages-of-the-jewish-book-council/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Jewish Journal |language=en-US}}

Under executive director Carolyn Starman Hessel, who had been called the "Jewish Oprah", JBC's activities and influence grew. On April 1, 2015, Naomi Firestone-Teeter, who had been with JBC since 2006, succeeded Hessel.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-13 |title=New Director of Jewish Book Council Announced |url=https://forward.com/culture/216609/new-director-of-jewish-book-council-announced/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=The Forward |language=en}}

In response to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement within the literary world during the Gaza war, the JBC began an initiative to encourage Jewish community authors and readers to support Jewish books and authors.{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Haley |title=Literary icons fight back against growing antisemitism in their midst |url=https://jewishinsider.com/2024/11/petition-jewish-writers-palestinian-festival-of-literature-israel/ |access-date=21 April 2025 |work=Jewish Insider |date=2024-11-01}}

From 1942 through 1999, the council published an annual journal called the Jewish Book Annual that reflected on "the year’s events, figures, works, and community interests impacting Jewish literature and literacy." In 1999, the journal became the Jewish Book World, a quarterly magazine published until 2015.{{cite web | url=http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/_blog/The_ProsenPeople/post/an-age-of-creative-readers-makes-for-literature-which-is-immortal/ | title=An Age of Creative Readers Makes for Literature Which Is Immortal | publisher=Jewish Book Council | date=November 9, 2015 | access-date=November 30, 2015 | author=Bernstein, Nat}}{{Cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Penny |date=2015-12-06 |title=Jewish Book Council journal now available as digital archive |url=https://www.jta.org/2015/12/06/united-states/jewish-book-council-journal-now-available-as-digital-archive |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}

Jewish Book World was a quarterly magazine published by the JBC from 1982 to 2015. It was devoted to the promotion of books of Jewish interest. Jewish Book World reached over 5,000 readers with a specific interest in Jewish books, including library professionals, book festival coordinators, book group members, academicians, and lay leaders. The magazine was a tool to help them learn about new books of Jewish interest and make informed reading choices. Often called "the Publishers Weekly of Jewish literature", Jewish Book World brought the world of Jewish books to interested readers. Jewish Book World began as a twelve-page pamphlet that was circulated to Jewish Community Centers, featuring short blurbs on approximately 50 new books of Jewish interest. In 1994, Jewish Book World expanded from a pamphlet to a full-length magazine that was published three times a year. Jewish Book World appeared quarterly and included reviews of over 120 books per issue, updates on literary events and industry news, author profiles, and articles on the world of Jewish books.

JBC's annual literary magazine Paper Brigade is named in honor of the group of writers and intellectuals in the Vilna Ghetto who rescued thousands of Jewish books and documents from Nazi destruction.{{Cite web |last=Ingall |first=Marjorie |date=December 16, 2016 |title=A Peek Into the Jewish Book Council's Luscious New Literary Journal |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/a-peek-into-the-jewish-book-councils-luscious-new-literary-journal |access-date=January 17, 2024 |website=Tablet Magazine}} Each issue provides a 200-page snapshot of the Jewish literary landscape in America and abroad, including essays, fiction, poetry, and visual arts.

The National Jewish Book Awards is the longest-running North American awards program of its kind{{Cite web |title=There's a Book for That: National Jewish Book Awards |url=https://global.penguinrandomhouse.com/announcements/theres-a-book-for-that-national-jewish-book-awards/ |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=penguinrandomhouse.com |language=en-US}} in the field of Jewish literature and is recognized as the most prestigious. The awards, presented by category, are designed to give recognition to outstanding books, to stimulate writers to further literary creativity and to encourage the reading of worthwhile titles.

