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Archive for the ‘About’ Category.
11th August 2010, 11:00 am
Earlier today five regular members of our bookclub gathered to discuss what books to read in the 2010/2011 season. Altogether we suggested 18 books. After we voted for them the following books did not make it for this year, but they might be reconsidered for later year:
The following books got top votes and nine of them will make it to the bookclub’s program. The following table includes information about two additional criteria for our selection: whether the book is available in paperback and whether the public library has a copy of it or not.
16th May 2010, 08:00 am
Religious school is out today. This also means that the library is switching to its summer mode. We will be open on demand. Call the number posted on the door and in the Shofar to set up an appointment with Ruth.
18th October 2009, 10:14 am
1st March 2009, 10:00 am
Often in my daily rhythm of film, fiction and childrens’ book recommendations I can forget for a moment that our library is also an excellent research facility. For example, we have four scholarly commentaries on the book of Esther and at least a dozen different translations. This is more than Sonoma State and SRJC have combined!
Last year around Purim I mentioned on the library’s blog the popular anthology we have on the topic, our song collections and picture books. (If you are interested in these you can search the blog for “Purim” and you’ll find the post.) This year I would like to encourage fledgling and seasoned scholars alike to check out our commentaries on the scroll upon which the festival is built.
First, I would like to recommend Carey A. Moore‘s commentary, published in the prestigious Anchor Bible series in 1971. The 70-page introduction would satisfy the curiosity of any historian about issues such as the book’s “lack of religious elements, its absence at Qumran, its questionable historicity.”
Frederic Bush‘s commentaries on the books of Ruth and Esther were published in a single volume of the World Biblical Commentary series in 1996. Bush used his expertise in Near Eastern studies and analyzed the literary structure of the book to figure out the answer to the question, “Is it possible that a proto version of Esther was amended in the Massoretic Text to make a solid case for the popular feast of Purim?”
Getting closer to our own tradition (after all, the Anchor Bible is an interfaith effort, while the World Biblical Commentary has a Christian orientation,) the ArtScroll Tanach series volume on the Book of Esther deserves your attention. The 24-page introduction titled, “The Period and the Miracle” was written by Rabbi Nosson Scherman, while the book was translated and compiled by Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz. The extensive running commentary pulled from many rabbinical sources makes this edition invaluable. Also, these sources are listed and explained at the end, in the bibliography.
Finally, for the advanced scholar amongst you we have a precious copy of “The First Targum to Esther: According to the Ms. Paris Hebrew 110 of the Bibliotheque Nationale“, translated and annotated by Bernard Grossfeld. (Targum refers to translation of the Tanach to Aramaic, the spoken language of the Jews in the post-exilic period.) It is a truly academic volume, recommended only to the most dedicated. But if you manage to follow the book’s reasoning you will be awarded with a deeper understanding of how historical manuscripts relate to each other and how they are used to decipher history.
I am hoping that this short overview of intellectual texts awaken in you the thirst for learning that we, I am proud to say, have the resources to satisfy.
1st February 2009, 10:00 am
One of my favorite holidays is Tu B’Shevat, and this year it falls on February 9. I like it because it inspires me out of my sedentary lifestyle and into nature, to enjoy and appreciate a taste of spring. On this day I surely have my recommended amount of daily fruit.
However, I also have an ambivalent relationship with this holiday. It is about celebrating trees and as a librarian I surround myself with fallen trees, in the form of books. I feel guilty because a large number of trees had to be cut down to create the books that fill our library. I console myself in two ways.
First, I hope that more trees are planted than the ones that were cut down. Israel is a leading force in this regard, their tree-planting programs were essential in turning the desert into a living and livable place. I also enjoy planting trees myself, but I admit not doing it as often as I wish or should!
Second, as there is nothing I can do for the trees that were already turned into the books in the library I want to make sure that their sacrifices were not in vain, but to try to interest you in reading these books. The more books you, dear readers, borrow and read the less guilty I have to feel. In this spirit let me recommend the four very different items we have on Tu B’Shevat itself.
