Awards | Jewish Book Council

National Jewish Book Awards

Inaugurated in 1950, the National Jewish Book Awards is the longest-running North American awards program of its kind and is recognized as the most prestigious. The Awards are intended to recognize authors and encourage the reading of outstanding English-language books of Jewish interest.

2025 Winners

Cover of Hostage

Jewish Book of the Year

Eli Sharabi; Eylon Levy, trans.

Cover of Antisemitism, an American Tradition

American Jewish Studies

Pamela S. Nadell

Antisemitism, an American Tradition

Cover of Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy

Autobiography and Memoir

Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy

Cover of The Prosecutor: One Man's Battle to Bring Nazis to Justice

Jack Fairweather

The Prosecutor: One Man's Battle to Bring Nazis to Justice

Cover of Dog

Book Club Award

Yishay Ishi Ron; Yardenne Greenspan, trans.

Cover of The Remembering Candle

Children’s Picture Book

Alison Goldberg

The Remembering Candle

Cover of As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us

Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice

As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us

Cover of The Anatomy of Exile

The Anatomy of Exile

Cover of Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children's Literature

Education and Jewish Identity

Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children's Literature

Cover of Fagin the Thief

Allison Epstein

Fagin the Thief

Cover of Arthurs: Home of the Nosh: A Big Personality Cookbook of Delicious Jewish Favorites

Food Writing & Cookbooks

Raegan Steinberg

Arthurs: Home of the Nosh: A Big Personality Cookbook of Delicious Jewish Favorites

Cover of Dog

Hebrew Fiction in Translation

Yishay Ishi Ron; Yardenne Greenspan, trans.

Cover of Jews in the Soviet Union: A History Revolution, Civil War, and New Ways of Life, 1917-1930, Volume 1

Elissa Bemporad

Jews in the Soviet Union: A History Revolution, Civil War, and New Ways of Life, 1917-1930, Volume 1

Cover of People Without History are Dust: Queer Desire in the Holocaust

People Without History are Dust: Queer Desire in the Holocaust

Cover of Return to the Place I Never Left

Holocaust Memoir Award

Tobias Schiff; Dani James, trans.

Return to the Place I Never Left

photo credit Gabriela Bhaskar

Mentorship Award

Samuel G. Freedman

Cover of Honoria: A Fortuitous Friendship

Middle Grade Literature

Honoria: A Fortuitous Friendship

Cover of Living in Both Worlds: Modern Orthodox Judaism in the United States, 1945–2025

Modern Jewish Thought and Experience

Lawrence Grossman

Living in Both Worlds: Modern Orthodox Judaism in the United States, 1945–2025

Cover of Requiem & Other Poems

Aharon Shabtai; Peter Cole, trans.

Requiem & Other Poems

Cover of A Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe

A Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe

Cover of Golden Threads

Sephardic Culture

Ariella Aïsha Azoulay

Cover of A Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe

Women’s Studies

A Woman Is Responsible for Everything: Jewish Women in Early Modern Europe

Cover of Uncertain Empire: Jews, Nationalism, and the Fate of British Imperialism

Writing Based on Archival Material

Elizabeth E. Imber

Uncertain Empire: Jews, Nationalism, and the Fate of British Imperialism

Cover of I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir

Young Adult Literature

I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This: A Graphic Memoir

Natan Notable Books

Natan Notable Books is a twice-yearly award for nonfiction books on Jewish themes. Natan Notable Books highlight vital books and authors and bring innovative and important ideas to the attention of diverse audiences.

Recent Selections

Cover of As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us

As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us

Cover of Henrietta Szold: Hadassah and the Zionist Dream

Henrietta Szold: Hadassah and the Zionist Dream

Francine Klagsbrun

Cover of Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination–and Secret Diplomacy–to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East

Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination – and Secret Diplomacy – to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East

Yonah Jeremy Bob

Cover of The Land of Hope and Fear: Israel's Battle for Its Inner Soul

The Land of Hope and Fear: Israel’s Battle for Its Inner Soul

Isabel Kershner

Cover of Feeding Women of the Talmud, Feeding Ourselves

Feeding Women of the Talmud, Feeding Ourselves

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