Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Jewish Community

Created by library intern Kim, here is a list of resources if you're interested in learning about the connections between civil rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Jewish community.

Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Jewish Community

American Jews played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement, exemplified by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. In addition, King was a strong advocate for Jewish rights and spoke in support of Israel. This pathfinder gives a sampling of both children’s and adult’s books available at the Dr. Arnold L. Segel Library Center that explore King, Heschel, and the Civil Rights Movement. For more information, check out the websites listed.


CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Rappaport, Doreen, and Bryan Collier. Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. BIOG KING
Award-winning picture book on the life of MLK.

Michelson, Richard and illustrated by Paul Colón. As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom j. E 185.97 .K5M44 King
A beautifully illustrated book and inspiring story.

Rose, Or N. Abraham Joshua Heschel: Man of Spirit, Man of Action BIOG Heschel
The first biography of Heschel intended for young readers.


BOOKS

Schneier, Marc. Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Jewish Community.
E 185.97 .K5S59
Using previously unpublished writings and interviews with King’s peers, Rabbi Schneier shows King’s commitment to the Jewish community and support of Jewish rights.

Blacks and Jews: Alliacnes and Arguments. Ed. Paul Berman. E185 .615 .B5534
A collection of essays that explore the alliances and enmity between the Jewish American and African-American communities.

Schultz, Debra L. Going South: Jewish Women in the Civil Rights Movement. E185.61 .S364
A history of the key role Jewish American women played in the Civil Rights Movement.

File on Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Temple Israel Library. Contains the programs of past liturgies for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Located in the cabinet under the photocopier

WEBSITES

Martin Luther King Day Resources- Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
http://rac.org/pubs/packets/mlk/
This webpage includes links to King’s writings and speeches, articles and websites about King, and ways to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. day in synagogues.

A Special Bond: Martin Luther King, Jr., Israel and American Jewry- Stuart Appelbaum
http://rac.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=415
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a strong supporter of Israel and called for unity between the Jewish and African-American communities.

Information about Civil Rights from the Central Kentucky Jewish Federation
http://www.jewishlexington.org/page.aspx?ID=164624
Includes the text of Dr. Joachim Prinz’s speech at the March on Washington, information on Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and a link to an online exhibit on Jewish women in the Civil Rights Movement.

Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Black-Jewish Relationship, Rachel Mauro, DC Jewish Life Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-1507-DC-Jewish-Life-Examiner~y2009m1d17-Martin-Luther-King-Jr-and-the-BlackJewish-relationship
A current take on the relationship between the Jewish and African-American communities.

NEW CHANUKAH BOOK FOR KIDS BY FORMER TEMPLE MEMBER!

Sharon Kaufman, who attended our Hebrew School and became a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel, is now living in Texas and writing and illustrating children's books!  Here's one in time for Chanukah!

Candles All Around: a Chanukah Miracle Story  http://www.sammiescornerpublications.com/

Check it out!

Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program - A History

Jewish Book Month, celebrated mid-November – mid-December, is a time when public and school libraries nationwide highlight their Jewish book collections. Here at Temple Israel, this is a time when we showcase our library, the Dr. Arnold L. Segel Library Center, and the authors in our community. One of the celebration’s key events, the Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program, brings authors and artists to our congregation to help us connect with each other and create community through learning and literature.

Joy Ungerleider was a museum curator, philanthropist, visionary, and much, much more. She served as curator (1967-69) and director (1972-1980) of the Jewish Museum in New York, bringing important religious and secular exhibits to the museum and raising substantial funds to make the museum more successful than it had been in decades. She established the Dorot Foundation in 1972 and, through the foundation, she contributed to Jewish Studies in the United States and in Israel. The broad scope of her philanthropy -- from giving aid to the Dead Sea Scroll project to programs that allowed Arabs and Israeli Jews to study together -- left a permanent mark on Jewish education throughout the world. After she died in 1994, the Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program was established by her family as an endowed lecture series, under the supervision of the Library Committee.

We are pleased to be celebrating the fourteenth year of the Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program!

FIFTEEN YEARS OF SPEAKERS.

1995. Neil Asher Silbermann, author of The Hidden Scrolls: Christianity, Judaism and the War for the Dead Sea Scrolls

1996. Deborah Lipstadt, author of Denying the Holocaust

1997. Melissa Fay Greene, author of The Temple Bombing

1998. Bezalel Narkiss, founder and professor of the Center for Jewish Art at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, spoke about “The Lost Sephardi Ark”

1999. Everett Fox, author of a new translation of The Five Books of Moses

2000. Amy Dockser Marcus, author of The View from Nebo: How
Archaeology is Rewriting the Bible and Reshaping the Middle East.

2001. Mark Novak, Renee Brachfeld. "This ain’t your bubbe’s Yiddish theatre." A storytelling program by a cantor-storyteller duo.

2002. Craig Taubman, singer/songwriter, performed as part of a jointly-sponsored program with the annual Karol Music Service

2003. Emily Sper, children’s book author and illustrator, in a program for children in our Education Program about how she creates books

2004. Twenty-one authors, all Temple Israel members, on how their Jewish identity affects their writing, as part of the temple’s sesquicentennial celebration.

2005. Lisa Fagin Davis, Meaghan Dwyer, Susan L. Porter, authors of
Becoming American Jews: Temple Israel of Boston, 1854-2004 (forthcoming in 2009) on the process of writing this new history of Temple Israel.

2006. Ken Gordon, Editor of JBooks.com, on “Jewish Literacy and the Internet”

2007. Jerome Groopman, M.D., author of How Doctors Think

2008. Edie Aronowitz Mueller and Ellen Steinbaum, temple members and poets, authors of The Fat Girl and Other Poems, and Container Gardening, respectively

2009. Robin Abrahams, temple member and author of Miss Conduct’s Mind over Manners: Master the Slippery Rules of Modern Ethics and Etiquette and columnist for the Boston Globe.

Historical note: In 1993, before this series was officially called the Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program, temple members and poets, Doris Panoff, z”l, and Edie Aronowitz Mueller read their poems as part of the first Jewish Book Month Program; then, in 1994, author Leslea Newman talked about the controversy around her book, Heather Has Two Mommies.

This Year's Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program - Friday, December 4, 2009

Click on the picture above for an enlarged image of the poster.

This year's Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program will feature author and Temple Israel member Robin Abrahams, the Boston Globe's Miss Conduct and author of Miss Conduct's Mind Over Manners.

MISS CONDUCT’S MIND OVER MANNERS: Master the Slippery Rules of Modern Ethics and Etiquette, by Robin Abrahams

• Should you say “Bless you” to a sneezing atheist?
• Should you pronounce a foreigner’s name in their native r-trilling accent?
• What do you serve guests for dinner if one is a fruitarian, another keeps kosher, and yet another is intolerant of gluten?