Our 30-page picture book for toddlers and olders, titled Tu Bi-Sh’vot: The New Year’s Day for Trees, follows two children throughout their day of celebration at home with their family and in school with their classmates. We also offer two different Seders for the holiday to help you celebrate it. One of them–written by Appelman and Shapiro–is full of joyful illustrations and is geared for 8-11 year olds. The other, by Adam Fisher, is richer in content suitable for all ages. It contains more songs, blessings, stories, and poems for your pleasure.
Finally, if you really want to be engaged with Tu B’Shevat check out our thick (500 page long) anthology titled Trees, Earth, and Torah. Its three editors, Ari Elon, Naomi Mara Hyman and Arthur Waskow, did a superb job of selecting essays covering the holiday from every imaginable angle, including its growth in history, its roots in biblical and rabbinic Judaism, its connection to Kabbalah, Hasidism, Zionism and Israel and its development into eco-Judaism. The last third of the book has everything you would ever want to know on how to celebrate it and why.
Let me end now with the opening words of the introduction to Trees, Earth and Torah.
“I hope more than any other Jewish festival, Tu B’Shvat is the celebration of Becoming. There is no halakha, no legal structure, to define it. It springs wholly from the spiritual depth and growth of the Jewish people in relation with the One Who always beckons us to grow and in relation with the earth where all things grow.”
26th January 2009, 10:27 am
Chris Smith in his longer article titled “Oh, man, this president needs some help” mentioned Whitey‘s donation at our shul in Saturday’s Press Democrat. Here is the relevant segment:
CLIPPED RESPONSE: Four years ago, as George W. Bush began his second term as president, retired printer Milt “Whitey” Sterman of Santa Rosa vowed not to cut his hair while there was still a Bush in the White House.
Whitey, 79, is pretty shaggy about now. He decided he wants to do some good while getting shorn.
So just before noon today at Congregation Beth Ami, members of the synagogue will donate money to a couple of causes, then help snip his Bush-y hair and shave him bald.
22nd January 2009, 02:26 pm
On the evening of Tuesday, January 27, the first copy of the privately published autobiography of the late Joseph L. Zygielbaum will be presented to his widow, Adele Zygielbaum, a Santa Rosa resident. The public is invited to this presentation of Odyssey of a Partisan, which will take place 7-9 pm on the bottom floor of the Doyle Library at Santa Rosa Junior College, on Elliott Avenue in Santa Rosa.
Odyssey of a Partisan describes Mr. Zygielbaum’s tragic experiences and heroic struggles as a Jewish partisan leader in the Second World War, including the loss of his first family, his captivity in the Soviet Union, his military action in Poland, Russia, Belarus, Yugoslavia, and Finland, and his survival to become an American military intelligence analyst and contributor to America’s early space program.
Following is an excerpt from the editor’s preface to Odyssey of a Partisan:
“This book is a true story… I found myself in the forests in Belarus, wandering with the partisans as I read. I found myself understanding a perspective of the Second World War that is not well known. I found myself in awe of a man who could not only live through such ordeals, but live to tell them, to tell us what happened. That was what he wanted. He wanted people to know how it really was for Jews in Poland during the occupation. He wanted people to know about the hide-aways of partisans in the forest. He wanted his story told so that we would not forget… I… asked myself: what and where are the similarities today? I believe that is what Joseph Zygielbaum wants his readers to ask. He wants a story told so that history remains in the past and does not repeat itself. Odyssey of a Partisan is his story, in his words.”
The narrative also relates the ordeal of Mr. Zygielbaum’s father, Szmul Zygielbojm, the famous Polish labor leader, who defied Nazi authority and became a martyr to the effort to save the remaining Jews of Poland during the Warsaw Uprising. The presentation will touch upon this aspect of the family’s history.
