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This year’s Jewish Book Festival, taking place March 22 through March 29, features a lively mix of in-person and virtual events designed to connect readers and writers. Throughout the week, authors will read from their work, reflect on their creative process, and engage in conversation through live Q&A.
Sunday March 22 opens the festival with a spotlight on our featured Young Adult selection, alongside two additional in-person programs at the Levin JCC, setting the tone for a week of stories and discussion.
Thursday March 26 brings poetry to the forefront as three local poets take the stage at the Preminger Family Amphitheater, sharing their work in a live evening of language, rhythm, and voice.
Sunday March 29 concludes the festival with Local Authors Day, celebrating four Triangle writers. The afternoon includes a local authors panel with Karen Auerbach and Sharon Kurtzman at 3pm, offering a unique opportunity to hear directly from authors within our own community.
Our festival highlights a wide range of perspectives and experiences from across the Jewish world. Click here to view the full festival schedule and register for both in-person and Zoom events.
All Jewish Book Festival titles are available for purchase at the Welcome Desk now and throughout the festival.
Sorry For Your Loss by Joanne Levy
Sunday March 22, 11:30am
In-person at Jewish for Good or via Zoom
At her family’s Jewish funeral home, twelve-year-old Evie befriends Oren after his parents die. Through their friendship she learns about grief, compassion, and healing, in this award‑winning children’s novel.
Seeking the Hiding God by Arnie Eisen
Sunday March 22, 1:30pm
In-person at Jewish for Good
Eisen’s personal theological essay reflects on Passover, Yom Kippur, and daily mitzvot. He guides readers in exploring their beliefs and doubts, inviting thoughtful engagement with Jewish tradition and the elusive presence of God.
In The Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar
Sunday March 22, 2:30pm
In-person at Jewish for Good
A saga follows the Jewish Zelner family over four generations at West Virginia’s Greenbrier resort. In 1942 Sylvia seeks independence; decades later her daughter Doree confronts family secrets and the weight of history.
10/7 by Lee Yaron
Monday March 23, 7pm
Join us via Zoom
Through deeply reported chapters, journalist Lee Yaron recounts the October 7 attacks in Israel by telling the stories of ordinary people from kibbutzim, partygoers, Bedouins, Israeli Arabs and foreign workers, illuminating human loss beyond politics.
The Jewish South by Shari Rabin
Tuesday March 24, 7pm
Jon us via Zoom
A history traces Jewish life in the American South from colonial Georgia through slavery, Civil War, Jim Crow and Civil Rights, examining assimilation, whiteness, and complex relationships with Black communities and the region.
Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari
Wednesday March 25, 1pm
Join us via Zoom
Tsabari’s novel follows Yemeni Jewish immigrants in 1950 Israel and their daughter in 1995. Shy Yaqub loves the married Saida, while decades later Zohara discovers family secrets, unearthing heritage and resilience.
The Family Dynamic by Susan Dominus
Wednesday March 25, 7pm
Join us via Zoom
Journalist Susan Dominus profiles families with multiple highly successful siblings, including the Emanuel brothers, the Epstein sisters, and the Wasserstein siblings, examining how parenting, culture and sibling relationships shape ambition and achievement.
Poetry Night with Joan Barasovska and Maureen Sherbondy
Thursday March 26, 6pm
In-person at Jewish for Good
Join us at our outdoor Preminger Family Amphitheater for an engaging evening of verse, featuring two acclaimed local poets. Sure to inspire, this is a night not to be missed!
How to Share an Egg by Bonny Reichert
Friday March 27, 1pm
Join us via Zoom
Bonny Reichert’s memoir uses food to explore heritage and self‑discovery. Through stories of her Holocaust‑survivor father, restaurant family, failed marriage, motherhood, culinary training and a trip to Poland, she finds her voice.
LOCAL AUTHORS DAY: Sunday March 29
A special focus on Triangle writers, featuring individual presentations from Deborah Grayson Riegel and Robert Birnbach.
The afternoon also includes a Local Authors Panel with Karen Auerbach and Sharon Kurtzman, offering a shared conversation on craft, ideas, and the writing life
Aim High and Bounce Back by
Fiona Macaulay and Deborah Grayson Riegel
Sunday March 29, 2pm
in-person at Jewish for Good
Designed for professional women, this self‑help guide offers a three‑step framework to turn setbacks into opportunities. Through stories of resilient women, it shows how to learn, rise and lead after failure.
The Nighttime Butterfly by Karen Auerbach
Sunday March 29, 3pm
in-person at Jewish for Good
Alicja Lewental’s diary anchors this historical narrative of Jewish assimilation in late nineteenth‑ and early twentieth‑century Warsaw. As nationalism rises, her family converts to Catholicism, exposing the painful trade‑offs of belonging.
The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman
Sunday March 29, 3pm
in-person at Jewish for Good
Holocaust survivor Chana Rosenzweig bakes pastries at night in postwar Vienna while washing dishes by day. Her passion sparks a fraught love triangle. Decades later her great‑niece unravels the family’s hidden history.
The Silence Between by Robert Birnbach
Sunday March 29, 5pm
in-person at Jewish for Good
Photographer Robert Birnbach captures live music’s most charged moments: the brief stillness between notes. His images highlight the interplay of musicians, instruments and audience, inviting reflection on rhythm, presence and art.
Presented by Jewish for Good & Beth El Synagogue,
in partnership with Judea Reform Congregation, Kehillah Synagogue, and the Jewish Book Council
A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSOR:
