About the Event
Join UVA Jewish Studies for an exploration into two different eras of Jewish history, via books illuminating lesser-known stories about world Jewish communities. Shari Rabin's The Jewish South: An American History is a panoramic view of the Jewish American South, from European colonization to today, beginning with a 1669 decree which offered freedom of worship to “Jews, heathens, and other dissenters." The Sassoons: The Great Global Merchants and the Making of an Empire by Joseph Sassoon shifts to another era and continent, chronicling the rise and fall of a powerful gilded-age dynasty that stretched from Iraq to China.
The event will take place on Sunday, March 22 from 1:00 – 2:30PM at the UVA Bookstore. This event is free and open to the public.
About the Festival of the Book
For thirty years, the Virginia Festival of the Book has brought together writers and readers to promote books, reading, literacy, and literary culture. Themed broadly around the concept of “Revolutions” in recognition of the America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 Virginia Festival of the Book will include a stellar slate of authors and events, bringing out the best in poetry, children’s literature, fiction and non-fiction. The event is organized by the Virginia Center for the Book.