Lior Raz is the co-creator, screenwriter, and star of the internationally acclaimed Israeli Netflix series Fauda, as well as numerous other shows and films. Drawing on his firsthand experience in an elite Israeli military unit, Raz brings gripping authenticity and emotional complexity to stories of Israel, conflict, courage, and shared humanity.
Join fellow community members for a rare opportunity to hear the stories, experiences, and creative vision behind one of Israel’s most compelling cultural phenomena. Come away feeling more connected—to Israel, to the Jewish community, and to one another—after an unforgettable evening of solidarity, inspiration, and Jewish joy.
This event is sponsored by St. Louis Friends of Israel.
 

The J – Staenberg Family Complex (Edison Gymnasium – Fitness & Wellness Building)

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents Lior Raz

College Student Admission

Under-18 Admission

General Admission

The J – St. Louis Jewish Community Center

St. Louis native Danny Meyer is the celebrated restaurateur and entrepreneur behind Union Square Hospitality Group and the founder of Shake Shack. In his new book, What Could Possibly Go Right?, he shares candid stories, hard-earned leadership lessons, and practical tools for building energized teams, enduring cultures, and organizations where people can thrive. 
Whether you lead a business, a nonprofit, a classroom, a community, or simply want to bring out the best in the people around you, this evening will help you approach challenges with greater optimism and courage. Discover how to learn from setbacks, create a stronger sense of belonging, and turn everyday interactions into opportunities to make something meaningful—and lasting.

The  J – Staenberg Family Complex (Arts & Education Building)

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents Danny Meyer

Marc Shaiman is the award-winning composer, lyricist, arranger, and producer behind beloved Broadway shows and films including Hairspray, Smash, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and Sister Act, and many more. In his candid and wickedly funny memoir, Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, he looks back on five decades of creative triumphs, memorable collaborations, personal heartbreaks, spectacular disappointments, and life behind the curtain.Come for an irresistible evening of show-business stories, communal laughter, and an intimate look at how memorable art gets made. Whether you are navigating rejection, reinvention, creative uncertainty, or simply need a joyful night out, Shaiman’s humor and hard-earned perspective will help you embrace life’s wrong notes, keep moving through the setbacks, and rediscover the beat that keeps you going.

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents Marc Shaiman

Some books stay with us long after we've turned the final page. Judy Blume's stories helped generations of readers navigate childhood, adolescence, and all the messy moments in between.
In Judy Blume: A Life, journalist, professor, and Unorthodox podcaster Mark Oppenheimer draws on years of personal interviews to tell the fascinating story behind the author whose honest voice forever changed children's literature.
Whether you grew up devouring her novels or are discovering her legacy through children and grandchildren, this engaging conversation offers fresh insight into the woman who gave millions of readers the courage to feel seen, understood, and a little less alone.
This event is in partnership with Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School

Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents Mark Oppenheimer

You’ve never heard a story like this. History is rarely as simple as heroes and villains. Dr. David Tuch uncovers the astonishing true story of his own cousin, a British sailor who smuggled guns, drugs, and refugees across the twentieth century, spanning World War II, the Arab-Israeli War, the Cold War, and finally the Drug War—culminating in an innovation that helped create the modern drug trade.
In The Wireless Operator, Tuch reveals a life filled with adventure, impossible choices, and unexpected acts of courage that challenge our assumptions about morality and history. If you enjoy untold stories that leave you questioning what you thought you knew, you'll be captivated by this remarkable journey into one of the most surprising chapters of modern Jewish history.
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council.

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents Dr. David Tuch

Cousins Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper are the fourth-generation co-owners of Russ & Daughters, the beloved New York appetizing institution founded in 1914. Their new book, Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing, brings together treasured recipes, family stories, and the remarkable history of a business that has helped define Jewish food culture for more than a century.
Come hear the inside story of a Jewish institution from the family carrying its legacy forward. Through food, memory, tradition, and humor, this event offers a delicious opportunity to reconnect with Jewish culture, share in the comfort of familiar flavors, and experience the joy and nostalgia that gather around the table.
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council.

St. Louis JBF Presents Niki Russ Federman & Josh Russ Tupper

Sometimes the best way to understand ourselves is through someone else's story. Join acclaimed novelists Emily Matchar and Jenna Blum for an engaging conversation about the art of fiction, unforgettable characters, and the stories that stay with us long after we've turned the final page.
Matchar's The Lost Girl of Craven County brings Depression-era North Carolina vividly to life through a gripping mystery rooted in Jewish history, while Blum's Murder Your Darlings showcases the emotional depth and masterful storytelling that have made her an international bestselling author. Whether you're an avid reader or simply love a great story, you'll leave inspired, entertained, and eager for your next favorite read.
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council.

