Sami Rohr Prize 2026 shortlist highlights family survival and Jewish history

The shortlist for the 2026 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature has been announced, featuring four nonfiction finalists whose works delve into family survival and Jewish history. The prize, which alternates annually between fiction and nonfiction, is a significant honor for emerging Jewish writers.

Among the finalists is Amir Tibon, whose memoir recounts his family's experiences during the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. Also nominated is Laura Hobson Faure, a professor at Université Paris 1-Panthéon-Sorbonne, for her book "Who Will Rescue Us?" This work is described as the first comprehensive study of Jewish children who fled Nazi Germany for France and later escaped to America from the Vichy regime.

Shaul Kelner, a professor at Vanderbilt University, is recognized for "A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews." His book details the efforts of American Jews in transforming a human rights issue into a large-scale mobilization. Jordan Salama, an author and contributor to The New Yorker and National Geographic, is a finalist for "Stranger in the Desert: A Family Story," which explores his family's history.

Debra Goldberg, director of the Sami Rohr Prize, highlighted the diverse stories and insights offered by this year's finalists. She noted that each book examines memory, identity, displacement, resilience, and responsibility through personal narratives that are both timely and enduring. The winner of the $100,000 prize will be revealed on June 16.

“

What strikes me about this year’s finalists for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature is the remarkable range of stories they tell and the depth of insight they bring to Jewish life and history. Each of the four books explores questions of memory, identity, displacement, resilience and responsibility through deeply personal narratives that feel both timely and enduring.