The St. Louis Jewish Community Center (The J) will host its 44^th annual St. Louis Jewish Book Festival from November 6-13. The festival features a lineup of bestselling authors, investigative journalists, Netflix stars, nationally known chefs, true crime events and more.

A bookend event will kick off the festival on Saturday, November 5 at 7:30pm with Phil Rosenthal, star of Netflix series, “Somebody Feed Phil.” In “Somebody Feed Phil the Book: Untold Stories, Behind-the-Scenes Photos and Favorite Recipes: A Cookbook,” Rosenthal presents never-before-heard stories from every episode of the first four seasons of the series, along with more than 60 of his viewers’ most requested recipes from acclaimed international chefs and local legends alike (including Rosenthal’s favorite sandwich finds from San Francisco to Tel Aviv), so attendees can replicate many of the dishes from the show right at home.

On Sunday, November 6 at 7pm, the festival’s keynote author, former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, will speak at the Staenberg Family Complex’s Edison Gymnasium. Yovanovitch will discuss her new book, “Lessons from The Edge: A Memoir,” and will be joined onstage by Professor James Wertsch of Washington University in St. Louis. “Lessons from the Edge” follows the arc of Yovanovitch’s career as she developed into the person we came to know during the 2020 impeachment proceedings.

“We are honored that Ambassador Yovanovitch will be our keynote for the 44th St. Louis Jewish Book Festival. We invite the entire St. Louis region to join us at the J to hear from this true American hero who has dedicated her professional career to the service of our country and the fight for democracy, truth and freedom for all even under the most trying and challenging circumstances,” said Rabbi Brad Horwitz, Chief Jewish Engagement Officer at the J.

On Monday, November 7 at 1pm, a historic fiction panel of authors, Rachel Barenbaum (“Atomic Anna”) and Lisa Barr (“Woman on Fire”), will explore how fiction provides an avenue for exploring important historical events through different lenses.

New York Times bestselling author Charles Bosworth Jr. and St. Louis criminal defense attorney Joel Schwartz will take the stage on Monday, November 7 at 7pm to discuss their book, “Bone Deep: Untangling the Betsy Faria Murder Case,” which explores and expands on the true story behind NBC’s mini-series, “The Thing About Pam.” Written with Russ Faria’s cooperation, “Bone Deep”, takes readers through the perfect storm of miscalculations and missteps that led to an innocent man’s conviction, and it recounts Schwartz’s successful battle to have that conviction overturned.

Join Food Network’s “Girl Meets Farm” star Molly Yeh (“Home is Where the Eggs Are,”) and bagel expert and award-winning author Cathy Barrow (“Bagels, Schmears, and a Nice Piece of Fish: A Whole Brunch of Recipes to Make at Home”) for a cookbook panel on Tuesday, November 8 at 7pm. The two will share stories, recipes and cooking secrets while teaching the audience new spins on traditional Jewish foods.

Julia Haart, star of the Netflix reality show, “My Unorthodox Life”, and CEO of modeling agency Elite World Group, will discuss her Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling book, “Brazen,” on Thursday, November 10 at 7pm. Propulsive and unforgettable, Julia’s story is the journey from a world of “no” to a world of “yes” and an inspiration for women everywhere to find their purpose and their voice.

In addition to the weeklong festival in November, the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival is excited to host a bookend event with James Beard award-winning author Michael W. Twitty to discuss his book, “Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew” on Tuesday, September 13 at 7pm. In “Koshersoul,” Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them. This event is being held in conjunction with the Sababa Arts & Culture Festival, which occurs on Sunday, September 18. Tickets for the Michael Twitty event can be purchased here.

For a full list of the festival authors and dates, visit here.

Premiere Pass Tickets, which provide entrance to more than 25 author programs year-round, are available for purchase online.

For the safety of our presenters, staff and volunteers, masks will be required for all audience members at all book festival events.