Michael Gawenda honoured at inaugural Australian Jewish Book Awards
Renowned journalist and author Michael Gawenda has been awarded the Leslie and Sophie Caplan Award for Jewish nonfiction at the inaugural Australian Jewish Book Awards for his book My Life as a Jew.
Michael Gawenda Pic: Rob Klein
The ceremony at Bondi Pavilion was held on Sunday at the conclusion of the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival presented by Shalom.
Gawenda’s work was praised for its insightful exploration of Jewish identity and the challenges facing the Jewish community today, earning him this high recognition.
In accepting the award, Gawenda indicated that some regarded his book as prophetic, noting its foresight in addressing the growing tensions within the global Jewish community, especially concerning political and social shifts.
He said: “After October 7, I thought my book was kind of prophetic. It couldn’t predict October the seventh, but it did predict what the aftermath of something terrible happening in Israel would mean on the left in Australia and around the world. We were on a road, I felt, where Jews like me, who consider themselves part of the left, would be rejected by the left because I was a lover and supporter of Israel.”
His reflections have resonated deeply with readers, many of whom have reached out to him to express how the book mirrored their own experiences. “I’ve had hundreds of messages that Jews in Australia and Jews elsewhere have been on a similar journey to the one I describe in my book. It’s offered people comfort in some ways.”
He also reflected on the personal challenges he faced while writing the book. “This book was the hardest piece of writing I’ve ever done,” he admitted. “I had to overcome many fears… fear of exposing myself, fear of what some of my non-Jewish friends would think of this book. Would they feel like, after all the years we’ve been friends, they didn’t really know me?”
In his speech, Gawenda also issued a call to action from the Jewish community, emphasizing the importance of active engagement with Jewish life and culture. “We are now in a situation where what we have to do is become involved in Jewish life, in Jewish culture, in Judaism, in Jewish music, in Jewish writing. Enrich our lives as Jews. Don’t accept what the people who don’t like us define us as; let us define ourselves by the lives that we live as Jews.”
The other shortlisted books were Deborah Conway’s, ‘Book of Life’, Debbie Haski-Leventhal’s ‘Make it Meaningful: How to find purpose in life and work’, Jonathan Kaplan-Wajselbaum’s ‘Jews in Suits: Men’s Dress in Vienna, 1890–1938’, Karen Kirsten’s ‘Irena’s Gift’ and Rachelle Unreich’s ‘A Brilliant Life’.
Earlier in the evening, The Jewish Independent Young Jewish Writers Award was presented to Anna Jacobson for her book, ‘Anxious in a Sweet Store’. Jacobson’s work, a poignant collection of poetry, was praised by judges for its inventive exploration of mental health and the Jewish experience in modern Australia. Other shortlisted books were Melissa Levi’s ‘We Need to Talk About Ageing’, Dr Roz Bellamy’s ‘Mood’ and Tami Sussman’s ‘So That Happened … But Maybe You Already Knew That’.
The inaugural Australian Jewish Book Awards celebrated the richness of Jewish storytelling, highlighting both established and emerging voices. The event underscored the importance of literature in preserving and enriching Jewish identity and culture.
