Our KI Library is as old as KI. The founding members began the collection over 50 years ago, and it has expanded over the years. The library is maintained by a dedicated group of KI congregants. We have two children’s collections. One of which is supported completely by donations to the Donald Goldberg Memorial Fund. The collection is located in the Jewish Experience Center (JEC) and the books are circulated during JEC classes. The other collection is located in the Early Childhood Center and is also supported solely by donations from the community. Our Adult collection is located next to the sanctuary and contains an extensive range of Judaica. It is supported by the Library Fund. Donations to these two funds are greatly appreciated and well used. Make a donation now.
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For once and current comic book lovers, the KI library has From Krakow to Krypton by Arie Kaplan. Many of the creators of the most famous comic books, such as Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, and Batman, as well as the founders of MAD Magazine, were Jewish. This book reveals the Jewish subtexts of these comics and demonstrates how the creators brought a uniquely Jewish perspective to their work and to the comics industry as a whole. If you enjoyed the exhibit at the Skirball, this book will let you plunge even deeper into the subject.
If you're a coin or stamp collector, you may be interested in these books in the KI Library: The Story of Israel in Stamps by Maxim and Gabriel Shamir 682.9 S Great Jews in Stamps by Arieh Lindenbaum 682.9 L The Bible Through Stamps by Ord Matek 682.9 M Coins of the Land of Israel - the Collection of the Bank of Israel 676 K
May is Jewish American Heritage Month. There are wonderful websites devoted to celebrating this month.
Jewish American Heritage Month official website View stories to learn about significant Jews in American life, resources and timelines. Library of Congress/National Parks Jewish American Heritage Month The varied and vast information on this website opens up a Jewish world in America you may not have known about. View the Library of Congress collections on Yiddish plays, the exhibit on the 350 years of Jewish life in America, and the National Parks Service directory of historic Jewish places. (Library of Congress, From Haven to Home) Off the Internet, the KI Library has shelves of books on American Jews and Jewish contributions to American. Go to Call Nos. 770-799 in the library.
Here is a sample of some of the books in the collection. Arth, The Jews in America Call No. 771 Vorspan, The History of Jews in Los Angeles 777.1 V Dershowitz, Chutzpah Call No. 770.9 Der Grossinger, The Art of Jewish Cooking Call No. 699 Gro Schnappes, Documentary History of the Jews in the Unites States, 1654-1875 Call No. 770 Schnappes Take some time to learn about your Jewish American heritage this month.
The library has a copy of the Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman author of the recent book, One Hundred Names for Love. The Zookeeper's Wife is the true story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, Christian zookeepers who were horrified by Nazi racism and used the Nazis' obsession with pureblood animals in order to save over 300 doomed people by hiding them in the bombed-out cages at the Warsaw Zoo. The library has also acquired these books: The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-six by Jonathon Keats Jewish folklore is reimagined in this collection of stories about the Talmudic idea of the Lamedh-Vov, 36 righteous souls who must exist at all times in order for humanity, and the world, to sustain itself. Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter by Peter Manseau Fictional Yiddish poet Itzik Malpesh, now 90, employs a 21-year-old religious scholar to translate his memoirs into English. A sustaining memory is the story of his birth during a pogrom, when Sasha, the ritual butcher’s daughter, just four years old, chased away the killers and saved his life. Ever since being told of the girl's courageous feat, his romantic obsession has been to find Sasha. Dancing on the Edge of the World : Jewish Stories of Love, Faith, and Inspiration by Miriyam Glazer This collection of ancient and contemporary stories provides a glimpse into the Jewish spirit that has been "dancing on the edge of the world" for two thousand years. Come in to the library and Check them out!
The KI library has fiction and literature by Jewish writers and on Jewish themes. Here are a few works by contemporary Jewish female writers.
Click here to check with the KI library for books that might help you with understanding the process or with your planning.