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A black-and-white photo of a woman with dark hair, looking to the side and standing behind water crates.

Daniel Laufer, film still from Echoes of Tomorrow, 2026

JMB Book Club featuring the novel The Books of Jakob(Die Jakobsbücher) by Olga Tokarczuk

As part of the exhibition The Opposite of Now: Artistic Paths to a Different Present (in German)

Join us reading!

His followers saw him as the Messiah; to his opponents, he was a charlatan, even a heretic: Jakob Frank, born in Korolówka, Poland, in 1726 and died in Offenbach am Main in 1791, was one of the most enigmatic figures in 18th-century Europe. As the leader of the mystical Frankist movement, Jakob Frank was determined to open up his people – the Jews of Eastern Europe – to the modern age; throughout his life, he championed their rights, freedom, equality and emancipation.

Tue 13 Oct 2026, 6:30 pm

Map with all buildings that belong to the Jewish Museum Berlin. The W. M. Blumenthal Academy is marked in green

Where

W. M. Blumenthal Academy,
Klaus Mangold Auditorium
Fromet-und-Moses-Mendelssohn-Platz 1, 10969 Berlin
(Opposite the Museum)

In the Books of Jakob (Die Jakobsbücher), Nobel Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk paints a portrait of a controversial historical figure and a panorama of a world in crisis on the threshold of modernity. At the same time, however, this metaphysical yet vibrant novel is a book for our times, as it poses the question of how we can imagine the world as a just place.

In the exhibition The Opposite of Now, Daniel Laufer explores the life of Eva Frank, the daughter and successor of Jakob Frank. She lived as the manifestation of the Shekhinah, the female Messiah, with her followers at Isenburg Castle in Offenbach am Main. 

To mark the JMB’s 25th anniversary, admission to the book club is free.

Slices of cake and blue letters on purple background.

All Anniversary Specials

Accompanying Events & Tours

Family Sundays, Summer Festivals, Concerts, and More: All Dates At a Glance

Exhibitions

Publications

Collections and Projects

See also

  • ANOHA The Children’s World of the Jewish Museum Berlin celebrates its 5th anniversary!
  • FRIENDS OF THE JMB: Partners for 25 Years: Learn more about the Museum‘s Friends
  • di.kla The Jewish Museum Berlin's Digital Classroom
  • Jewish Places Discover places of Jewish life in Germany!
  • JMB APP: The Jewish Museum Berlin Audio Guide

Where, when, what?

  • WhenTue 13 Oct 2026, 6:30 pm
  • Where W. M. Blumenthal Academy,
    Klaus Mangold Auditorium
    Fromet-und-Moses-Mendelssohn-Platz 1, 10969 Berlin
    (Opposite the Museum)
    See location on map
  • Entry fee

    Free of charge

  • Language German

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