Robin Abrahams helps us navigate today’s dizzying social complexities in her clever and witty compendium of advice, MISS CONDUCT’S MIND OVER MANNERS (Times Books/May 26, 2009). Throughout history, new technologies (from the printing press to the iPhone) and new ideas (from Manifest Destiny to multiculturalism) have changed the accepted rules of social behavior. But unlike a school of fish suddenly veering away from a shark, we human beings don’t all react to change in a coordinated fashion. The multitude of cultural shifts within the past few decades has left us in etiquette limbo.

Are men still expected to pick up the dinner tab? Is it possible to request a “doggie bag” with dignity? How do you tell colleages about your recent bout with the stomach flu without going over the line? Following the “rules” isn’t enough anymore. We have to think. A uniform code of conduct may have worked in the days when everyone agreed on the same set of priorities: that decent people never talk about money or sex, that children are seen and not heard, and that observant Jews and Muslims should simply accept that Christmas is as American as pizza and chow mein. But in today’s diverse offices, health clubs, dog parks, and soccer fields, manners aren’t enough—we need to use our minds.

Much more than a plain guide to protocol à la Emily Post or Miss Manners, MISS CONDUCT’S MIND OVER MANNERS covers food, finance, religion, sex and relationships, children, health, pets and other passions, and everyday conversational kick-starters. Abrahams examines how values, priorities, and experiences differ in contemporary America; explores the psychological and evolutionary reasons these differences are so challenging; and offers fun and concrete advice on how to cope.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Abrahams is the “Miss Conduct” columnist for The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine and writes the “Socially Scientific” column for Annals of Improbable Research. A research associate at Harvard Business School and a former stand-up comedian, she holds a doctorate in psychology. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Book Fair Preview 5770

 Our annual Jewish Book Fair will begin December 4, and will continue through December 15. Hundreds of Jewish books for adults and children will be available for perusal and purchase, including Robin Abrahams's book Miss Conduct’s Mind Over Manners: Master the Slippery Rules of
Modern Ethics and Etiquette,
and the temple’s new history book, Becoming American Jews.


We are also delighted to partner with the creators of Emily’s Table: Recipes Lovingly Compiled by the Friends of Emily Mehlman, z”l, 1941-2006.  Every member family will receive a gift copy of this lovely cookbook, thanks to the generosity of its contributors.  Additional copies will be on sale for $18, and the proceeds will benefit The Riverway Project. 

Book Fair schedule:
Friday Dec. 4: Following the Joy Ungerleider Jewish Book Month Program

Dec 6 – 13:  Sundays, 9:00 – 2:00; Mondays, Tuesdays: 9:00 – 8:30: Thursday 9:00 – 5:00;

Fridays 9:00 – 4:00 and after Qabbalat Shabbat Services

Click on the pictures below to preview the Book Fair selections!

Orphaned Jewish Books: Sermon, August 21, 2009, Temple Israel, Boston

“I will not tolerate stolen books in our collection.”

These were the words of Barbara Schneider-Kempf, the Director General of the Berlin State Library-Prussian Cultural Heritage Center, as she addressed a group of Judaica librarians from all over the world at the annual conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries, held last month in Chicago. I was fortunate to attend Mrs. Schneider-Kempf’s presentation, called “Stolen Books: the Third Reich’s Exchange Center and the Prussian State Library, 1933-1945.” She spoke about her library’s study of books stolen by the Nazis and incorporated into German libraries and about efforts to return the books to the relatives of the original owners.

Until I heard Mrs. Schneider-Kempf’s talk, I knew nothing about what are called “stolen,” “plundered,” or “orphaned” Jewish books. In 1998 the Conference on Holocaust Era Assets, held in Washington, DC, focused mostly on unique and valuable works of art and museum pieces. The issue of stolen books has only come into focus more recently, in part due to the leadership of people like Barbara Schneider-Kempf.

Mrs. Schneider-Kempf’s research has turned up astounding –and disturbing--results: There may be as many as 150,000 stolen books in the holdings of Berlin's Central and Regional Library! Schneider-Kempf described how the stolen books got there, the difficulties involved in trying to identify and return what she calls “Nazi Loot” to the relatives of their original owners, and the efforts—only some of which have been successful--that have been made to do so. After WWII ended Berlin was divided. Berlin’s Prussian State Library also was divided into two separate libraries: the Berlin State Library and the Prussian Heritage Library. The East and West libraries didn’t get along any better than their corresponding governments, thus obstructing efforts to access not only materials, but also sources for investigating the materials.

In spite of the challenges, there have been some successes in returning books to their rightful owners. For example:

When Arthur Rubinstein and his family saw the writing on the wall and moved to the United States in 1939, the renowned composer left his library behind. The contents were seized by the Nazi agency Einsatzstab Reichsleter Rosenberg. Led by Alfred Rosenberg, this agency was charged with the task of confiscating Jewish property. The Rubinstein collection was first taken to Berlin. Later it was confiscated by the Soviets and, in 1958-59, taken to East Germany. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation was charged with returning identifiable materials to their rightful owners. 71 of Rubinstein’s scores were eventually discovered and returned to his family. In 2007, his children donated the collection to the Julliard School of Music.

Books and other documents belonging to Rabbi Leo Baeck, leader of Germany’s Jewish community during the Holocaust, and to German Jewish theatre critic Alfred Kerr, also were returned to family members just in the last few years.

I was riveted by Schneider-Kempf’s talk, first, because the subject was new to me; and second, I was fascinated by the fact that this German woman is dedicating enormous time and energy to this effort, which more often than not, turns out to be frustrating and fruitless. Beyond that, she is providing moral leadership in Germany and internationally. Her final comment in the presentation was, “The Berlin State Library is determined to confront its past honestly, even when it is at its most inglorious.”

After the conference, I emailed her to ask why she’d chosen to get involved with this project. Here is her reply:

Thank you for your kind e-mail and your interest in the reasons why I have chosen to address the issue of books and other cultural property looted as the result of Nazi persecution as one of my priorities. My reasons for drawing attention to the issue are quite unspectacular - I cannot name any particular personal encounter or experience as a decisive influence. I simply consider it to be both my civic and professional responsibility as a citizen of a free and democratic Germany and as an academic librarian to search for items in our collection that were acquired in violation of our present-day standards and to return these books and manuscripts to heirs, museums and memory institutions whenever this is possible. And I expect colleagues in libraries throughout Germany, if not worldwide, to act in the same manner.

As I was working on this sermon, a colleague who’d also attended Mrs. Schneider-Kempf’s session shared with me an article from the Malibu Times, about a survivor who’d been re-united with a childhood book. Rabbi Larry Seideman of Newport Beach, California, read a story on the German news source, Shpiegel, about stolen Jewish books in Berlin libraries. The article told of a children’s book that was found, called For our youth: a book of entertainment for Israelite Boys and Girls. Inside the book, there was a handwritten dedication: “For my dear Wolfgang Lachmann, in friendship, Chanuka 5698, December 1937.” Rabbi Seidman immediately picked up the phone and called his friend and neighbor, Walter Lachman, a survivor, who, sure enough, had changed his name when he came to the United States after the war. “That’s my book!” he said. The volume had been a gift from his Hebrew School teacher.

