The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/jewish-literature/ News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:55:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2018/11/toi_icon_512-200x200.png Jewish literature | The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/jewish-literature/ 32 32 Feeling excluded in the literary world, US Jews launch their own publishing houses https://www.timesofisrael.com/feeling-excluded-in-the-literary-world-us-jews-launch-their-own-publishing-houses/ Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:57:21 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3870302 Backlash against Jewish authors post-Oct. 7 inspires new initiatives, as many in the industry believe the situation is so dire that Jews need their own distribution pathways

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]]> New Hebrew press in Berlin seeks to build literary home outside of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-hebrew-press-in-berlin-seeks-to-build-literary-home-outside-of-israel/ Wed, 06 May 2026 05:14:51 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3816623 Founders of Altneuland, the first such publishing house since the Jewish state's inception, embrace Israeli writers - and readers - while spurning government funding

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]]> Far-left author Peter Beinart’s ‘Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza’ wins PEN award https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-left-author-peter-beinarts-being-jewish-after-the-destruction-of-gaza-wins-pen-award/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:24:27 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3808982 Beinart, an opponent of Jewish statehood who has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, wins PEN America Literary Award for nonfiction

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]]> Let Jean Meltzer’s new Hanukkah-themed romance put the spark in your Festival of Lights https://www.timesofisrael.com/let-jean-meltzers-new-hanukkah-themed-romance-put-the-spark-in-your-festival-of-lights/ Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:02:17 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3710311 The American Jewish author and onetime rabbinical student adds to the winter holiday canon with 'The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah,' the People of the Book's answer to 'A Christmas Carol'

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]]> Jewish book subscription program pushes back against publishing industry antisemitism https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-book-subscription-program-pushes-back-against-publishing-industry-antisemitism/ Mon, 24 Nov 2025 03:38:19 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3690207 Marking the centennial of one of the Jewish Book Council's foundational programs, 'Nu Reads' delivers books bimonthly with aim to boost writers and send a message to publishers

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]]> Philip Roth’s latest biographer wants Jews to read him again — without the guilt https://www.timesofisrael.com/philip-roths-latest-biographer-wants-jews-to-read-him-again-without-the-guilt/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 23:21:22 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3674803 In 'Philip Roth: Stung by Life,' Stanford professor Steven Zipperstein argues for the brilliance and relevance of a writer who 'probed nearly every aspect of contemporary Jewish life'

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]]> Sam Sussman’s novel turns mystery of whether Bob Dylan is his father into ode to his mother https://www.timesofisrael.com/sam-sussmans-novel-turns-mystery-of-whether-bob-dylan-is-his-father-into-ode-to-his-mother/ Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:04:11 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3639497 In 'Boy from the North Country,' the writer leverages his real-life uncertain paternity into a fictional exploration of his late mother's wisdom, finding a legacy deeper than celebrity

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]]> The semi-true story of two Soviet Jews sent abroad by Stalin to fundraise during WWII https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-semi-true-story-of-two-soviet-jews-sent-abroad-by-stalin-to-fundraise-during-wwii/ Sat, 26 Jul 2025 04:40:25 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3555515 Avner Landes discusses his new book 'The Delegation,' an account of the adventures - and dark fates - of an actor and poet sent to raise money from coreligionists in the West

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]]> Sami Rohr prize awarded for novel about Jewish life in Soviet Union https://www.timesofisrael.com/sami-rohr-prize-awarded-for-novel-about-jewish-life-in-soviet-union/ Wed, 21 May 2025 08:44:03 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3553871 Writer Sasha Vasilyuk wins 2025 Jewish literature prize for her debut book, 'Your Presence Is Mandatory'

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]]> Dara Horn’s gonzo, time-traveling children’s Passover book wants people to love living Jews https://www.timesofisrael.com/dara-horns-gonzo-time-traveling-childrens-passover-book-wants-people-to-love-living-jews/ Sat, 05 Apr 2025 23:46:44 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3518251 The author of bestseller 'People Love Dead Jews' takes readers to the seder tables of historically iconic Jews such as Sigmund Freud in 'One Little Goat: A Passover Catastrophe'

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]]> Fiddling with writing, lawyer pens award-winning book about busking rabbi in NYC https://www.timesofisrael.com/fiddling-with-writing-lawyer-pens-award-winning-book-about-busking-rabbi-in-nyc/ Wed, 02 Apr 2025 09:23:31 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3501551 Winning the National Jewish Book Award for his debut novel 'The Last Dekrepitzer' at age 74, banjo-playing law prof Howard Langer says it's not always about writing what you know

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]]> John Irving’s new novel, ‘Queen Esther,’ touches decades of Israeli history https://www.timesofisrael.com/john-irvings-new-novel-queen-esther-touches-decades-of-israeli-history/ Thu, 06 Feb 2025 18:23:04 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3476954 Book to be released in November tells story of Esther Nacht, Viennese Jew born in 1905 whose life 'is fated to intersect with Israel’s history'; story closes in Jerusalem, 1981

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]]> Young journalist’s accounts of Oct. 7 assault named Jewish book of the year https://www.timesofisrael.com/young-journalists-accounts-of-oct-7-assault-named-jewish-book-of-the-year/ Thu, 23 Jan 2025 12:56:57 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3466057 Jewish Book Council gives top honor to Lee Yaron for her '10/7: 100 Human Stories'; reporter Amir Tibon wins best autobiography for account of how parents rescued him from attack

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]]> Blacklisted for Israel support, author draws strength from Holocaust survivor grandma https://www.timesofisrael.com/blacklisted-for-israel-support-author-draws-strength-from-holocaust-survivor-mom/ Sat, 30 Nov 2024 02:24:18 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3300411 Bestselling writer Lisa Barr – targeted by hecklers and review bombers – vows that though she wants to ‘curl up in a ball’ after Oct. 7, she will ‘fight back constructively’

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]]> In dark times, is a dystopian Jewish novel just what we need? https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-dark-times-is-a-dystopian-jewish-novel-just-what-we-need/ Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:54:30 +0000 https://www.timesofisrael.com/?p=3216870 Zachary Solomon's 'A Brutal Design' joins a growing body of Jewish speculative fiction as it imagines an alternate world in which the Holocaust and antisemitism are all too real

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