Mrs. Zygielbaum will be joined by her sons, Paul, also of Santa Rosa, and Arthur, of Lincoln, Nebraska, who together oversaw completion of the book’s publication, and by Krista Burlae, editor of the manuscript. They will present their perspectives on the tragedies and triumphs of Joseph Zygielbaum’s remarkable life and the completion of his autobiography.
Following the presentation of the book, Mrs. Zygielbaum, who frequently speaks to community groups, will go on to describe and discuss her own experiences as a concentration camp survivor.
For further information, contact Paul Zygielbaum at psz@mpzyg.com
21st January 2009, 03:59 pm
(While the Librarian is on vacation)
Monday, January 22 4-6 PM
Sunday, January 23 9 AM –noon
Monday, January 26 4-6 PM
Tuesday, January 27 4-6 PM
Wednesday, January 28 4-6 PM
Thursday, January 29 4-6 PM
Sunday, February 1 9 AM –noon
Monday, February 2 4-6 PM
15th January 2009, 03:52 pm
 Another book we won is not for the faint hearted. “Jewtopia: The Chosen Book for the Chosen People” by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson, is a funny, irreverent, in-your-face kind of guide to Judaism, written by two Jewish comedians from New York, based on their hit show. If you are not ashamed to have some fun reading internal reflections on stereotypes you will find the jokes here hilarious. If nothing else browse through the pages to see the pictures. After all the book is published by Warner books and if they know one thing that is how to make something look good. For further guidance check the table of contents for the table of contents page of the book’s website, where you can see some of the art work too:
- History Part I Where It All Began
- History Part II Oh For Christ Sakes!
- Holidays: Celebrate Bad Times!
- Food: Anyone Have Some Zantac?
- Jewtopia’s Guide to Life: From Bar Mitzvahs
- Travel: Planes, Trains, and Diarrhea
- Stereotypes: Look Ethell I Found a Penny
- Conspiracy Theories: Do Jews Control the World?
- Conversations with Jewish Mothers Part One
1st January 2009, 10:00 am
Having joined the library a year ago, it is time to take stock of my experiences. They include so many positive areas it is hard to know where to start.
First of all, I enjoyed being surrounded by books, many of which I am interested in, some I actually read. The process of getting to know the collection will take many years, but I dove into the process head first. What can I say? I love books, learning from them, being entertained by them, touching the textures of the pages, admiring the illustrations. I also love to spread the word when I find a good one.
I take pleasure in writing, as you might have noticed if you read any of the 300 hundred blog entries I wrote. The purpose of my posts is to let you know about the offerings we have, whether they are new or old books, events we put on or anniversaries worthy of remembering. If you haven’t checked it out, maybe it’s time. (The address is at the top of this article)
My thirst for technology is also met because I can play with software I was not familiar with. By the time you read this we should have our new catalog up and running, with several new exciting features for patrons. I also happened to slip in the role of maintaining Beth Ami’s website, yet another task I am having fun with.
Our collection grew with over 300 books and DVDs in 2008. Thank you, dear readers, for donating them or giving money to the library’s dedicated fund so we could purchase them. Organizing information is another passion of mine. Thus cataloging all these new items was a rewarding task.
I admit I watch a lot of movies. Working at the library gave me the opportunity to share my enthusiasm via running last summer’s film club, when we watched 10 movies. I plan to restart the series in February. Recommendations for what movies to include in the series are welcome.
But none of this can be compared to the most thrilling part of my job: interacting with visitors and patrons. Seeing the joy of a child when I ask how she liked the book she just returned, finding the most suitable book when somebody asks a reference question, watching people as they browse our shelves to pick something to read, hearing the children’s laughter when I read stories to them, listening to people’s stories on how they relate to a certain book – these are the best of times in the life of a librarian.
Thank you for your ongoing support that allowed me to work in my dream job. Now, you can join in the fun as well. The beginning of the New Year is the perfect opportunity to start volunteering at the library. I need to take a short vacation for personal reasons, starting January 22. We need more people while I am away to cover shifts if we are to keep our usual opening hours. If any of the above appeals to you, I urge to inquire how you can be more involved.
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