St. Louis Jewish Book Festival & Speaker Series

The J is bringing back the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival and Speaker Series for its 48th year, with the main festival week running November 1 to 10, 2026, and additional events continuing through May 31, 2027. Most of the action takes place at The J - Staenberg Family Complex (Arts & Education Building) at 2 Millstone Campus Dr, though some programs happen at partner locations around the city.

It's a broad program that covers every genre, and it doesn't stop after the first ten days. There are more than 16 author programs scheduled throughout the year, so it's less of a single event and more of a season. The festival brings in Jewish authors, speakers, and storytellers from across the country, and the J has a long tradition of pairing these cultural opportunities for its members with fine art productions and events for the wider St. Louis community.

If you're planning to catch more than one session, a season pass is the way to go—it gives you free access to all the festival and speaker series events. A regular season pass is $126 plus fees if you buy it by 11:59 PM on October 12, and $136 plus fees from October 13 onward. There's a 40-and-Under season pass for $80 plus fees, and college students get in for $5 with an ID. Admission is free for anyone under 18. If you only want to see one or two specific authors, single-event tickets are sold separately.