Sami Rohr Prize for Fiction

The Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature honors emerging writers whose work explores and transmits the Jewish experience, and it alternates between fiction and nonfiction each year. Established in 2006 by the family of philanthropist Sami Rohr in honor of his 80th birthday, it was created to celebrate his lifelong love of Jewish learning and great books, and at its inception its $100,000 award was the largest literary prize in North America. In fiction years, the prize recognizes novelists and story writers at the early stage of their careers who show both exceptional talent and the promise of a lasting contribution to Jewish literature. The prize has been awarded annually since 2007. Once administered by the Jewish Book Council, the prize is now given in association with the National Library of Israel.