Temple Library

Notes from the Levy Library by Annette Goldsmith

Observing Holocaust Remembrance Day – continued

– column updated 4/25/25

Holocaust Remembrance Day at STTI – Sunday, April 27 at 10:30 am

By now I hope you will all have seen the flyer for this program. Perhaps you are wondering why it features the Statue of Liberty. Here’s the connection: when through no fault of their own, people are on the move and need a country to take them in, the Statue of Liberty symbolizes “welcoming the stranger.” We certainly remember when Jews were in this situation during the rise of the Nazis, fleeing Europe and often facing closed doors.

The poem in the statue’s pedestal, “The New Colossus,” was written by a Sephardic Jew, Emma Lazarus. Those famous lines are all about taking people in:

…“Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”

We can fight antisemitism and other forms of racism through kindness, as the Righteous Among Nations did, at great risk to themselves and their families.

Come join us on April 27 as we remember the stories of survivors in our community and beyond. A light lunch follows. Call 310-475-7000 to rsvp.

The Second Sunday Book Club meets May 18 at 1:00 pm

Please note: We are meeting the THIRD Sunday to avoid Mother’s Day. To attend, email me at library@sephardictemple.org.

Need a break from the news? Come to our no-stress monthly book club for STTI adults and friends – we meet in Zoom and talk about whatever we are reading, Jewish or not, for an hour or two, depending on how many people attend.

Here are a few of the books we discussed at the April 20 meeting (from left to right)… Badenheim 1939 is the famous Holocaust allegory of a complacent resort community taken by surprise when the mysterious “Sanitation Department” starts to encroach on their lives. A Shout in the Sunshine is middle grade historical fiction about Sephardic Jews in 15th century Greece. We have these two Jewish books in the library. And further afield… Do not be put off by the cover of John the Skeleton, an award-winning story translated from Estonian for roughly ages 6-adult. It is the book I have been telling everyone I know to read: warm, funny, humane, and with a lovely glimpse into Estonian culture. And for mystery fans, The Crossing Places is the first in a series about forensic archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway, set in a desolate marsh in Norfolk, England.

Documentary about Art Spiegelman

On April 10, AJU livestreamed a talk, “The Life and Work of Maus Cartoonist Art Spiegelman with Philip Dolin and Jennifer Bardi.” Moment deputy editor Bardi interviewed Dolin, the co-director of the new film, Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse, which debuted on PBS on April 15 as an episode of American Masters. It was a fascinating conversation that you can now watch on YouTube.

For details about the film, see the PBS American Masters page.

Shabbat Shalom, and I hope to see you all on Sunday, April 27 for the Holocaust program! After the program during lunch please stop by my book table to see and borrow books for all ages on the Holocaust and other topics.

Your Librarian, Annette

Do visit our online catalog http://stti.hl.scoolaid.net/bin/home. You can also get there via the Temple web site https://sephardictemple.org/ — click on the “Learning” tab and choose “Temple Library.” Get to know your Levy Library – there’s lots to discover!

Librarian: Annette Goldsmith. Email: library@sephardictemple.org