St. Louis JBF Fiction Panel with Emily Matchar & Jenna Blum

Barak Benaryeh is a veterinarian and host of the podcast The Vet Off-Leash. His new book, The Vet Will See You Now: What Every Pet Owner Needs to Know (but Doesn’t) is described as “Kitchen Confidential meets All Creatures Great and Small.”  If you feel overwhelmed by all the advice and options on pet food, behavior, and veterinary care, come enjoy an entertaining evening with Dr. Benaryeh that will give you usable information on how to make better decisions for your pet.
 
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council and is sponsored by CareVet.

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents Dr. Barak Benaryeh

Zibby Owens is an author, podcaster, publisher, bookstore owner, and founder of Zibby Media—one of today’s most dynamic champions of books and writers. In her candid new essay collection, Between Chapters: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot, she reflects with warmth and humor on motherhood, friendship, love, career reinvention, and the unexpected risks that helped her reshape her life.
Gather with women across generations for an uplifting evening about the chapters that shape us—and the ones we have yet to write. Whether you are starting over, navigating a transition, nurturing a long-delayed dream, or simply asking, “What is my next chapter?”, come for honest stories, meaningful connection, laughter, and inspiration to take your own next step.
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council and is sponsored by J Associates and the St. Louis Woman’s Club.

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series  Women’s Night with Zibby Owens

Jewish tradition has long understood the power of ritual to shape meaningful lives. In his inspiring new book, A Time to Gather, bestselling author and TED speaker Bruce Feiler explores why those timeless practices remain essential today, not only in Jewish life, but for anyone seeking greater connection, resilience, and purpose. Blending history, contemporary research, and engaging storytelling, Feiler shows how intentional rituals help us celebrate, grieve, gather, and grow. Whether you're looking to strengthen family traditions, build community, or simply bring more meaning to everyday moments, you'll leave with fresh perspectives and practical ideas for creating rituals that enrich your life and the lives of those around you.
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council and is hosted in partnership with Congregation B’nai Amoona.

Congregation B'nai Amoona

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents Bruce Feiler

General Admission (Non-B'nai Amoona Member)

B'nai Amoona Member

 
David Shlachter is a Tel Aviv- and California-based portrait photographer whose work reveals the human stories behind contemporary Israel. His new book, Hinenu: Israel at Ten Million, combines striking photography with oral history, portraying 100 Israelis–Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and secular, and people of all ages–at the moment Israel’s population reached ten million.
Experience Israel beyond headlines, arguments, and abstractions through the faces and stories of the people who call it home. Whether your connection to Israel feels strong, complicated, distant, or still developing, this visually rich evening offers a moving opportunity to deepen your understanding and reconnect with Israel’s diversity, resilience, and humanity.
The Jewish Book Festival and Speaker Series is proud to partner with this event's sponsor: Shaving Israel, a St. Louis-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising funds to send non-military supplies to IDF soldiers in need, including towels, winter wear, shirts, socks, phone chargers, toiletries, and other personal items. We join Shaving Israel in celebrating their 20+ years of service. For more information, and to get involved or donate to Shaving Israel, please visit: ShavingIsrael.org.
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council.
Additional Information on Shaving Israel:
Shaving Israel is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by Holocaust survivor Rachel Miller and Carol Hellman with a simple but powerful mission: to proudly support the men and women of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), some of whom serve without family support systems, and are known as lone soldiers. What began as a grassroots effort has grown into a far-reaching organization assisting new recruits, training units, special forces units, and reservists called back to active duty. Shaving Israel provides essential items including bedding, towels, winter and hot-weather gear, thermal bottles and other hydration systems, gift cards for personal necessities and underwear, nutritional supplements,  as well as thousands of shaving kits. Everything is purchased directly in Israel, helping support the Israeli economy while ensuring that our assistance reaches those who need it most. Through logistics and distribution systems developed over the years, Shaving Israel delivers these supplies directly to IDF personnel, providing not only practical necessities but also a meaningful message that they are supported, appreciated, and never forgotten. For more information visit our website: www.shavingisrael.com

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series Presents David Shlachter

Four musicians. One secret mission. Countless lives forever changed. In the mid-1980s, Merryl Goldberg joined a Jewish klezmer quartet that traveled into the Soviet Union under the watchful eye of the KGB. Behind every concert lay a far more dangerous purpose: encouraging Jewish activists, supporting dissidents, and helping Soviet Jews find a path to freedom.
In Notes of Deception, Goldberg shares this astonishing firsthand account of bravery, friendship, and quiet defiance. Equal parts gripping espionage tale and moving testament to the power of music, her presentation brings a little-known chapter of Jewish history vividly to life while reminding us that courage often begins with a single step. You'll leave believing that ordinary people can shape history.
This event is made possible by the Jewish Book Council and is in partnership with St. Louis County Library.

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