Sasha Vasilyuk was surprised to be named a finalist for the 2025 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, wondering if the judges were going to honor an author whose “last name isn’t Jewish, and whose main character avoided being Jewish.” Nevertheless, her debut novel, “Your Presence Is Mandatory,” won the $100,000 prize for a story […]
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A debut novel about a Ukrainian Jewish World War II veteran, and family secrets unveiled against the backdrop of the 2014 Russian-Ukrainian war, has won the 2025 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. “Your Presence Is Mandatory” by Sasha Vasilyuk is the second book by an immigrant from the former Soviet Union to win the […]
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Israeli journalist Lee Yaron’s account of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and their aftermath was named the book of the year at the 74th National Jewish Book Awards, making her the youngest author ever to win the honor. The Jewish Book Council, which sponsors the awards, said that “10/7: 100 Human Stories,” provides “a […]
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