The National Jewish Book Awards program began in 1950 when the Jewish Book Council presented awards to authors of Jewish books at its annual meeting.{{Cite web |title=National Jewish Book Award 2022 |url=https://press.princeton.edu/news/national-jewish-book-award-2022 |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=press.princeton.edu |language=en}} The first book awarded the prize was Philo: Foundations of Religious Philosophy in Judaism, Christianity and Islam by Harry Austryn Wolfson.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-20 |title=Jewish Book Council Awards Dr. Wolfson Prize for Best Non-fiction Jewish Book of Year |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/jewish-book-council-awards-dr-wolfson-prize-for-best-non-fiction-jewish-book-of-year |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}} Among the past notable literary winners are Deborah Lipstadt, Etgar Keret, Bari Weiss,{{Cite web |date=2020-01-15 |title=Deborah Lipstadt, Etgar Keret and Ilya Kaminsky take home National Jewish Book Awards |url=https://forward.com/culture/438298/bari-weiss-etgar-keret-deborah-lipstadt-win-national-jewish-book-awards/ |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=The Forward |language=en}} Sonia Levitin,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Sonia Levitin |url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sonia-levitin |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Poetry Foundation |language=en}} Howard Fast,{{Cite web |title=Howard Fast {{!}} Penguin Random House |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/8440/howard-fast |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}} Chaim Grade,{{Cite web |date=2015-03-20 |title=Book Council Announces Awards for Best Jewish Books of Year |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/book-council-announces-awards-for-best-jewish-books-of-year |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}} Samuel Heilman,{{Cite book |title=The Rebbe |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781400834273/html |access-date=December 19, 2023 |publisher=De Gruyter |date=2010 |doi=10.1515/9781400834273 |last1=Heilman |first1=Samuel |last2=Friedman |first2=Menachem |isbn=978-1-4008-3427-3 }} John Hersey,{{Cite web |last=Oliver |first=Myrna |date=1993-03-25 |title=John Hersey; Won Pulitzer Prize for 'A Bell for Adano' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-25-mn-14835-story.html |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Bernard Malamud,{{Cite web |last=Rothstein |first=Mervyn |date=March 20, 1986 |title=Bernard Malamud, Author, dies at 71 |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/09/28/reviews/malamud-obit.html |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=New York Times}} Cynthia Ozick,{{Cite web |date=2011-01-13 |title=2010 National Jewish Book Awards Announced |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/2010-national-jewish-book-awards_n_808014 |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=HuffPost |language=en}} Chaim Potok, Philip Roth,{{Cite web |date=2015-01-14 |title=National Jewish Book Award Winners Are Here |url=https://forward.com/schmooze/212730/national-jewish-book-award-winners-are-here/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=The Forward |language=en}} Arthur A. Cohen,{{Cite web |title=Arthur A. Cohen |url=https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/author/C/A/au5603158.html |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=University of Chicago Press |language=en}} I.B. Singer,{{Cite news |date=2010-01-13 |title=Joe Kertes wins National Jewish Book Award |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/books-and-media/joe-kertes-wins-national-jewish-book-award/article794811/ |access-date=2023-12-28}} Michael Chabon,{{Cite web |date=2017-01-12 |title=Michael Chabon, Daniel Gordis Win National Jewish Book Awards |url=https://forward.com/news/breaking-news/359730/michael-chabon-daniel-gordis-win-national-jewish-book-awards/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=The Forward |language=en}} Lauren Belfer,{{Cite web |last=McDonough |first=Yona Zeldis |date=2022-07-26 |title=Novelist Lauren Belfer Examines the Past |url=https://lilith.org/2022/07/novelist-lauren-belfer-examines-the-past/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Lilith Magazine |language=en-US}} Elie Wiesel,{{Cite web |date=2021-02-11 |title=Hunter's Colum McCann Wins 2020 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction {{!}} Hunter College |url=https://hunter.cuny.edu/news/hunters-colum-mccann-wins-2020-national-jewish-book-award-for-fiction/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Hunter College |language=en}} Michael Oren,{{Cite web |title=Ambassador Michael Oren Book Talk 'Israel 2048' hosted by Yale Club of Israel |url=https://alumni.yale.edu/events/ambassador-michael-oren-book-talk-israel-2048-hosted-yale-club-israel |access-date=2024-01-16 |website=Yale Alumni Association |language=en}} and Jonathan Safran Foer.{{Cite news |last=Burkeman |first=Oliver |date=2002-12-04 |title=Voyage of discovery |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/dec/04/guardianfirstbookaward2002.gurardianfirstbookaward |access-date=2024-01-16 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

In addition to the category awards, every year since 2002, one non-fiction book has been selected as the winner of the Everett Family Foundation Jewish Book of the Year Award. Winners have included Daniel Gordis, Jeremy Eichler, Michael W. Twitty,

Nomi M. Stolzenberg and David N. Myers, Dvora Hacohen, and Jonathan Sacks.

