For more than 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 something for everyone. Engage as a community with thought-provoking conversations with award-winning journalists, inspirational rabbis, visionary founders, and more, as the festival explores identity, history, and the power of books to inspire, excite, and connect.
Unless noted, all events are free and will take place at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center on the Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community. Pre-registration or tickets are required for all events. To register, visit BookShop.org/Shop/JewishVA.
Support the festival by purchasing books online. When buying a book on BookShop.org/Shop/JewishVA, the festival receives 10% of each purchase. Books can also be purchased during event registration or at the Simon Family JCC. Stay after each event to meet the author and get books signed.
For more information about the festival or to sponsor or volunteer, contact Hunter Thomas, UJFT’s director of Arts + Ideas, at HThomas@UJFT.org or 757-965-6137. To learn more or to register for events, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.
ISRAEL’S BLIND SPOT: UNDERESTIMATING HAMAS
Yaakov Katz, former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief
Co-author of While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025
7:30 pm
Veteran journalist and author Yaakov Katz is back in Tidewater for an evening exploring how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. This is a necessary conversation for anyone hoping to figure out what happened and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
“This searing, sobering, eye-opening book is necessary reading for anyone who wants to understand what happened on October 7 and why – and for everyone who cares about Israel’s future.” -Sarah Hurwitz, former White House speechwriter and Book Festival guest.
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Presented as part of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, & Community Partners’ 15th annual Israel Today series.
TINY PEP TALKS
Comedians Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden
Authors of Tiny Pep Talks: Bite-Size Encouragement for Life’s Annoying, Stressful, and Flat-Out Lousy Moments
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025
7:30 pm
Why wait for a big milestone to get a pep talk? Comedians Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden deliver hilarious hype for life’s everyday struggles (sending a scary email, parallel parking), plus a few improvised pep talks just for audience members. Grab a drink, bring a friend, and get ready to laugh.
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$10 for JCC members, $18 for potential members. Includes dessert reception. Pre-registration required by October 20.
THE JEWISH WAY TO A GOOD LIFE
Shira Stutman, former senior rabbi at Sixth & I
Author of The Jewish Way to a Good Life: Find Happiness, Build Community, and Embrace Lovingkindness
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025
7:30 pm
Learn how to live with more joy, deeper purpose, and stronger connections as Rabbi Shira Stutman shares how timeless Jewish traditions can help offer inspiration for anyone looking to bring meaning and balance to their everyday lives.
THE GIRL BANDITS OF THE WARSAW GHETTO
Elizabeth R. Hyman, historian
Author of The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto: The True Story of Five Courageous Young Women Who Sparked an Uprising
Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025
12 pm
Five women. One uprising. Countless acts of courage. Hear the untold stories of the Jewish women who fought, smuggled, and sabotaged during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. History overlooked them. You don’t have to.
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Presented in partnership with the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
$15 for JCC members, $20 for potential members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by October 29.
KETUBAH RENAISSANCE
Michael Shapiro, Ketubah.com founder
Author of Ketubah Renaissance: The Artful Modern Revival of the Jewish Marriage Contract
Monday, Nov. 12, 2025
12 pm
Ketubah expert Michael Shapiro will guide this dazzling exploration of the Jewish marriage contract, from its ancient roots 2,500 years ago as a groom’s pledge, to a richly decorated modern work of art. Join Shapiro to celebrate the artists creating bold, contemporary ketubot that reflect today’s values and love stories.
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A companion exhibit of ketubot created by various artists and curated by Michael Shapiro will be on display in the Simon Family JCC’s Leon Family Gallery, October 6 – November 16.
$15 for JCC members, $20 for potential members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by November 4
JEWISH BOOK MONTH @ 10
Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue, in conversation with Abigail Pogrebin
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is the author of Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025
1 pm – Zoom
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi, and Abigail Pogrebin, author and journalist, will discuss Buchdahl’s memoir, a spiritual guide for everyday living.
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Presented by the Jewish Book Council in celebration of 100 years of Jewish Book Month, in partnership with JBC member sites, including the United
Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Pre-registration required by November 17.
SESAME
Rachel Simons, Seed + Mill founder
Author of Sesame: Global Recipes & Stories of an Ancient Seed
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025
7:30 pm
Who knew a tiny seed could tell such a big story? Meet Rachel Simons, the Aussie-turned-NYC entrepreneur behind Seed+Mill at Chelsea Market, New York City’s first store devoted entirely to sesame. Simons will spill the secrets of the sesame seed from its ancient roots to its starring role in the foods we all know and love.
FROM WARDS CORNER TO THE NORVA: A JEWISH KID’S SOUNDTRACK TO REBELLION
Rick Mersel, NorVa founder
Author of All Revved Up and Ready to Go: My Life in Concert
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025
7:30 pm
Join Rick Mersel, a local Jewish kid who traded jazz for punk and helped build The NorVa from the ground up, for a loud, raw, and wildly funny journey through Norfolk’s back alleys, bar mitzvah dance floors, and beer-soaked music venues. All Revved Up and Ready to Go isn’t just a memoir, it’s a mixtape of Norfolk’s hidden soul.
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$10 for JCC members, $18 for potential members. Includes dessert reception. Pre-registration required by November 12.
A STORY FOR EVERYTHING: AN EVENING OF STORIES, LAUGHTER, AND INSPIRATION
Corey Rosen, expert storyteller
Author of A Story for Everything: Mastering Diverse Storytelling for Any Occasion
Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025
7:30 pm
A great story can make you laugh, cry, and stick with you forever. A bad one? That’s how people end up talking to themselves at a party. Join master storyteller Corey Rosen as he guides the audience through the art of telling their own true stories, teaching the craft of storytelling along the way.
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Presented in partnership with the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
