Jewish Book Festival
2026 Festival Sneak Peek
Photography: Witness In Our Community
PRE-FEST EVENT: Thursday, February 12 – 7:00pm
DINA GOLDSTEIN – The Archive XXX – 30 Years of Photography
DINA GOLDSTEIN began her career 30 years ago as a photojournalist, evolving from a documentary and editorial photographer into an independent artist focusing on large-scale productions of narrative photography tableaux.
The XXX Archive collection of prints ranges from photographs of musicians performing on stage, portraits of famous faces, to candid documentary style travel and street photography. It covers a database of over 3000 images.
Opening Night – A Major Writer Tackles Antisemitism
Saturday February 21, 7:30pm
JOHN IRVING – Queen Esther
After forty years, John Irving returns to the world of his bestselling classic novel and Academy Award–winning film, The Cider House Rules, revisiting the orphanage that takes in Esther—a Viennese-born Jew whose life is forged by antisemitism.
Queen Esther is not just a story of survival but a profound exploration of identity, belonging, and the enduring impact of history on our personal lives, showcasing why Irving remains one of the world’s most beloved, provocative, and entertaining authors—a storyteller of our time and for all time. Queen Esther is a historical novel with a political theme, as antisemitism shapes Esther’s life. In the end, her story is fated to intersect with Israel’s history.
JOHN IRVING is the international bestselling author of The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and more. He won a National Book Award and an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
A Conversation Around Trauma And Survival
Sunday, Feb 22, 7:00pm
YISHAI ISHI RON – Dog
With translator YARDENNE GREENSPAN
Dog tells the story of a soldier broken open by war, addiction, and unbearable guilt. In this compelling narrative, Ron masterfully delves into the complexities of PTSD, the struggle for self-forgiveness and the transformative power of unconditional love. In Israel, the book’s impact has been immediate and visceral. It was longlisted for the Sapir Prize.
YISHAI ISHI RON is an Israeli author, a former elite combat soldier, and a survivor of severe PTSD.
The Transformative Power Of Music
Thursday, February 26, 6:00pm
JANET HORVATH – The Cello Still Sings – A Generational Story of the Holocaust and the Transformative Power of Music
This memoir is a sweeping true history of three generations darkened by the long shadow of the Holocaust. Janet’s parents, both classical musicians and Holocaust survivors, buried who and what they were before. The story is a vivid and fast-paced evocation of her parents’ return to life, human resilience, the quest for truth, and music’s healing power.
A lifelong performing classical musician, soloist, author and speaker, JANET HORVATH was the Minnesota Orchestra’s associate principal cello.
About the JCC Jewish Book Festival
The Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival is one of Vancouver’s leading cultural and literary events, attracting a large and varied audience of over 5,000 people of all ages. This highly popular community-wide event brings together prominent and emerging Jewish writers and non-Jewish writers on Jewish subject matter.
PAST FESTIVAL PROGRAMS – 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
2025 Digital Guide
JBF Program-2025-DIGITALAuthor Submissions
The JCC Jewish Book Festival’s mandate is to showcase Jewish writers or non-Jewish writers with Jewish interest subject matter. Submissions information for the 2025 Festival – click here
Sponsorship Opportunities
The JCC Jewish Book Festival can help you maximize your message to a diverse demographic audience. Corporate and individual Sponsorships are available. Please phone 604-257-5156 or email jbf@jccgv.bc.ca