Lachman’s daughter, Deborah Valdez, traveled to Berlin to receive the book on her father’s behalf. The Berlin library officials held a ceremony, which Valdez described: “They found a suitcase belonging to one of the young girls who went to the camps. … In it, she had a list of all her favorite books. She couldn’t bring the books with her because when they were deported, they were told they could only bring one suitcase. So she made the list, instead, and at the ceremony, they read from portions of the books. Philosophy, books about movie stars. They were trying to bring her to life for us. Art might be priceless, but librarians know how important books are.”

Lachman said that he was “a little anxious” to see his book again. Asked what he will do with it, he paused. “Maybe I’ll read it again,” he said.

As you can probably tell, I found this topic of orphaned books to be very moving. I am proud that a fellow librarian has taken the lead in this effort, and encouraged by the fact that this she is a German and is continuing the work of many other Righteous Gentiles. May we all be inspired by her acts of social justice.


TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ORPHANED JEWISH BOOKS

RESOURCES USED IN PREPARATION FOR THE ABOVE SERMON:

1) “Stolen Books: The Third Reich’s Exchange Center and the Prussian State
Library in the Years 1933-1945. Lecture given by Dr. Barbara Schneider-Kempf, Director General of the Berlin State Library-Prussian Cultural Heritage
Center, and recorded as a pod-cast, July 6, 2009, at the Association of
Jewish Libraries’ Convention, Chicago, IL.

http://jewishlibraries.org/podcast/?p=326 (pod-cast)

2) Article in Malibu Times about survivor being re-united with childhood book.

http://www.malibutimes.com/articles/2009/07/22/malibu_life/art1.txt

3) Jewish Cultural Reconstruction. Organization established in 1947 to deal
with the collection and redistribution of heirless Jewish cultural property

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10131.html


4) The Holocaust-Era Judaic Heritage Library in the Hebraica Collection of
the Library of Congress.

http://www.loc.gov/rr/amed/hs/hscoll.html

Librarian is interviewed on children's book pod-cast!

I recently attended the annual convention of the Association of Jewish Libraries, held July 5-8 in Chicago. In addition to the wonderful sessions, opportunities for networking, and wonderful setting (downtown Chicago), I was fortunate to meet, and be interviewed by Mark Blevis, of the children's book pod-cast, "Just One More Book!" Here is an excerpt of the interview - my debut on a podcast!

Ann Abrams, Librarian

http://www.justonemorebook.com/2009/07/13/exploring-jewish-books-and-literacy-programs-at-ajl09/

New books, films and cds in the library!

Modan, Rutu. Exit wounds. Graphic novel.


Paths of emancipation : Jews, states, and citizenship



The Jew in the American World


Stern, Guy. Nazi Book Burner and the American Response


Sonsino, Rifat. Did Moses really have horns? and other myths about Jews and Judaism


Can It Happen Again?


Labovitz, Annettte. A Touch of Heaven: Eternal Stories for Jewish Living


Cohen, Edward. The Peddler's Grandson: Growing Up Jewish in Mississippi


Sholom Israel: A Musical Companion to my Cousin Tamar Lives In Israel


Whitney, Kim Ablon. The other half of life : a novel based on the true story of the MS St. Louis


AvRutick, Sharon. The Jewish world : 365 days : from the collections of the Israel Museum, Jerusalem


Einhorn, Erin. Pages in between : a Holocaust Legacy of Two Families, One Home


Friedman, Robin. The Importance of Wings


Den Hartog, Kristen. The occupied garden : a family memoir of war-torn Holland


Jewish Family and Children's Services. Jewish Prayers, Psalms and Readings for Comfort, Hope and Support


Ofanansky, Allison. Harvest of Light


Fishbein, Susie. Passover by design : picture-perfect kosher by design recipes for the holiday


Kamen, Henry. The Spanish Inquisition: A historical revision


Melnick, Ralph. The Stolen Legacy of Anne Frank: Meyer Levin, Lillian Hellman, and the staging of the diary


Gordon, Charlotte. The woman who named God : Abraham's dilemma and the birth of three faiths


Lawrence, Gunther. The Business of Being a Jew


Trivellato, Francesca. The familiarity of strangers : the Sephardic diaspora, Livorno, and cross-cultural trade in the early modern period


Transmitting Jewish Traditions: orality, textuality, and cultural diffusion


Congregation, Kol Ami. Entrances to Holiness are Everywhere: Shabbat Morning Prayer Book


Gordis, Daniel. Saving Israel: how the Jewish people can win a war that may never end


Davidson, Susan J. The Holocaust: Memory and Legacy A Documentary Film Based on the 2005 Book by Susie Davidson


BenShea, Noah. Jacob the Baker


Chabon, Michael. Manhood for amateurs: the pleasures and regrets of a husband, father, and son

Wex, Michael. How to be a mentsh (and not a schmuck) : secrets of the good life from the most unpopular people on earth


London, Charles. Far from Zion : in search of a global Jewish community


Keats, Jonathon. The book of the unknown: tales of the thirty-six


Feiler, Bruce. America's Prophet Moses and the American Story


Silver, Harold S. I will not let you go until you bless me : memoirs of a reform rabbi


Keneally, Thomas. Searching for Schindler: a memoir


Sababa! Pray for the Peace (Music-CD)


Boxer, Mike. New Jewish Tunes. Ruach 5769 Songbook


Hyman, Paula. The emancipation of the Jews of Alsace: acculturation and tradition in the nineteenth century


Scliar, Moacyr. The strange nation of Rafael Mendes


Anthology of Jewish Art Song, VolumeII. Father to son A Hugo Chaim Adler and Samuel Adler Solo Collection


Hample, Stuart and Marshall, Eric. Children's Letters to God The New Collection


Behar, Yvonne. Out of Spain: a course of study for children 10 to 12 covering Sephradic history, customs, festivals, music, food and folklore


Tulchinsky, Gerald J. J. Taking root: the origins of the Canadian Jewish community


Leibowitz, Yeshayahu. The Faith of Maimonides


Newman, Elias. Art in Palestine


Hartman, David. Love and terror in the God Encounter: the theological legacy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik


Stone, Ira F. A responsible life: the spiritual path of Mussar


Hurwich, Louis. Memoirs of a Jewish Educator Louis Hurwich and the Story of Boston's Jewish Education


Jews in Germany after 1945: citizens or "fellow" citizens?


