The weather’s turning chilly, and it’s the perfect time to curl up with a good book. The Jewish Book Council, founded in 1925, celebrates its 100th anniversary of Jewish Book Month (Nov. 13 to Dec. 13) with the launch of the Nu Reads program.

The program aims to support the Jewish literary ecosystem by providing six curated books every other month, accompanied by virtual community gatherings and local meetups. Nu Reads prioritizes high-quality fiction that appeals to a broad audience. The initiative reaches 800,000 readers annually and includes 3,000 book clubs. The program aims to create a Jewish bookshelf in every home, emphasizing the importance of Jewish literature in fostering community and cultural identity.

Launching in partnership with author and Nu Reads writer-in-residence Tova Mirvis, who’s based in Newton, 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 fun surprises such as artist collaborations and custom bookmarks.

“PJ Library started in Massachusetts. My own kids were members. I thought: What would it look like if there were a grown-up version of it?” Mirvis says.

It looks like this: Every title comes with exclusive entry to a live (and recorded) conversation with the author, as well as opportunities for locally hosted gatherings. It officially debuts this fall with two newly published works: “Happy New Years” by Maya Arad and “Boy from the North Country” by Sam Sussman, two distinctly Jewish, but wildly different, works of fiction.

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Nu Reads box (Photo: Jewish Book Council)

Here are seven things to know about the program.

1. Jewish Book Week Began Right Here in Boston

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The very first Jewish Book Week was started in 1925 at the Boston Public Library’s West End Branch, led by Fanny Goldstein, the first female Judaica librarian and the first woman to direct a branch library in Massachusetts. Jewish Book Week later evolved into National Jewish Book Month. “This ended up taking off and becoming a nationwide celebration over the next several years, and ultimately, in the early 1940s, the National Committee for Jewish Book Week became the Jewish Book Council, and Jewish Book Week became Jewish Book Month,” says Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO of Jewish Book Council. The mission: “To lean into proudly being Jewish and proudly bringing Jewish life all across the American and North American Jewish community through the lens of literature,” she says.

2. The Mission Remains the Same—And Is More Important Than Ever

“Today, ultimately, our mission is the same as it was then, which is to uplift and support and strengthen the Jewish literary ecosystem. That means being there to support readers, to support authors, to support our programmers on the ground to help them create conversations around these books, supporting book clubs and our publishing community. We really believe that these all have to be in balance to create a healthy Jewish literary and publishing pipeline for books and distribution of them into the wider world,” Firestone-Teeter says.

3. Nu Reads Is a Natural Extension of That Mission

“The mission statement back in the 1930s and 1940s of the Jewish Book Council was to create a place of honor in every home for Jewish books,” Firestone-Teeter says. “Nu Reads actually brings books to people’s doorstep, brings them together around these books, and communicates a larger message about what it means to support the community and support the field in this way.”

4. The Books Are Carefully Curated

The Jewish Book Council considers 700 titles for the National Jewish Book Awards; whittling down worthy contenders is tough. To launch, the group decided to focus first on fiction (they may expand to memoir eventually); they’re also looking for books that inspire wide swaths of the Jewish community, coupled with high-quality writing: “Excellent literature that we really could stand behind and themes of Jewish concern that we think have a lot of texture and really engage the community,” Firestone-Teeter explains.

“Fiction is not just an escape from real life. It’s a way to really grapple with very fraught questions that I think so many of us are grappling with right now. Fiction enables us to have some of these conversations,” Mirvis adds.

5. The Program Is About More Than Books

Readers receive a box every other month, carefully wrapped, followed by a community-wide virtual gathering with the author in conversation and, hopefully, local gatherings in-person too.

6. Every Box Includes Fun Extras

Who doesn’t love unwrapping a gift box? There’s also an essay from the writer, discussion questions, tote bags or cards. “Every box will have some kind of extra in it. We’re just looking to have it be a fun experience, to feel like getting a present in the mail, even if you gave yourself the present,” Mirvis says.

7. Ultimately, It’s About Jewish Pride

“Let’s lean into our Jewish culture and identity and ensure that people have tools at their fingertips, literally, to engage and form a stronger community around this. Let’s lean into being proudly Jewish and understanding what it means to be Jewish and all of its variety,” Firestone-Teeter says. “Fanny Goldstein really wanted to uplift voices who were not getting the same platform and were not being shown in all of their diversity. We hope the Jewish Book Council will continue to carry the torch of our literary foremother.”

“It’s a very uncertain, uncomfortable and often very lonely time to be a Jewish writer,” Mirvis says. “I feel hopeful right now for the first time in a long time, but I think the past two years have been anguishing in so many directions and in so many ways. To be a writer, it’s been a very uncomfortable time. The word I would use most is discomfort, and a lot of loneliness. And, hopefully, this is a way to counter that a little bit.”

Learn more about the books and subscribe at nureads.org.