Reinventing Tradition: Jewish Fiction for a New Generation, Sponsored by the Jewish Book Council
Friday, March 19, 2027, 10:35 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. CT
Every generation inherits stories and the chance to transform them. From family sagas to futuristic worlds to folkloric fantasies, contemporary Jewish writers reimagine tradition, memory, and identity to create work that speaks to today’s readers. In this session, acclaimed Jewish novelists will discuss how they draw on inherited narratives while pushing beyond established boundaries. Together, they’ll explore how literature evolves and what the future of Jewish storytelling might look like.
Helene Wecker is the bestselling author of The Golem and the Jinni, The Hidden Palace, and The Gates of Midnight. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and have won a National Jewish Book Award, the VCU Cabell Award, and a Golden Poppy. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Photo Credit: Sheldon Wecker
Portia Elan is the bestselling author of Homebound. She earned an MFA from the University of Victoria before returning to California, where she has worked as a teacher and public librarian. She is a former Lambda Literary fellow and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wife and an abundance of cats.
Zeeva Bukai is the author of the novels The Anatomy of Exile, winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction, and The World Between. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.
Rachel Kadish has been a fellow of the NEA, Bellagio, and Fordham/New York Public Library. Her novel The Weight of Ink was a USA Today bestseller and received a National Jewish Book Award. She teaches in Harvard Extension and in Deledda Master in Sardinia, and is core faculty at Jewish Theological Seminary’s creative writing MFA program.