Buber, Martin. At the turning; three addresses on Judaism


Gabel, Dina. Behind the Ice Curtain


Commission on Reform Jewish Outreach. The Idea Book: Reform Jewish Outreach


Masa‘ le-Polin. Journey to Poland: in search of a vanished Jewish world


Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Boston. Managing Food Allergies in Our Jewish Schools


Vogelstein, Hermann. Rome


Hirsch, Richard G. Thy Most Precious Gift


Morgenstern, Mira. Conceiving a nation : the development of political discourse in the Hebrew Bible


Mazor, Yair. Who wrought the Bible?: unveiling the Bible's aesthetic secrets


Raphael, Lev. My Germany: a Jewish writer returns to the world his parents escaped


Shindler, Colin. A History of Modern Israel


Zonana, Joyce. Dream homes: from Cairo to Katrina: an exile's journey


Kotek, Joel. Cartoons and extremism: Israel and the Jews in Arab and Western media


Jewish women in pre-state Israel : life history, politics, and culture


Saxe, Leonard. Ten Days of Birthright Israel: A Journey in Young Adult Identity.


Roden, Fredrick S. Jewish/Christian/queer: crossroads and identities


Baëre, Elvire Coriat de,. Realm of silence


Arnold, Bill T. Genesis


Meyers, Carol L. Exodus


Roitman, Gina. Tell Me a Story, Tell Me the Truth (a novel about being the child of Holocaust survivors)


Baumgard, Herbert A. Finding My Way to God


Brimmer, Gabriela. Gaby Brimmer: an autobiography in three voices


Kessner, Carole S. Marie Syrkin: values beyond the self


Frisch, Daniel. On the road to Zion, selected writings


Maimonides, Moses. Rambam: readings in the philosophy of Moses Maimonides


Roth, Cecil. Venice


Judah Goldin and the Study of Rabbinics: Proceedings of a Symposium in Memory of Professor Judah Goldin


Adar, Zvi. The Biblical Narrative


Neusner, Jacob. The Yerushalmi--the Talmud of the land of Israel: an introduction


Buber, Martin. Two Types of Faith


Grunwald, Max. Vienna


Zabuski, Charles. Needle and Thread: A Tale of Survival from Bialystok to Paris


Maimon, Solomon. The Autobiography of Solomon Maimon With an Essay on Maimon's Philosophy by Hugo Bergman


Buber, Martin. Pointing the Way


Congregation Beth Israel. 70th Anniversary and Rededication


Knispel, Gershon. Brecht: Masa Tzlav Shel Yeladim Lithographs by Knispel


Fackenheim, Emil L. To mend the world: foundations of post-Holocaust thought


Freidman, Maurice. A Dialogue with Hasidic Tales Hallowing the Everyday


Heschel, Susannah. Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus


Fuchs, Rabbi Stephen. What It Means to be a Jew: One Rabbi's View


Goodrich, Frances. The diary of Anne Frank. Based on the book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl


Histadrut Ivrit. Tov Lichtov: It's Fun to Write Creative Writing Project in Hebrew by Students of Hebrew Schools in the United States and Canada


Cohen, Steven M. and Wall, Susan and Chazan, Barry. Youth Trips to Israel: Rationale and Realization The Israel Trip: A New Form of Jewish Education

NEW BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY!

Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel Jon D. Levenson

Hitler, the Germans, and the Final Solution Ian Kershaw

Resurrection Kevin J. Madigan and Jon D. Levenson

The Bagel Maria Balinska Cloth

Treacherous Alliance Trita Parsi; With a New Preface by the Author

King's Dream Eric J. Sundquist Cloth

The Golem and the Wondrous Deeds of the Maharal of Prague Yudl Rosenberg, edited and translated by Curt Leviant

God’s Last Words David S. Katz Cloth

The Book of God Gabriel Josipovici

The Empty Men Gregory Mobley

1948 Benny Morris

Writing a Modern Jewish History Edited by Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett with essays by Arthur Hertzberg, Susannah Heschel, Barbara Kirshenblat...

Landmark of the Spirit Annie Polland; Foreword by Bill Moyers

In Queen Esther's Garden Translated and with an introduction and notes by Vera Basch Moreen Cloth

One State, Two States Benny Morris

Dateline Israel Edited by Susan Tumarkin Goodman, with essays by Susan Tumarkin Goodman, Andy Grundberg, and Nissan N. Perez

The Pentateuch Joseph Blenkinsopp

The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe Editor in Chief Gershon David Hundert

Chagall and the Artists of the Russian Jewish Theater Susan Goodman, with essays by Zvi Gitelman, Vladislav Ivanov, Jeffrey Veidlinger, and Benjamin Harshav

The Bible and the People Lori Anne Ferrell

Hitler's Professors Max Weinreich; With a new Foreword by Martin Gilbert

The Midrash on Proverbs Translated from the Hebrew, with an Introduction and annotations by Burton L. Visotzky

My Happiness Bears No Relation to Happiness Adina Hoffman

The Jewish Identity Project Susan Chevlowe; With contributions by Joanna Lindenbaum and Ilan Stavans

The Jewish King Lear Jacob Gordin; Translated by Ruth Gay, with notes and essays by Ruth Gay and Sophie Glazer

Fallen Angels Harold Bloom; Illuminations by Mark Podwal

Islamic Imperialism Efraim Karsh

The Ancient Synagogue Lee I. Levine

Divided Souls Elisheva Carlebach

Eva Hesse Elisabeth Sussman and Fred Wasserman, with essays by Yve-Alain Bois and Mark Godfrey

The Yale Book of Quotations Edited by Fred R. Shapiro; Foreword by Joseph Epstein

FROM THE JEWISH WOMEN"S RESOURCE CENTER:

The third day : poems /Jare, Karen.

The road to November : new & selected poems/ Spektor, Mira J

Love poems of a philanderer's wife / Wenkart, Henny

REVIEWS BY JON

Jonathan Cohen is a Simmons College Graduate School of Library Science student and Temple Israel Library Intern, this summer. Here are his latest book reviews:

The Faith Club: A Muslim, a Christian and a Jew - Three Women Search for Understanding, by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner

