by The Israeli Institute for Hebrew Literature
Hosted by Jamie Denbo
A series of free Zoom conversations, highlighting the individuals behind the stories and bringing Hebrew and Jewish literature to life.
The events will showcase the New International Hebrew Literature Fund, which provides grants to foreign publishers focused on translating Hebrew literature. For more information and to donate, press HERE.
In Conversation with Jamie Denbo about his latest book — Autocorrect
From his breakout in the 1990s as the unmistakable voice of a new Israeli generation to his place today as one of the world’s most widely read contemporary storytellers, Etgar Keret has continually redefined the boundaries of fiction, intimacy, and imagination. Centering on his recent book Autocorrect, this conversation will explore the fragile place of human emotion, memory, and connection in an increasingly virtual, algorithmic, and hyper-technological world — a future that already feels strikingly close. Moving between past and present, the discussion will trace Keret’s literary journey while asking what remains irreducibly human in an age shaped by screens, automation, and artificial intelligence.
Co-Executive Producer on four seasons of Grey's Anatomy and creator of Lifetime's American Princess. As an actor, over 100 credits including Orange Is the New Black and Curb Your Enthusiasm. For twelve years one half of the alt-comedy podcast Ronna & Beverly; now performs solo as “Beverly” worldwide. The (NEW) Beverly Podcast launched February 2026.
Born in Ramat Gan in 1967, Etgar Keret is a leading voice in Israeli literature and film. His books have been published in over four dozen languages and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Le Monde and The New Yorker, among others. His awards include the Cannes Film Festival’s “Caméra d’Or” (2007), the Charles Bronfman Prize (2016), and the prestigious Sapir Prize (2018). Over a hundred short films and several feature films have been based on his stories. Keret teaches creative writing at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and directs a new MFA program at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Since 2021, he has published a weekly Substack newsletter, “Alphabet Soup,” and his latest short-story collection, Autocorrect, appeared in 2024.
What to expect
An Israeli in the U.S. — In Literature and in Life
Tehila Hakimi&Joshua Cohen
Tehila Hakimi and Joshua Cohen's books engage directly with the cultural meeting/clashing between the two cultures — and it's complicated, funny, and deeply human. Cohen's Pulitzer-winning novel drops the Netanyahu family onto an American campus. Hakimi follows an Israeli woman in Middle America, drawn into the world of hunting. Both books capture the fascination, the friction, and the feeling of being caught between two worlds. Join us to talk about literature, identity, and the relationship between the two cultures.
The books
