Jewish Book Council Launches Nu Reads, a New Subscription Book Series

Celebrated Authors Maya Arad and Sam Sussman Headline the First Selections

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jewish Book Council (JBC) today announced the launch of Nu Reads, a bi-monthly subscription book series designed to bring remarkable Jewish literature directly into readers' homes.

Launching in partnership with author and Nu Reads writer-in-residence Tova Mirvis, Nu Reads delivers more than just a book. Each box features a signed work of Jewish literature—novel, memoir, or short story collection—selected to spark meaningful conversations. Subscribers also receive The Nu Edition, a companion booklet with a personal letter from the author, interviews, and discussion prompts, plus creative surprises such as artist collaborations, custom bookmarks, and access to behind-the-scenes content. Every title comes with exclusive entry to a live (and recorded) conversation with the author, as well as opportunities for locally hosted gatherings.

The program debuts this fall with two newly published works:

Happy New Years  by Maya Arad
The Boy from the North Country by Sam Sussman

These inaugural selections set the tone for Nu Reads: fresh, resonant, and distinctly Jewish voices, thoughtfully curated for discovery and dialogue.

"Nu Reads is about building community," said Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO of Jewish Book Council. "At a time when people are seeking connection and Jewish authors are looking for stronger support, this initiative provides a ready-made book club, a tool for community leaders, and a platform for Jewish voices to be heard—and read."

Nu Reads writer-in-residence Tova Mirvis added: "Jewish literature has always been more than words on a page. It's a conversation stretching across generations. With Nu Reads, we invite people to step into that dialogue in a way that is at once personal, Jewish, and communal."

The launch of Nu Reads coincides with Jewish Book Council's centennial celebration of Jewish Book Month, which includes a pop-up bookstore on New York City's Lower East Side, virtual Jewish day school author events, and a showcase of Jewish Book Month displays all across the New York metro area. With its beginnings in Fanny Goldstein's first visionary "Jewish Book Week" in Boston in 1925—JBC has been at the forefront of cultivating and championing Jewish literature. What began as a grassroots effort by Goldstein, the first Jewish woman to serve as a public librarian in the United States, grew into a national movement that brought Jewish books and authors into synagogues, community centers, and living rooms across America. Over the past century, JBC has become the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature. Its programs, including the JBC Network, the National Jewish Book Awards, and now Nu Reads, continue to amplify Jewish voices, preserve cultural memory, and nurture the next generation of readers and writers.

"Nu Reads is more than just a subscription. It's an investment in the future of Jewish literature, in the writers telling our stories, and in the community that forms around great books," says Jewish Book Council President Elisa Spungen Bildner. "This effort," says Joy Greenberg, Co-President of Jewish Book Council, "ensures Jewish stories are not only preserved, but celebrated, shared, and sustained for the next generation."

With Nu Reads, Jewish Book Council reaffirms its mission to champion Jewish literature, nurture readers, and strengthen the ecosystem of Jewish stories for generations to come. For more information, visit www.nureads.org and follow along on Instagram @nureadsjbc.

About Jewish Book Council
Jewish Book Council is the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature. Through its programming—including the JBC Network and a wide range of author and community initiatives—JBC fosters a vibrant literary culture that uplifts Jewish voices and stories.

Press Contact: Sarah Hermalyn | [email protected] | 773-682-5159

SOURCE Nu Reads