This is a list of the winners of the National Jewish Book Award by category. The awards were created in 1950 to honor excellent Jewish books. The awards are given by the Jewish Book Council, a nonprofit organization based in New York. This group has worked to support and promote Jewish literature since 1944.
American Jewish History
The Celebrate 350 awards are given to authors or editors of non-fiction books that describe the Jewish experience in North America. These awards are part of the American Jewish History category.
Anthologies and Collections
The awards in the Anthologies and Collections category are given to editors of books that include writings such as essays, biographies, short stories, or other works by one or more authors. The National Jewish Book Award in this category was not given in the years 2014, 2017, and 2018. Additionally, only one winner was chosen during the 2002–2003 period.
Autobiography and Memoir
The Krauss Family Awards in Memory of Simon & Shulamith (Sofi) Goldberg are given to writers of family stories, personal life stories, or memories that focus on Jewish history or culture. These awards are part of the Autobiography and Memoir category. No winner was given for the National Jewish Book Award in this category during the years 1987, 1988, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Biography
The awards in the Biography category, called In Memory of Sara Berenson Stone, are given to writers of biographies that are closely connected to the Jewish experience. There were no winners of the National Jewish Book Award in the Biography category from 1986 to 2018.
Book Club Award
The Miller Family Awards in Memory of Helen Dunn Weinstein and June Keit Miller are given to authors who write excellent books about Jewish life, identity, traditions, or history. These books help people talk about important topics through stories or facts.
Children's Literature
The awards in the Children's Literature category are given to authors (or editors) and illustrators of books about Jewish culture for children aged 0 to 11 years old. The name of the awards changed several times over the years:
The National Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature was not given in 1956, 1957, 1968, 1969, and from 2004 to 2014. In 1970, two books won the National Jewish Book Award in the Children's Literature category. From 2002 to 2003, only one book received the award.
Children's picture book
The awards in the Children's Picture Book category are given to authors and illustrators. This award was called the Marcia and Louis Posner Award from 1989 to 1993 and the Louis Posner Memorial Award from 1994 to 2001. There were no winners of the National Jewish Book Award in the Children's Picture Book category in 1984, 1995, and 1996.
Contemporary Jewish life and practices
The awards in the Contemporary Jewish Life and Practices category are given to writers of non-fiction books that describe current tools and resources for Jewish living. This award was known as the Mimi Frank Award In Memory of Becky Levythe from 2002 to 2003 and has been called the Myra H. Kraft Memorial Awards since 2011.
Contemporary Jewish thought and experience
The Maurice Amado Foundation Award is given to authors of books that discuss the modern Jewish experience. This award is part of the Contemporary Jewish thought and experience category.
Debut fiction
The Goldberg Prizes in the Debut Fiction category are given to writers for their first published novel or collection of short stories that include Jewish themes. These awards were called the Foundation for Jewish Culture Goldberg Prize from 2011 to 2014. No awards were given between 2004 and 2009.
Eastern European studies
The Ronald S. Lauder Awards are given to writers of books about Eastern Europe. No books won awards in this category during the years 2001, 2003, and 2004.
Education and Jewish identity
The awards in the Education and Jewish Identity category are given to writers of nonfiction books, but not textbooks, that discuss the ideas, events, or methods related to Jewish education and identity. No one won this award in 2007, 2009, and 2011. The award has been given in honor of Dorothy Kripke since 2008.
English poetry
The awards in the English Poetry category are given to Jewish poets who write in English. There were no winners in this category from 1952 to 1958, in 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, and from 1972 to 1976. When it started in 1951, the award was called the Florence Dovner Memorial Poetry Award. From 1959 to 1977, it was called the Harry and Florence Kovner Memorial Poetry Award.
Jewish Book of the Year
The Everett Family Foundation Award, which is also called the Jewish Book of the Year, is given to authors and editors of Jewish books.
Fiction
The JJ Greenberg Memorial Award is named after a former president of the Jewish Book Council. It is given to authors who write novels or short-story collections with high literary quality and Jewish content.
Food Writing and Cookbook
The Jane and Stuart Weitzman Family Award is given to writers of cookbooks or food-related writing that focus on Jewish identity, history, and culture.
History
The Gerrard and Ella Berman Memorial Award is given to authors who write non-fiction books about Jewish history. This award is part of the History category.
Illustrated children's book
The Louis Posner Memorial Awards are given to both authors and illustrators of Jewish illustrated children's books. These awards are part of the Illustrated Children's Book category.
Jewish education
The Leon Jolson Awards, which are given to authors who write books about Jewish education, are part of the Jewish Education category.
Jewish family literature
The Jewish Family Literature awards, which honor Dorothy Kripke, are given to authors who write books about Jewish family literature.
Jewish folklore and anthropology
The Raphael Patai Award is given to people who write or edit books about Jewish stories, traditions, and the study of people and their cultures.
Jewish-Christian relations
The Charles H. Revson Foundation Awards are given to authors of books about Jewish-Christian relations. These awards are part of the Jewish-Christian Relations category.
Mentorship Award
This award is given to people who work in publishing companies or on their own as editors, agents, publicists, publishers, or literary critics. These individuals must have worked a lot with Jewish authors.
Poetry
The Berru Award in Memory of Ruth and Bernie Weinflash is given to authors who write poetry books. These books are mainly made up of poems that focus on Jewish issues.
Sephardic and Ashkenazic Culture and Customs
Awards related to Sephardic and Ashkenazic Culture and Customs from 1997 to 2000, the Mimi Frank Award In Memory of Becky Levy, and the Maurice Amado Foundation Award in 2001 are given to authors who write books about these topics.
Sephardic Culture
The Mimi Frank Award In Memory of Becky Levy is given to authors and editors who write books about the traditions and practices that are special to Sephardic Jews. These awards are part of the Sephardic Culture category.
Sephardic Studies
The Maurice Amado Foundation Awards, given to writers and translators of books about Sephardic studies, were presented from 1992 to 2000. In 2001, the award changed its name to the Jewish Book Council Award.