The Faith Club is the story of three women, a Muslim, Christian and Jew, who meet together to discuss life and faith and try to better connect the different faiths with each other. The group, which functions like a mixture of a discussion group and a book club, was originally formed to write a children’s book but evolved into a long, open-ended discussion about various religious issues, life experiences and attempts to learn more about each other’s faith. In order to stay true to the experience of the discussion group, the book is organized as a discussion: instead of one long narrative, each member records their views and opinions and the others record their reactions in turn. Sometimes, actual dialogue from the group meetings is inserted as well. The book’s format is distinctive and does a good job of making sure the concerns and reactions of each member get equal space. The Faith Club makes a valiant effort, and mostly succeeds, in recreating the atmosphere of the discussion group for the reader.
The three members of the group talk and debate with each other about issues from their own lives as well as the differences among their faiths. Difficult issues such as stereotypes and politics, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, come into play. The best feature of the The Faith Club is that the three women are not academics; they are simply average people getting to know each other. This prevents the book from getting bogged down in minutiae and makes the women very relatable to the average reader, regardless of the reader’s faith. Each one struggles with feelings of doubt and alienation; Suzanne, a Christian, feels like an outsider in New York; Ranya, a progressive, non-conformist Muslim has difficulty finding a Muslim community that suits her; Priscilla, a Jew, suffers from anxiety and paranoia after 9/11, doubts her faith in God and struggles to cope with family problems. Their lives and humanity are extremely well documented. The book also does not try to smooth over their differences of opinion; rather, it tackles them head on. This leads to an honest atmosphere that deals with real issues rather than one of overblown niceties meant to gloss over conflict. In creating honest debate and exposing the humanity of the three women involved, The Faith Club succeeds admirably.
The greatest flaw of The Faith Club is the limited space given to each issue, done in the name of keeping a broader focus. Important issues are brought onto the table, and the dialogue is often interesting, but things are often not resolved as the members speed on to their next concern. This stood out in the discussion about Israel between the Ranya and Priscilla. The two put their different opinions on the table, and Priscilla eventually defers, but what could have been a long, deep and interactive discussion is not as comprehensive as it should have been. Since discussions are not moderated, they often become arguments between two members in which the third is excluded. When Priscilla and Suzanne debate the New Testament account of Jesus’ death, they both refuse to let Ranya even contribute to the discussion. When Ranya and Priscilla debate Israel, neither one listens to Suzanne.
One of the strengths of The Faith Club, showing the humanity and normality of its members, can also become frustrating. Priscilla, who notes that she suffers from anxiety problems, acts overly defensive sometimes. In one chapter, “The Crucifixion Crisis,” Suzanne reads a version of the New Testament account of Jesus’ death, and mentions “the wicked men who killed Christ” without specifying who they were. Priscilla interprets this as use of the “Christ killer” stereotype of Jews, although Jews were never mentioned. Suzanne leaves feeling resentful that Priscilla seemed to put words in her mouth. Later, the two study the historical reality of the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, and patch up their differences. In addition, the three women enter the group quite ignorant about the faiths of the others; Suzanne, and Priscilla are especially ignorant about Islam. Much of the book consists of Ranya dispelling their stereotypes. Priscilla, in the aptly titled chapter “Stop Stereotyping Me!” even denies the existence of stereotypes of Muslims before 9/11, which causes an angry outburst from Ranya.
Overall, The Faith Club is a good read for those interested in how average people of different faiths can build bridges and better interact with one another. It encourages readers to create their own “faith clubs” and even provides directions in English, Hebrew and Arabic on how to do so. Those looking for scholarly discussions about the religions involved should look elsewhere. However, The Faith Club succeeds at its goal of creating an interesting, interactive atmosphere and exploring the humanity of each of its members and their views.

One State, Two States, by Benny Morris

One State, Two States, written by eminent historian Benny Morris, discusses a topic that has been widely written - finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book is organized into three sections, the first as a commentary on the reemergence of the idea of a one state solution, the second a history of one state and two state solutions and the third predictions and Morris’ own opinion on the problem. Morris’ history of the one state solution records the ideas of binationalists as well as Arabs who wish for a one state solution. The second section is a long history of the two-state solution. Morris records this idea’s tentative acceptance by both sides, with each seeing it as less than ideal.
It is in the third section of this book, Where to?, where Morris expresses his opinion and he eschews his normally balanced, nuanced approach. Morris blames Arafat for the failure of the peace process, expresses skepticism and mistrust towards Arab intentions and descends into generalities and stereotypes. Statements like “the Palestinian Arabs, like the world’s other Muslim Arab communities, are deeply religious and have no respect for democratic values and no tradition of democratic governance” (Page 170) are rooted in Orientalist stereotypes. For a book about solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Morris offers no real solution himself. He dismisses binationalism as a pipe dream that nobody wants and thinks that the two-state solution is nearing death. Due to his suspicion of the Arabs and skepticism about whether the two can peacefully coexist, Morris comes across as a pessimist. He raises the idea of a Palestinian state with parts of Jordan, but it is doubtful if the Palestinians would accept Jordanian sovereignty rather than a state of their own, which they were offered at Camp David in 2000. One State, Two States offers a vivid picture of the life of both one state and two state ideas, but when Morris’ objectivity falters and his skepticism about coexistence with the Arabs rises in the last chapter, the book suffers. Although the history is illuminating, those seeking objectivity and real solutions will be disappointed.

1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War, by Benny Morris

1948, which documents the first Arab-Israeli war, is a timely and complete work. Known to Israelis as the War of Independence and to Palestinians as al nakba, or “catastrophe,” the 1948 war is absolutely central to the narrative of each side and carries much emotional baggage. In writing about such an emotionally charged event, it is extremely difficult for any historian to be neutral. However, Benny Morris does a very good job of staying objective and keeping composure throughout the book. He keeps historical perspective and is careful to always note that in 1948, neither Israel nor the Arab nations were modern states with modern armies. This is important to remember when the most heavily debated questions arise, such as who started the war, and the question of Palestinian refugees.
1948 has two great strengths; it shines as a blow by blow documentary of the details of the 1948 war and debunks some of the sacred myths held by both sides. The book is an extraordinarily thorough account of every military engagement and political development of the war. Morris spares neither side in his critique of popular narrative about the 1948 war. He debunks the Arab belief that pre-1948 Palestine was a panacea of coexistence destroyed by Zionist aggression; in reality, both sides rarely interacted, massacred each other intermittently, and prepared for war by themselves. On the issue of refugees, Morris denies the Arab claim that there was a master plan by the Israelis to deliberately ethnically cleanse Palestinians but also refutes Israeli attempts to avoid responsibility for the Palestinian refugees. Morris notes that although most of the refugees fled on their own, they did so out of fear created by massacres perpetrated by right-wing Jewish militias, such as Irgun and the LHI (“Stern Gang”). Morris also notes that in many instances Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their villages, that such expulsions were often done under orders from Israeli command, and that all Palestinians refugees were denied the right to return home. Finally, Morris debunks the myth that heroic, vastly outnumbered and under-equipped Israelis beat off overwhelming Arab armies. Although both sides’ militaries were relatively primitive even by 1948 standards, the Arab armies, except for the Jordanian Arab Legion, were small and underequipped militias or the descendants of colonial police forces. Morris notes that the Israelis were better equipped, better trained, better led and, by the second half of the war, actually outnumbered the armies of the six vastly larger Arab states that they fought.
Nonetheless, 1948 has a few critical weaknesses. Despite unparalleled attention to detail, it lacks overarching analysis of the many events it describes so thoroughly. 1948 often focuses on blow-by-blow accounts of battles without describing their larger significance. Also, though it debunks many myths about the Palestinian refugees, especially those held by Israelis, 1948 does not have a comprehensive history of the creation of the refugee problem, preferring to stay within the realm of military history. Finally, the book’s sources are very disproportionately Israeli. This is somewhat understandable as the undemocratic Arab states grant little access to records, especially to an Israeli. For Morris, an Israeli, it is also next to impossible to actually go out and interview Arabs themselves. 1948 suffers from this lack of Arab primary sources. As a military and political history of the creation of Israel, 1948 shines and it will surely take its place among the more important histories of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

Reviews by Amanda!

