Celebrating 12 Years of Bringing Authors and Books to Our Community
The Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival brings a showcase of Jewish authors and books of Jewish content to our community.
We strive to enrich, entertain and engage the members of our community while providing opportunities to come together for experiences that are both educational and social.
As a result of the generosity of our Patrons and Sponsors, the Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival
has become one of the top Jewish Book Festivals in the country.
Please consider being a Patron for another outstanding Jewish Book Festival!
Most authors appearing at the Greater Naples Jewish Book Festival are members of the Jewish Book Council Network.
- Guaranteed admission to all book festival events.
- Reserved seating at all events. RSVP is required at least 48 hours before the event to guarantee your reserved seating.
- Acknowledgement at the event, in the FedStar and in the Jewish Book Festival eblasts.
- The heartwarming feeling that you are supporting the Jewish Book Festival above and beyond the cost of event admission.
- Face value of nine events totals to $270, which allows $230 to be tax deductible.
- Guaranteed admission to all book festival events.
- Preferred seating at all events. RSVP is required at least 48 hours before the event to guarantee your preferred seating.
- Acknowledgment at the event, in the FedStar and in the Jewish Book Festival eblasts.
- Knowing that you are supporting the Jewish Book Festival.
- Guaranteed admission to all book festival events.
- Acknowledgment at the event, in the FedStar and in the Jewish Book Festival eblasts.
- All events will take place at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center from December 2026 through March 2027.
- Individual tickets are $30 per person, per event, or become a Patron!
- Please keep in mind that the Jewish Book Festival does NOT have permission to record the author's speaking events.
- Books will be sold at each event. Books may be purchased at Barnes & Noble at Park Shore Plaza in Naples and online at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.
- Email Renee' at [email protected] if you have questions.
Playmakers by Michael Kimmel
Sunday, December 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM
$30 pp
This lively history uncovers how Jewish immigrant entrepreneurs-built America’s toy industry and, in doing so, shaped the modern idea of childhood. From the invention of the Teddy Bear to companies like Hasbro, Mattel, and Lionel, Kimmel reveals how these visionaries created an imaginative world they themselves never experienced.
Russ & Daughters by Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper
Monday, January 11, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
From a humble herring pushcart in 1907 to a beloved Lower East Side institution, this multigenerational story captures the heart of Jewish immigrant ambition. Through family memories, food traditions, and cultural history, it chronicles how Russ & Daughters preserved its legacy while evolving into a New York icon.
The Flight Nurses’ War by Leah Garrett
Monday, January 25, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
Following young women from small-town America to the front lines of the Pacific, this gripping history reveals how flight nurses evacuated thousands of wounded soldiers under fire. Centered on figures like Betty Rothenberg, it illuminates their courage, skill, and essential role in securing Allied victory at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman
Wednesday, February 10, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
Spanning wartime Europe and modern-day discovery, this novel follows a granddaughter determined to uncover her family’s Holocaust past. In postwar Vienna, a young survivor struggles to rebuild through baking while protecting her family, revealing a moving story of resilience, memory, and the fragile balance between hope and survival.
Off the Record by Sara Goodman Confino
Wednesday, February 17, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
In 1962 Washington, an ambitious young reporter stumbles onto a cryptic message that hints at a Cold War conspiracy. Teaming up with a charming colleague—and posing as his girlfriend—she pursues a dangerous scoop that could define her career, forcing her to choose between societal expectations and her own bold ambitions.
Hostage by Mimi Nichter
Tuesday, February 23, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
In 1970, a routine flight becomes a nightmare when Palestinian hijackers force a plane into the Jordanian desert, holding passengers in brutal conditions for days. Separated and accused, Mimi Nichter endures captivity and fear as war erupts around her—later confronting the lasting trauma and silence that shaped her life.
The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion
Friday, March 12, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
In late-1930s Warsaw, two young Jewish women from vastly different worlds—an ambitious artist and a passionate activist—are drawn together when their mentor mysteriously disappears. As antisemitism rises, their search becomes a journey of identity, love, and courage in a city on the brink of upheaval.
Hollywood vs Nazis by Michael Benson
Friday, March 19, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
As Hitler sought to infiltrate Hollywood with propaganda, Jewish studio moguls quietly fought back, launching a covert campaign to undermine Nazi influence in Los Angeles. This fast-paced true story blends espionage and film history, revealing a little-known battle where the movie industry became an unexpected front in World War II.
Run, Darling by Karen Essex
Monday, March 29, 2027 at 1:00 PM
$30 pp
Long before their Hollywood glamour, the Gabor sisters—Magda, Zsa Zsa, and Eva—were Hungarian Jewish women escaping a Europe on the brink of catastrophe. Blending meticulous research with a propulsive narrative, this novel reclaims their story as one of survival, reinvention, and resilience rather than celebrity.
Thank you to the 2025-2026 sponsors of the
Jewish Book Festival
