Joan Meltzer’s Season of Light and Joy
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By Naomi Pfefferman
Jean Meltzer, who has been dubbed the “Queen of Jewish Romance,” is busy bringing joy to our lives. The bestselling author, former producer and Daytime Emmy Award winner has found her purpose — Jewish Joy!
Meltzer’s background is as dramatic as that of some of her characters. She grew up in a mixed home, and her father was ardently religious and kept kosher. She reminisced on how she did everything humanly possible to avoid participating in activities with United Synagogue Youth (USY), a North American Jewish youth movement for conservative, Masorti teens.
“I was forced into it and did everything possible to get kicked out,” Meltzer said. “When I was 16 or 17, I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do with my life. I even wrote on a list I made that I was going to be a TV producer in New York.”
Meltzer made it happen. She studied dramatic writing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and built a successful career in television, earning multiple accolades that included a National Daytime Emmy Award.
But by the age of 24, she had hit a wall. “I was utterly unhappy,” she said. “I would cry on the way to work. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life.” So one day, she walked in and quit her successful TV job and began studying at the Jewish Theological Seminary’s (JTS) immersive program in Israel.
Since her late teens, Meltzer has suffered from pain caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. When it worsened, she realized that she had to drop out of JTS. “God works in mysterious ways,” she said. “I got sick and wound up relegated to being homebound for about two years. It was a dark, dark period.”
In an interview with the Jewish content platform “Unpacked,” Melt zer explained that having gone from an Emmy-winning rabbinical student to a woman confined to her bedroom, she had to make a choice. “I wondered whether I was going to survive. And in that moment, I made a decision that I was going to find a way to hold onto my joy.”
Meltzer’s father told her that she should write a book, but just not a Jewish one, he said, because “no one reads those.” Meltzer accepted the challenge and began to draft her first manuscript. She is now the prolific author of a string of five Jewish-themed romance novels: “The Matzah Ball” (2021, an international bestseller), “Mr. Perfect on Pa per” (2022), “Kissing Kosher” (2023), “Magical Meet Cute” (2024), and “The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah” (2025).
The premise of “The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah” is festive, funny and secretly profound. The novel follows Miriam “Miri” Goldstein, a 30-something speech therapist who returns home after a rough breakup and an even rougher year. Miri soon discovers an old notebook that she kept as a teen detailing her difficult relationships.
Each night of Hanuk kah becomes a journey into one of those heartbreaks. Through humor, nostalgia and a touch of holiday magic, Miri confronts the emotional baggage she has long avoided, leading her toward healing, reconnection and an unexpected second-chance romance with a special person from her past.
On the surface, it’s a romcom with witty dialogue, awkward family moments, romantic tension and cute energy. But beneath the laughs is a genuinely moving story about patterns, self-worth, vulnerability and the courage to try again. The book offers hope without denial, warmth without naivete, and healing without cliché.
It celebrates the sweetness and softness of love while acknowledging the pain, the fear and the resilience required to open one’s heart again. And it wraps all that in the emotional and historical meaning of Hanukkah, demonstrating that Jewish joy matters, Jewish love matters, and Jewish stories matter.
After October 7 and rising antisemitism, Meltzer felt that it was “definitely more difficult to be a Jewish author.” So, she went to work and founded Jewish Joy LLC.
As the website states: “At the heart of Jewish Joy LLC is a holistic commitment to uplifting and sustaining the Jewish creative economy. Many of our initiatives are designed to financially support Jewish authors and small Jewish businesses, ensuring that Jewish voices are not only heard but valued. By working together — readers, writers, entrepreneurs and community members — we create a powerful ecosystem where everyone benefits, strengthening Jewish storytelling and pride for generations to come.”
Through the Jewish Joy organization, Meltzer has built a community that engages through social media groups, live events, workshops and interactive experiences that emphasize creativity, ritual and humor. From cooking classes and crafting sessions to book discussions and storytelling nights, the community offers a space for people to explore Jewish life in ways that are meaningful, inclusive and joy centered.
It’s particularly welcoming to those reconnecting with their heritage, interfaith families, and anyone seeking a vibrant, supportive environment to celebrate Jewish identity.
To help spread the Jewish Joy effort, Meltzer has created the Jewish Joy Box, the world’s first Jewish subscription book box to promote Jewish authors and brands. Each box is based around a book and will include some version of the following: a custom-designed or Jewish artisan item; Jewish craft, activity or a cooking project that connects Jewish Joy members via social media; or thematically appropriate bookish or Jewish swag.
And as if writing bestsellers and creating a vibrant Jewish community weren’t enough (Dayenu!), Meltzer is now launching Jewish Joy Con, a three-day inaugural convention scheduled to take place March 13-15, 2026, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Anticipating between 6,000 and 8,000 attendees, Jewish Joy Con aims to celebrate Jewish literature, art, pop culture and identity — all through the lens of joy.
Meltzer said the convention will include spotlight panels, live performances, meet-and-greet sessions, immersive experiences, signature events and a bustling marketplace.
Throw in a Shabbat dinner and a Matzah Ball dance party, and you have all the high-energy excitement of a fan convention combined with Jewish heritage, bringing together thousands of Jews in one place for a first-of-its-kind celebration of Jewish life.
Meltzer summed up the convention this way: “We see Jewish Joy Con as a convening opportunity with the power to amplify the Jewish community beyond the struggles of antisemitism and identity.”
Jean Meltzer’s journey has built far more than a literary career — she has created a community that thrives on celebration, creativity and connection. By championing Jewish authors, uplifting small Jewish businesses, and giving readers stories that both inspire and reflect their lived experiences, Meltzer models a powerful truth: Joy can be an act of resistance, of healing and of vibrant Jewish expression.
Through her work and endeavors, she reminds us that Jewish identity is not defined only by struggle, but also by humor, resilience and hope. We look forward to her next novel and endeavor of Jewish Joy!
For more information about Jewish Joy Con, visit: thejewishjoycon.com.
