This year we've got a mix of in-person and virtual events planned for you to hear authors read excerpts from their books, answer your questions, and share their inspiration and challenges in writing these words. This series spotlights diverse stories from across the Jewish world.

Join us online and in person for the 2025 Jewish Book Festival!

Come to the in-person events or tune in virtually where you'll be able to listen as authors read excerpts from their books, answer your questions, and share their inspiration and challenges in writing these works.

Our event kicks off and wraps up with an in-person event at the JCC featuring a panel of local Jewish authors.

Monday through Thursday of the festival at 1:00pm we will feature a conversation with a different author via Zoom. Take a long lunch and join us! There are two evening Zoom events as well if you can't join us midday.

Schedule of Events:

Sunday, February 16, 2025

2:00 pm: Emily Katz, Jane Gabin, Michele Levy - Various Fiction Works - In-person at J
3:00 pm: Jim Cohen - "Modern Judaica" - In-person at J
2:00 pm: Kickoff the festival with a panel discussion from local Jewish fiction writers: Jane Gabin (The Paris Photo), Emily Katz (Various Fiction Works), and Michele Levy (Anna's Dance).
3:30 pm: Join Jim Cohen in person at the JCC to learn about his book Modern Judaica and view some of the pieces from his collection.

Monday, February 17, 2025

1:00 pm: Rachel Beanland - "The House is on Fire" - Zoom

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

1:00 pm: Margalit Fox - "The Talented Ms. Mandelbaum" - Zoom
7:00 pm: Maya Arad - "The Hebrew Teacher" - Zoom

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

1:00 pm: Robin Judd - "Between Two Worlds" - Zoom
7:00 pm: Benyamin Cohen - "The Einstein Effect" - Zoom

Thursday, February 20, 2025

1:00 pm: Julie Salow - "When Women Ran Fifth Avenue" - Zoom

Friday, February 21, 2025

10:30 am: Adam Sobsey - "A Jewish Appendix" - In-person at J
10:30 am: Meet up at the JCC for light breakfast and hear from Adam Sobsey as he discusses his memoir A Jewish Appendix.

Sunday, February 23, 2025

11:30 am: Ruth Behar- "Across So Many Seas" - Zoom
11:30 am: This session is for the teens and tweens!

Join young adults from around the Triangle on Zoom conversation with Ruth Behar about her novel, Across So Many Seas, the story of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, many of them forced to leave their country and start a new life.

1:00 pm: Laura Guttman - "Army Brat" - In-person at J
1:00 pm: Meet with Laura Guttman at the JCC as she shares stories and insight from her life as she talks about her new memoir Army Brat.
2:00 pm: Jeff Spinner-Halev and Noah Pickus - "Respect and Loathing in American Democracy" and "The New Global Universities" - In-person at J
2:00 pm: Close out the festival at the JCC for a discussion between two local Jewish non-fiction writers, Jeff Spinner-Halev and Noah Pickus, as they discuss their books about global politics.

Date: February 16 - February 23, 2025

Location: Jewish for Good - 1937 West Cornwallis Road Durham, NC 27705

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