GUIDELINES
Process
The Director is charged with actively seeking candidates for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. This effort is coordinated with an international advisory committee whose members bear credentials in literature, Jewish culture and related fields of interest.
Advisors receive clear guidelines in keeping with the defined goals and criteria of the Prize. Submissions through any other channels are not permitted. Works that are translated into English may be considered if all other eligibility criteria are met. For non-fiction, eligibility may include works related to Jewish history, scholarship, culture or contemporary Jewish concerns.
As a spokesperson for the Prize, an author must be an emerging writer whose work shows potential for continued engagement with Jewish subjects and future contribution to Jewish literature/studies.
The awards are presented annually for non-fiction and fiction in alternating years. In 2022, the Prize was extended to include works translated into English.
Effective with the 2027 Fiction Prize cycle, three finalists are selected each year. One is designated the Winner and receives $100,000. The remaining two each receive $15,000. For translated works, any monetary award—whether to the Winner or a Finalist—is divided 75% to the author and 25% to the translator. The translator is designated Translation Winner or Translation Finalist, as applicable.
From 2007 through 2019, the Choice Award was presented to the runner-up to the Winner. As of 2020, the Choice Award is no longer given.
Awards
Judges
There are separate dedicated panels of fiction and non-fiction judges. Judges are invited each year, and new names are added accordingly. The Rohr family has no input in the selection or judging process. All deliberations of the judges are strictly confidential.