Faraway Home, by Marilyn Taylor

Faraway Home is about a boy named Karl, who is 13, and his sister Rosa, age 7, in World War II. They escaped from Austria on a “kindertransport”, a program that took Jewish children to non-Nazi occupied countries. Karl escaped to work on a farm in Northern Ireland, with other refugees, while Rose was adopted by an Irish family. On the farm, Karl makes new friends like Danny and Eva. However, he is worried about Rosa, who is unhappy with her new family, and the rest of his family in Austria, or Ostmark, its new name.

Even though Karl and Rosa escape from the Nazis, they don’t escape from the war. Because of this, Karl has lots of scary and fun adventures, such as almost getting arrested by the Irish police, for spying, when all he did was walk on the beach. I recommend this book to boys and girls who like historical fiction and adventure stories.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic, by Sarah Darer Littman

Confessions of a Closet Catholic, is about Justine “Jussy” Silver, an eleven year old Jewish girl, who decides to give up being Jewish for Lent. She learned about Lent from her friend, Mary “Mac” Mcallister, a Catholic.

Justine goes to confession in her closet, to her teddy bear, Father Ted. She does communion with grape juice and matzah. On her dad’s side, she has a Bubbe (grandmother), a survivor of Auschwitz, who keeps kosher and is a very strict orthodox Jew. On her mom’s side, her grandparents go to a Jewish country club that serves shellfish and lobster. Along with this, Jussy worries about her appearance, and her belief that her parents love her siblings and dog more than her.

This book is sad and funny at the same time. It teaches you to figure out how to be yourself. It would appeal to anyone who ever wondered how to be Jewish.

Amanda is a fourth grader in our Education Program

PASSOVER FAIR!

PASSOVER FAIR!

The Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) and the Dr. Arnold L. Segel Library Center are sponsoring a Passover Fair, Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays in March. We're featuring Passover haggadot, books, and games every Sunday, 9:30 – 12:30, Tuesday, 3:30 – 6:00, Fridays 9 - 4, or by appointment.* You may order multiple copies of haggadot through March 29, and receive them in time for the first night of Passover, April 8.

LIBRARY WISH LIST. If you're looking for an opportunity to support our library, any of the items on the list, below, would make wonderful additions to our collection, and may be donated in honor or in memory of a loved one.

BOOKS AND GAMES FOR SALE AT THE FAIR

RESOURCE BOOKS FOR ADULTS

Book of Passover $9.95
Leading the Passover Journey $18.99
Pesach for the Rest of Us $22.95
Seder Stories: Passover Thoughts on Food, Family, and Freedom $14.95
Songs of the Seder $15.95

COOKBOOKS

Vegetarian Pesach Cookbook $13.00
Passover by Design $29.99

Haggadot for all ages

Dayenu!: A Passover Haggadah f $8.95
Different Night Haggadah $12.95
Different Night Haggadah-Compa $6.95
Family Haggadah $4.95
Family Haggadah II $4.95
Family Haggadah-Seder For All $8.95
Haggadah For Jews & Buddhists $15.00
Haggadah With Answers $17.99
My People's PassoverHaggadah 1 $24.99
My People's PassoverHaggadah 2 $24.99
Passover Haggadah (Goldberg) $2.25
Please Don't Pass Over The Seder $8.95
Mystical Haggadah: Passover Me $16.95
Night To Remember: Haggadah $13.95
Open Door: Passover Haggadah $19.95
Why On This Night? $14.99

Children’s Haggadot

Children's Haggadah $12.95
My Very Own Haggadah $3.95
Sammy Spider's First Haggadah $5.95

Picture Books for ages 4 and up

Abuelita's Secret Matzahs $9.99
All About Passover $5.95
Dinosaur on Passover $6.95
Let My People Go $7.95
Matzah Ball-A Passover Story $6.95
Matzah Man $16.00
Mouse In The Matzah Factory $6.95
On Passover $6.99
Passover Around The World $7.95
Pickles Passover (Rugrats) $3.50
Too Many Cooks: Passover Parable 5.95
Carp in the Bathtub $5.95
Fantastic FotoHunt: Pesach$14.95
Matzah Meals $7.95
Matzo Ball Moon $5.95
My Book of The Passover Seder
My First Passover $5.99
Nachshon, Who Was Afraid To $8.95
No Matzoh For Me! $3.49
Passover Parrot $6.95
Passover Ultimate Sticker Book
Pharaoh And The Fabulous Frog $13.95
Rebecca's Passover $7.95
Sammy Spider's First Passover $7.95
Sammy Spider's Passover Fun Book $4.95
Ten Plagues of Egypt $9.95
Touch Of Passover $8.00
What Do You See on Pesach?

For ages 8 and up

Private Joel and the Sewell Mountain seder $16.95
Kids' Catalog of Passover $15.95
Passover $5.95
The Yankee at the seder $16.99

For ages 10 and up

Dear Elijah $9.95
Pharaoh's Daughter $5.99


GAMES FOR ALL AGES!

Card games by Emily Sper:

Passover Go Fish - $5.00
Jewish Holidays Go Fish - $5.00

Oy Vey Sudoku (with Passover words) $5.00


*For more information about the book fair, other library programs, or giving opportunities to the library, please contact Ann Abrams, Librarian, aabrams@tisrael.org . 617-566-3960.

Purim's coming! March 10th

We have lots of great books in the library, for all ages, about the festival of Purim, its star, Queen Esther, its villain, Haman, and how Jews celebrate Purim all over the world.

In addition, here are some parodies I've written over the years.

http://parodiesfound.googlepages.com/parodiesfound

Jews have written Purim parodies since medieval times. Here's some info about why this happened, and what types of parodies have been written throughout history:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Purim/TO_Purim_History/PurimHumor.htm

Purim's a lot of fun at the temple! Come to our festive service, Erev Purim (Purim Eve), Monday March 9th at 6:30!

NEW BOOKS, FILMS AND MUSIC FOR ALL!

BOOKS FOR KIDS!

For ages 5 and up

Title: Aunt Claire's yellow beehive hair /
Author: Blumenthal, Deborah.
A girl, seeking her connection to family past and present, creates a special book in tribute and remembrance, leaving blank pages for future memories.


