Menu

For over 40 years, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater & Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival has celebrated Jewish authors, illustrators, and books, providing opportunities to engage with bestselling and up-and-coming writers.

 

Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival

October 23 - December 11, 2025

 

For over 40 years, this annual celebration of Jewish writers, books, and ideas has brought together bold voices and fresh perspectives. From Israel and her neighbors to Jewish tradition, from comedy to cuisine, from telling history to telling YOUR story, there is truly something for everyone. Come together as a community for thought-provoking conversations with award-winning journalists, inspirational rabbis, visionary founders, and more, as we explore identity, history, and the power of books to inspire, excite, and connect.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and will take place at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center on the Reba & Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community. Pre-registration or tickets are required for all events.

 

Support the festival by purchasing books online! When you buy a book JewishVA.org/BookShop the festival receives 10% of each purchase. Books can also be purchased during event registration or in person at the Simon Family JCC. Stay after each event to meet the author and get your book signed!

EXPLORE THE 2025 FESTIVAL BOOKS

 

Programs Inclusivity

Thanks to the generous support of the Bartel Family, in honor of their parents and grandparents, Alan & Dolores Bartel, the following accessibility accommodations are available for these community programs (depending on the program location). Accommodations must be requested at least a week prior to the event.

 

Accomodations can be requested during the registration process, and include:

 

  • Closed captioning services for online programming
  • Interpreting services for Deaf or non-English speakers
  • Assisted listening services to amplify sounds
  • Preferential seating near a presenter to aid in comprehension
  • Sensory fidget tools
  • Noise-reducing headphones
  • Stand-assist devices
  • Audio recording of written materials for the visually impaired 

 

 

Thank you to the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival Committee

Patricia Shelanski, Chair
Wendy Juren Auerbach, Vice-Chair
Barbara Dudley
Helen Goldsticker Sissel
Jodi Klebanoff
Anne Kramer
Joan Laderberg
Mark Robbins
Annie Sandler
Beth Scharlop

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING

a book for consideration in the Lee & Bernard Family Jewish Book Festival?

COMPLETE THIS FORM

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS PATRONS OF THE ARTS AND SPONSORS:

Karen and Avraham Ashkenazi
Rebecca Auerbach
Linda and Leigh Baltuch
Nancy Bangel and Mark Robbins
Susan P. Barr
Wendy Jo and Ronald Brodsky
Stephanie Calliott and Don London
Armond and Rose Caplan Foundation
Billye Roy and Jeff Chernitzer
Susan and Andrew Cohen
Ann and Robert Copeland
Cheryl Dronzek
Barbara Dudley
Susan and Jim Eilberg
Mona and Jeffrey Flax
Alan and Esther Fleder Foundation
Anne and Lawrence Fleder
Fox Pest Control
Shari Friedman and Andrew King
Alicia London Friedman and Robert S. Friedman
Jeri Jo Halprin
Connie Jacobson
Jaffe Family Fund
Carol and Joel Jason
Helen G. Gifford Foundation

Betsy and Ed Karotkin
Jodi and Jay Klebanoff
Teresa Knecht and Marc Lindgren
Anne and Edward Kramer
Abbie and Steven Laderberg
Bruce Laderberg
Harry Laderberg
Sierra and Steven Lautman
Edward Legum
Robert Lehman
Caren and Stephen Leon
David Leon
Sandra Porter Leon and Miles Leon
Betty Ann and Scott Levin
Joan London
Nancy Loewenberg and Richard Marten
Robin and Matthew Mancoll
Daniel Miller
Jeanne and Julius Miller
Laura and Jerry Miller
Marcia and Burton Moss
Stacie and Marc Moss
Andrew Nusbaum
Charles and Nancy Nusbaum
Elinore Porter

Marc D. Rabinowitz and Bonnie D. Gordon-Rabinowitz
      In memory of William Laderberg
Judith Rosenblatt
Sara Jo and Joel Rubin
Shikma and Danny Rubin
Gerald Sandler
Laure and Richard Saunders
Beth Scharlop and Roger Schultz
Lynn Schoenbaum
Deborah and Peter Segaloff
Patricia and Herman Shelanski
Lynn and Sadie Sher Cohen
Sandy and Norman Sher
Leslie and Lawrence Siegel
Edward Soltz
Heather Spinner
Lawrence Steingold
Renee and John Strelitz
Myrna Teck
Tidewater Jewish Foundation
Jody and Alan Wagner
Alice and Eric Werner
Steve Zahn
Amy and Frank Zelenka

 

PREVIOUS YEARS EVENTS

VIEW

 

 

 

Sign up for the Arts + Ideas mail list to have dates delivered to your inbox!

 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FESTIVAL, TO SPONSOR, OR TO VOLUNTEER

Contact Hunter Thomas, Director of Arts + Ideas, at HThomas@UJFT.org or (757)965-6137.