The 2024 award went to 10/7: 100 Human Stories by Lee Yaron.[https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/74th-national-jewish-book-award-winners? 74th National Jewish Book Awards Winners.] Jewish Book Council. January 22, 2025. The awards have a significant impact on American Jewish cultural life.{{cn|date=April 2023}}

The JBC Network is a membership organization of over 120 participating sites, JCCs, synagogues, Hillels, Jewish Federations and other related organizations that host Jewish book programs. Through the Network, the Jewish Book Council is able to provide extensive resources to the program coordinators, including introduction to authors interested in touring Jewish book festivals, advice from experts on topics that affect a book program, and a chance to learn from the experiences of others in the field.{{cite web | url=http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/tours/ | title=Network Author Tours | publisher=JBC Network | access-date=October 12, 2012}}

Jewish books are an essential part of Jewish culture. Programming for Jewish book events is a vital component. In recent years, the Jewish book festivals have grown into a $3 million industry. The Jewish Book Network goes a long way towards assisting in the preparation of successful events and connecting authors of Jewish interest books with the coordinators of these programs.

The Jewish Book Council formed the JBC Network in 1999 to serve as a central address for book programming. It functions on a year-round basis, although the primary focus remains on the Fall Jewish Book Month season. The Jewish Book Council assists with program suggestions and coordinates the speaking tours of more than 260 authors who travel country-wide during the Fall season and throughout the year. The Jewish Book Council annually prepares a book providing information about the authors on tour.

Each year the Jewish Book Council sponsors a conference for all JBC Network members and their lay leaders in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America. This conference begins the new season of book festival planning. In addition to workshops and networking among the Network members, the annual conference includes a program called Meet the Author. Through this event, authors are invited to speak to the members of the JBC Network in the hopes of touring and visiting with the Jewish book programs that are represented.{{Cite web |last=Kissileff |first=Beth |date=2014-12-26 |title=Carolyn Starman Hessel, Jewish world's book maven, turns the page |url=https://www.jta.org/2014/12/26/united-states/carolyn-starman-hessel-jewish-worlds-book-maven-turns-the-page |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}} Among the authors who were sponsored in the past are Warren Bass, Rich Cohen, Nathan Englander, Samuel G. Freedman, Jonathan Safran Foer, Myla Goldberg, Ari L. Goldman, Rabbi Irving Greenberg, Dara Horn, David Horowitz, Dr. Eric Kandel, Nicole Krauss, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Aaron Lansky, Daniel Libeskind, Tova Mirvis, Dr. Deborah Dash Moore, Judea Pearl, Naomi Ragen, Nessa Rapoport, Shulamit Reinharz, Steven V. Roberts, Jonathan Rosen, Ambassador Dennis Ross, and Dr. Jonathan Sarna.

From 2006 to 2020, JBC administered the Sami Rohr Prize, and annual $100,000 prize awarded to the finest works of Jewish interest. Established in 2006 by Sami Rohr's descendants on his 80th birthday,{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/books/sami-rohr-jewish-philanthropist-remembered-by-a-writing-prize-dies-at-86.html |title=Sami Rohr, Jewish Philanthropist Remembered by a Writing Prize, Dies at 86 |work=New York Times |author=Dennis Hevesi |date=August 10, 2012 |access-date=January 23, 2013}} it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world. It alternates between fiction and non-fiction. The award was given in association with the Jewish Book Council until 2020{{Cite web |date=2020-05-11 |title='Kafka's Last Trial' Garners Prestigious Rohr Prize |url=https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/kafkas-last-trial-garners-prestigious-rohr-prize/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200526213915/https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/kafkas-last-trial-garners-prestigious-rohr-prize/ |archive-date=2020-05-26 |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=Jewish Week}} and is now administered by the National Library of Israel.{{Cite web |last=Friedman |first=Gabe |date=2023-05-02 |title=In a first, Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature goes to Hebrew-language author and translator |url=https://www.jta.org/2023/05/02/culture/in-a-first-sami-rohr-prize-for-jewish-literature-goes-to-hebrew-author-and-translator |access-date=2024-01-18 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}

{{Portal|Judaism}}

• List of winners of the National Jewish Book Award

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/ Home page]
• [http://jba.cjh.org/ Jewish Book Annual] The full run of the Annual has been fully digitized by the Center for Jewish History and is text-searchable

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Category:Jewish educational organizations

Category:Jewish American literature

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Category:Arts organizations established in 1944

Category:1944 establishments in the United States