Move over San Diego Comic-Con — there’s a new convention in town, and it’s powered by kugel, kippahs, and cosplay with a Jewish twist.
Jewish Joy Con will bring together book lovers, pop culture buffs, and Judaica artisans under one unapologetically vibrant roof. Think endless aisles of menorah merch, Torah-themed tabletop games, and panel discussions debating whether Seth Cohen or Rabbi Noah Roklov is the bigger NJB. It’ll be part convention, part community gathering, and entirely about celebrating Jewish culture.
The convention — set for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from March 13–15, 2026 — is the brainchild of acclaimed Jewish romance author Jean Meltzer.
Known for crafting fizzy meet-cutes and happily-ever-afters, Meltzer found her own version of “Jewish joy” when she began writing. But after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the global surge in antisemitism that followed, she expanded her mission beyond books — from co-founding Artists Against Antisemitism to launching the subscription service Jewish Joy Box, all to spread more light in dark times.
“I never in a million years thought I would be putting on a con. This is furthest from what I expected of my life,” Meltzer told Unpacked. “October 7 changed a lot of things for a lot of Jewish people. We saw a lot of antisemitism erupt throughout the world, on college campuses, in publishing. I felt that our message of Jewish joy was necessary for Jews to feel stronger and more proud, so that when they were faced with people screaming at them or trying to make them feel bad they would feel a sense of strength.”
Promoting Jewish joy off the page
Her Jewish Joy Book Club, which spotlights Jewish romance novels and authors, began to gain serious momentum. To sustain it — and hire a small team — Meltzer launched the Jewish Joy Box. Soon, fans began asking how she could take the mission beyond Zoom screens and Instagram posts.
Looking for a way to capture the diversity, creativity, and excitement of Jewish life, Meltzer landed on the idea of a convention: a place where people from across the diaspora could meet face-to-face to share their passions, art, and culture under one roof.
“It started with the basic idea of Jewish creativity, Jewish pop culture, Jewish joy,” she said. “We need this so badly right now as a Jewish community.”
The result is part festival, part fandom — with programming that’s as eclectic as the Jewish community itself. Attendees can expect author panels, cosplay contests, hands-on workshops, and a vendor hall stacked with everything from handmade mezuzahs to Larry David swag.
Crafting a Jewish experience for all
Whether you’re there to meet your favorite writer, snag a bag of gourmet rugelach, or simply bask in the company of people who get your Jewish inside jokes, Jewish Joy Con is built to be equal parts celebration and connection.
From the start, Meltzer envisioned Jewish Joy Con as a pluralistic space — one where Orthodox, Reform, secular, and everyone in between could show up as their full selves.
As the convention takes place over the weekend, some programming will run during Shabbat. Meltzer felt that it was important to keep the convention’s marketplace running and have events throughout the day — with exhibitors free to opt out — noting that for many secular Jews, a meaningful Shabbat connection comes from spending the day with family while supporting Jewish businesses.
“We want to create a space where people can choose their own access points — where they can dip in and out. It might be the spark to something deeper, or it might simply mean that instead of going to a Marvel film on Saturday, they’re engaging with their Jewish identity,” she said.
To ensure observant attendees feel equally welcome, the convention will offer kosher dining, minyan rooms at the hotel, and learning (limud) sessions throughout Shabbat.
Shabbat will also feature a communal dinner complete with challah rolls, wine, and a variety of kosher options. Once Havdalah marks the day’s end, the festivities kick into high gear with the “Matzah Ball” — a nod to Meltzer’s debut novel — which she promises will be “the biggest, baddest Jewish party the world has ever seen,” featuring celebrity guests and themed cocktails.
Creating Jewish access points
It was integral, Meltzer said, to create as many different ways to connect to Judaism as possible so that everyone could participate in a way that feels both comfortable and exciting.
“We just provide the access points and you get to decide — it’s your choose your own adventure,” she said.
That choose-your-own-adventure approach will include celebrity meet-and-greets, a Jewish matchmaker, author panels, a marketplace brimming with Jewish vendors, and discussions with rabbis.
Meltzer became intent on making the convention pluralistic after seeing Jews from every demographic come together in the Jewish Joy community. She found that celebrating Jewish joy without denominational restrictions created a kind of unity many Jewish organizations — often split along ideological or religious lines — struggled to achieve.
“What I saw in the Jewish Joy community that I didn’t see in the broader Jewish world was women from all walks of life coming together to share their joyful Jewish reading,” she said. “We have converts, Reform Jews, secular Jews, and ultra-Orthodox women all communicating. We have able-bodied and disabled, Sephardi and Ashkenazi. There’s something really beautiful here.”
Highlighting Jewish joy and Jewish businesses
The conference, which can accommodate over 10,000 attendees and 300 vendors, is designed to spotlight Jewish contributions and creators. From top Jewish influencers to musicians to authors, the convention will feature a sprawling main stage plus dedicated rooms for panels, workshops, and activities.
Meltzer hopes the event will channel what she calls the “Maxwell House phenomenon” — a reference to the coffee company’s long-running tradition of giving away free Passover Haggadahs starting in the 1930s. What began as a marketing gimmick became a staple in countless American Jewish homes for generations, showing how a brand could forge deep cultural ties and leave a lasting imprint on Jewish life. She wants Jewish Joy Con to have that same lasting impact, proving the reach and influence of the Jewish community when it gathers around shared culture.
Despite blacklisting in some industries and ongoing efforts to erase Jewish history from the internet, Jewish Joy Con is her effort to build an infrastructure where Jewish money, art, and voices truly count. By bringing together Jewish artists, activists, and entrepreneurs from across disciplines, she hopes they can support each other — and find support from the broader community.
Beyond boosting small businesses, Meltzer wants the convention to be a rare space where Jews can bond, celebrate, and feel embraced.
“I imagine the young people who’ve been dealing with college antisemitism, who have never been to Israel, getting that experience of walking into a room where not just everyone is Jewish, but everyone is there to celebrate your identity. Everything is made for you.”
“This is fandom and the high-octane energy of a con, but it’s Jewish — and it’s going to have the depth of Jewish heritage,” she said.
For Meltzer, the convention is about more than just an event — it’s about reimagining Jewish adulthood. Too often, she says, opportunities for joyful Jewish connection fade after youth group trips and campus programs. Jewish Joy Con aims to fill that gap, offering a place where that sense of belonging doesn’t have to end once you’ve graduated or moved away.
“We have all these youth groups when we’re kids and Birthright. But the party stops when you turn 20. I don’t know what that’s about. Let’s keep the party going. That’s all this is — just allowing people to experience the best of their Jewish life with their friends, their family, and their community again,” she said.