Title: Messes of dresses /
Author: Pertzig, Faigy
The New Yorker (Review)It is unquestionably the cute rhyming verses which give this book so much charm for 3 to 7 year olds. But there is a serious lesson to be learned by little girls who read this book. Gittel has her own house which she takes care of, and she enjoys having only two dresses to wear. Then a friend introduces her to the luxuries of many dresses until they are so plentiful they occupy all her time and energy. Finally, Gittel learns her lesson. In the meantime, the colorful airbrush illustrations by Tova Leff will cause any young lady to giggle and laugh. The lesson Gittel learns will make little girls better appreciate what they have and can't have in a simple to understand way and how possessions relate or don't relate to one's happiness in life. The idea is imaginative and the style is charming


Title: The brothers Schlemiel /
Author: Binder, Mark.

A contemporary version of the Helm stories.


For ages 7 and up

The magic pomegranate : a Jewish folktale /
Author: Schram, Peninnah.

Three handsome and clever brothers compete to find the world's most unusual gift. Includes a note on doing good deeds, or mitzvot, and discusses the symbolism of the pomegranate in Judaism.


Title: Portraits of Jewish American heroes /
Author: Drucker, Malka.

Profiles of: Haym Salomon -- Levi Strauss -- Emma Lazarus -- Louis Dembitz Brandeis -- Henrietta Szold -- Rachel (Ray) Frank -- Lillian Wald -- Harry Houdini (Ehrich Weiss) -- Albert Einstein -- Golda Meir -- Abraham Joshua Heschel -- Henry Benjamin (Hank) Greenberg -- Leonard Bernstein -- Bella Savitsky Abzug -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- Gloria Steinem -- Michael Schwerner And Andrew Goodman -- Steven Spielberg -- Judith Arlene Resnik -- Daniel Pearl.



BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS! (Ages 12 and up)

Title: Two parties, one tux, and a very short film about the Grapes of wrath /
Author: Goldman, Steven (Member of the temple!)

Children's Literature (Review)
What does any self-respecting high school student do when he hasn't read The Grapes of Wrath for his honors English class and he has to write a five-page paper on the book? If you are Mitchell Wells, you turn in a claymation film project he and another student did for their Digital Animation class, titling it "An Animated Exploration of Biblical Themes in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath." Mitch and his best friend, David, have things all figured out. It's their junior year and they are ready for it all—the classes, parties, girls, prom, sports, trying to just blend in. But all this takes a sharp turn when David comes out to Mitch and when Mitch is called to the principal's office because a parent complained that the video he turned in for his English assignment was offensive. Goldman has written a book that is totally in line with teens and what happens in their personal and school lives. He seems to understand their thinking, their language and their friendships. He has created believable characters in believable situations. Reviewer: Naomi Williamson

Title: The freak
Author: Matas, Carol

Fifteen-year-old Jade is having some strange after-affects following a high fever with meningitis. She sees auras around people’s heads, can read minds, and accurately predicts the future. Where do these abilities come from, and what do they suggest about free will, G-d, and the meaning of life? Can Jade change the future? Jade thinks she’s crazy and a freak, but her mother, father, grandmother, boyfriend, aunt, and a Jewish psychic named Frieda have other ideas. The suspenseful, entertaining, sometimes humorous plot plays out against a backdrop of Judaism, High Holidays, and local anti-Semitic skinheads bent on destroying Jews and immigrants. The Freak is Book One in The Freak series.


Title: The remarkable invention that saves Zion : a tale of TRIZ /
Author: Stupniker, Yehudit.

From the publisher:
The Theory of Invention Problem Solving (TRIZ) forms the scientific basis of this fast-paced adventure story that takes place in Israel's future.
Four Israeli students, along with their visiting American cousin, gain a sneak preview of the Professor's latest invention, only to open a Pandora's box of troubles. The young foursome allow the Professor's top security invention to be stolen by a spy. With this invention he is able to challenge the very foundations of Israeli society. Discovering his identity and uncovering his purpose will hopefully save the country and reawaken the bond that exists between the Land and its People. In order to uncover the spy and get back the invention, the group uses a TRIZ technique that will both amaze the reader and reveal how to unlock the ability to solve any problem with the innate logic of your mind.


BOOKS FOR ADULTS!

POETRY

Title: Flowers of perhaps
Author: Ra'hel


MEMOIRS

Title: The journal of Helene Berr
Author: Berr, Helene

Title: Remember for life Holocaust survivors' stories of faith and hope
Author: Hirschfield, Brad


SPORTS

Title: Time-out sports stories as a game plan for spiritual success
Author: Lipman, Dov Moshe


HUMOR

Title: Don't mind me and other Jewish lies
Author: Cohen, Esther

Title: I feel bad about my neck : and other thoughts on being a woman /
Author: Ephron, Nora.


BIBLE AND OTHER TEXTS

Title: The year of living biblically : one man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible /
Author: Jacobs, A. J.


Title: Sefer Sipure maasiyot.
Author: Nahman of Bratzlav. In Hebrew.


FICTION

Title: The clothes on their backs /
Author: Grant, Linda,


ISRAEL

Title: Zion in the desert : American Jews in Israel's reform kibbutzim /
Author: Miles, William F. S.


Title: Testaments of Israel words of yesterday, images of today
Author: Wagner, John


Title: Making it happen your congregational trip to Israel
Publisher: New York Association of Reform Zionists of America


MUSIC

Title: Atem zokhrim et ha-shirim : You remember the songs.
Author: Yonatan Gefen

ART

Title: Marc Chagall : works from the collections of the Muse'e National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.
Author: Chagall, Marc,


CONTEMPORARY EVENTS

Title: Financial crisis sparks anti-Semitism
Author: Anti-Defamation League

Title: What do we do with a difference? France and the debate over headscarves in schools
Author: Facing History and Ourselves Foundation

Title: Stories of identity religion, migration and belonging in a changing world
Author: Facing History Foundation

HOLOCAUST

Title: Totally unofficial Raphael Lemkin and the genocide convention
Author: Facing History and Ourselves Foundation


BOOKS ON CD

Title: Moscow rules
Author: Silva, Daniel,

Title: Indignation
Author: Roth, Philip.

Title: Defending identity : its indispensable role in protecting democracy /
Author: Shcharansky, Anatoly.

Title: The Mercedes coffin(mystery)
Author: Kellerman, Faye.

Title: The burnt house (mystery)
Author: Kellerman, Faye


MUSIC ON CD

Title: Oy vey! Klezmer for kids /
Author: Sruli and Lisa

FILMS ON DVD

Title: Evan almighty
Author: Barber, Gary

Title: Keeping up with the Steins /

BOOK REVIEWS BY AMANDA!

Amanda, a fourth grader in our Education Program, has written reviews of two children's books! Thanks, Amanda!


Vive La Paris, by Esme Raji Codell

Vive La Paris is about a girl named Paris living in Chicago. Paris is in the 5th grade, and has 4 brothers. She takes piano lessons from a neighbor named Mrs. Rosen. Mrs. Rosen helps her face challenges involving her friends and brothers. What I like best about this book is how brave Paris is, and how much Mrs. Rosen helps her, even though Mrs. Rosen is much older than Paris, is Jewish and has a completely different way of thinking.


Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse

Joseph Michtom is a 14 year old Jewish boy living in Brooklyn, New York in the early 1900s. He works at his parents’ store selling Teddy bears that his mother invented. Joseph does not like working in the store. What he really wants to do is go to Coney Island. This book tells about his adventures trying to get there.

This book has another story, one about orphans and badly treated children. These children live under the Brooklyn Bridge with their pet parrot. These two stories make you want to discover how they connect and eventually they do. I would recommend this book to 3rd grade and up. It is good for girls and boys who like realistic and/or historical fiction.

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

The 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award, a prize for Jewish Children's and Teen Literature from the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), has recently been announced. To see the winners, click here:

http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/awards/stba/STBAAwardList2009.pdf

To celebrate and showcase the 2009 gold and silver medalists, there will be a Blog Tour! Here is the schedule:

http://www.sydneytaylorbookaward.blogspot.com


Sydney Taylor was the author of the All of a Kind Family series - chapter books about a family with 5 girls (and eventually, one boy) living with their Mama and Papa in the Lower East Side in the early 1900's. The author's family established this award after she died, under the auspices of the AJL, to encourage and support the writing of wonderful and engaging Jewish books for children and teens. Written in the 1950's, this series is still enjoyed by children today.

HOT READS FOR COLD DAYS!

NEW CHILDREN’S BOOKS

BIOGRAPHIES

Hill, Anne E. Sasha Cohen / biography of the Olympic figure skater.

Drucker, Malka. Portraits of Jewish American heroes

Nobleman, Marc Tyler. Boys of steel : the creators of Superman


FICTION

Hesse, Karen. Brooklyn Bridge

Michelson, Richard. A is for Abraham : a Jewish family Alphabet /

Kimmel, Eric A. A horn for Louis

Schram, Peninnah The hungry clothes and other Jewish folktales



NON-FICTION

Yolen, Jane. Naming Liberty

Michelson, Richard. As good as anybody : Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel's amazing march toward freedom

Lehman-Wilzig, Tami. Passover around the world

Kuklin, Susan. Families


YOUNG ADULT

Baskin, Nora Raleigh. The truth about my bat mitzvah /

Schmidt, Gary D. Mara's stories : glimmers in the darkness / tales told within the concentration camps


ADULT NON-FICTION

BIOGRAPHY, MEMOIR

Rose, Ernestine L. Mistress of herself : speeches and letters of Ernestine Rose, early women's rights leader

Sabar, Ariel
My father's paradise : a son's search for his Jewish past in Kurdish Iraq /

Foster, Richard J., Mark Spitz : the extraordinary life
of an Olympic champion /

Spiegelman, Art. Breakdowns : portrait of the artist as a young %@[squiggle][star]! /

Bacon, Ursula. Shanghai diary : a young girl's journey from Hitler's hate to war-torn China /

Greenberg, Murray. Passing game : Benny Friedman and the transformation of football /


FAMILY/PARENTING/RELATIONSHIPS

Family matters : Jewish education in an age of choice /

Nemzoff, Ruth E. Don't bite your tongue : how to foster rewarding relationships with your adult children /

Diamant, Anita. How to raise a Jewish child : a practical handbook for family life /

Meszler, Joseph B. A man's responsibility : a Jewish guide to being a son, a partner in marriage, a father, and a community leader /


PRAYER, SPIRITUALITY, ETHICS

Tefilat nashim. The Jewish woman's prayer book /

Spitz, Elie Kaplan, Healing from despair : choosing wholeness in a broken world /

Borowitz, Eugene B. A touch of the sacred : a theologian's informal guide to Jewish belief /

Jewish stories from heaven and earth : inspiring tales to nourish the heart and soul /

Hirsch, Sherre Z. We plan, God laughs : 10 steps to finding your divine path when life is not turning out like you wanted /

Gillman, Neil Doing Jewish theology : God, Torah & Israel in modern Judaism /
Schulweis, Harold M. Conscience : the duty to obey and the duty to disobey /

HOLOCAUST, HISTORY, ISRAEL, POLITICS,

Ackerman, Diane. The zookeeper's wife /

Kisliuk, Ingrid From trauma to trepidation memories transmitted by hidden children to the second generation

Carvalho, Solomon Nunes Incidents of travel and adventure in the far West.

Goldstein, Elyse. New Jewish feminism : probing the past, forging the future

Sharansky, Natan. Defending identity its indispensable role in protecting democracy

Sarna, Jonathan D. A time to every purpose : letters to a young Jew /

Bronfman, Edgar M. Hope, not fear : a path to Jewish renaissance /

Dershowitz, Alan M. The case against Israel's enemies : exposing Jimmy Carter and others who stand in the way of peace /

Kritzler, Ed. Jewish pirates of the Caribbean : how a generation of swashbuckling Jews carved out an empire in the new world in their quest for treasure, religious freedoms and revenge

Jews and American comics : an illustrated history of an American art form

Weiss, Avraham. Spiritual activism : a Jewish guide to leadership and repairing the world

Brown, Erica. Inspired Jewish leadership : practical approaches to building strong communities

Firestone, Reuven Who are the real chosenpeople? : the
meaning of chosenness in Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam

Salkin, Jeffrey K. Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible :
ancient role models for sacred relationships

Rubinger, David, Israel through my lens : sixty years as a photojournalist


HEBREW, TORAH, STUDY

Alpert, Rebecca T. Whose Torah? : a concise guide to progressive Judaism

Kravitz, Leonard S.
Eichah : a modern commentary on the Book of Lamentations

Artson, Bradley Shavit. The everyday Torah : weekly reflections and inspirations /

Stavans, Ilan. Resurrecting Hebrew

Elkins, Dov Peretz. The wisdom of Judaism : an introduction to the values of the Talmud

MUSIC

Safam (musical group) Safam the complete collection anthology


FICTION/LITERARY ESSAYS/GRAPHIC NOVELS

Grossman, David Writing in the dark/

Nadelson, Scott. Saving Stanley : the Brickman stories /

Roth, Philip. Indignation /

Sfar, Joann. The rabbi's cat /Graphic novel.

Modan, Rutu Jamilti & other stories/ Graphic novel

Montefiore, Sebag. Sashenka .

Yehoshua, Abraham B. Friendly fire : a duet

Kellerman, Faye The Mercedes coffin (mystery)

Katzir, Judith. Dearest Anne : a tale of impossible love /

Anton, Maggie. Rashi's daughter : secret scholar

Keret, Etgar, The girl on the fridge

Agnon, Shmuel Yosef . To this day

Manseau, Peter. Songs for the butcher's daughter

Brown, Danit Ask for a convertible : stories

Silva, Daniel, Moscow rules (Thriller)


NEW FILMS

Izen, Shulamit Hineini coming out in a Jewish high
school


NEW BOOKS ON CD

Silva, Daniel, Moscow rules


Roth, Philip Indignation