A Note From the Chair

Editor's Corner

Astor Judaica Library Lectures for Spring 2008

9th Annual San Diego Jewish Music Festival

About the Library

Library eConnection May 2008

Search our Online Catalog at www.lfjcc.org

The Astor Judaica Library annual and popular USED BOOKSALE is approaching!

The green barrels are ready for your book donations at the Lawrence Family JCC (next to the Fitness Front Desk and near the Box Office).

Save the dates for the book sale: June 5 to 15, 2008 (closed on Saturday)
Open during Lawrence Family JCC open hours, closes on Sunday, June 15 at 4pm.
Don't miss this opportunity to browse through thousands of titles from classics to current releases for children and adults:

• Judaic & Non-Judaic
• Hardcover & Paperback
• Hard-to-find & Out-of-print
• Brand New & Well Used
• Fiction & Non-fiction

To volunteer, contact Hadas Blinder at hadasb@lfjcc.com or 858-362-1174.

Used Book Sale Co-Chairs: Heidi Farkash and D.J. Barliant

NOTE FROM THE CHAIR:

RESEARCH FROM HOME

A new resource at the Astor Judaica Library is the online eEdition of the Encyclopaedia Judaica. Many of you may know of my passion for genealogy.  In the late 1970s I spent many hours in this library when it was at the old JCC, on 54th St. in East San Diego, looking through the Encyclopaedia Judaica for my ancestral towns and family names.  Because there was no copier available for library users, I had to write out the articles I found in longhand.  On a trip to UCLA one day, I was able to get some of the articles copied on a Xerox machine.  As you canimagine, all of this was very time-consuming. 

I decided to give the eEdition of the EJ a try by doing searches for the same ancestral towns and family names.  The ancestral towns are Kiev, Brest-Litvosk, Lomza in Poland, Roman in Romania and Zaleszczyki in Galicia. The surnames are Chameides and Rotenstreich.  

Imagine my surprise when in less than fifteen minutes I not only retrieved the articles, I downloaded them to my computer and printed them out!

The eEdition can be searched from any computer anywhere.  Just log on to the JCC website (http://www.lfjcc.org).  Click on Astor Judaica Library and click on “Search Encyclopaedia Judaica.”  Remote access is available for all JCC members.  Just ask Hadas (hadasb@lfjcc.com) for the password.  Non-members can use this resource at any of the computers in our library. 

There is a basic search function and an advanced search function.  I found that there are more results using the advanced search and selecting keyword.  If you get too many hits, then you can narrow your search.  This happened to me when I entered the town of Roman.  Most of the hits were for the Roman Empire.  When I used Roman Romania I got the entries for the town I was looking for. 

You can print out your item, view it as a PDF file, email it or download it to your computer.  You can even select the style of citation or have the article machine-translated into a choice of eight languages.  The site also keeps track of your previous searches.  I plan to use this resource over and over again and I hope you will too.

Can you believe Israel is celebrating her 60th birthday?  My first real memories of Israel involve the 1967 war.  I remember pledging $25 to the emergency campaign – which was a lot of money for me at the time. Many of my friends remember the actual birth of the State of Israel and dancing in the streets incelebration. In contrast, our children think of Israel as a fait accompli, and they barely recognize all it took to become a state.  But whatever your perspective and experience, this is truly a year of celebration. And what better time to learn than at a time of celebration!

Last month I went to the Astor Judaica Library and scanned the shelves for relevant titles for this month’s article.  I took copious notes and penned phrases to include. Unfortunately, I was a bit too zealous in my pre-Pesach cleaning, so when I went to find the notes and write the article – alas, they were nowhere to be found.  Rather than returning to the Library and attempting to recapture what I’d lost, I realized I could do it all sitting at my computer.  I typed in http://www.lfjcc.org, clicked on “Astor Judaica Library” and then on “Search Catalog.”  I typed “Israel” in the Key Word Search  – and bingo!  Twenty pages of books about Israel! 

Since we’re looking back at 60 years of statehood, what better place to begin than with history? Probably the definitive work on Israeli history is Howard Morely Sachar’s A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time. This book is so well done that it has been reissued countless times. It gives a comprehensive look at the history of the Jewish State from its early 19th century beginnings to the present. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offers his personal, well-researched and well-documented review ofIsrael’s history in A Place Among the Nations: Israel and the World. To look at a short but pivotal period of history from a vast array of perspectives in order to capture a complete picture of the Israel experience, try journalist and author Tom Segev’s 1967: Israel, The War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East. As in his previous books One Palestine Complete and The Seventh Million, Segev reveals not only the politics and history but also the personalities that determine the flow of events.

For a look at Israel’s ancient past, pick up The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts. Many Biblical scholars are looking for literal proof of the stories and places in the Hebrew Bible. In this volume, archaeologist Israel Finkelstein and author Neil Asher Silberman present a balanced, thoughtful, bold reconsideration of the historical period that produced the Hebrew Bible.

Moving to a more political arena, consider authors Dore Gold and Alan Dershowitz. Bestselling author and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Dore Gold examines the 3000-year history of the Holy City to explain why the battle for Jerusalem becomes more intense every year in The Fight for Jerusalem. With The Case for Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved, Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz identifies twelve barriers to peace between Israel and Palestine and offers a path around these obstacles. However, he reminds us that a lasting peace will require more than tough negotiating between the two combatants; it will require an end to the Israel-hating smear tactics in academia, the UN, Europe and the Arab World – all of which aim to scuttle any real chance of peace. Dershowitz displays his usual lively polemics in a fierce war of words over the Middle East conflict.

And lest we forget that the driving force behind history and politics is personality, let’s look at the people of Israel and their personal accounts as a way to understand the world’s interaction with the Jewish State. Donna Rosenthal’s The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land offers an objective and even-handed account of daily life in Israel – not the Israel of CNN or of Al-Jazeera, but Israel seen through the eyes of the rich variety of people residing there. This broad portrait of a people as well as of individual citizens captures the vibrant diversity of the nation. When I read this book with my Book Club, we had a conference call with Donna Rosenthal, and I also heard her speak at the Jewish Book Fair several years ago. She has a dynamite personality – and it comes through in her very humanizing and personal book about Israelis.

Personal accounts by Israeli citizens are, for me, the most compelling way to learn about Israel, and there are a plethora of such books at the Astor Judaica Library. Abba Eban offers a passionate account of Israel’s first five decades, as well as a privileged view of history being made in Personal Witness: Israel Through My Eyes. Another leading Israeli, Shimon Peres, paints vivid portraits of seven men who worked with him and contributed to the welfare of Israel in From These Men: Seven Founders of the State of Israel.

Flight from Babylon: Iraq, Iran, Israel, America is the autobiography of Dr. HeskelHaddad, who escaped from Iraq to Israel and eventually settled in the USA to promote the rescue and resettlement of Jews from Arab lands. In contrast, Aliya: Three Generations of American-Jewish Immigration to Israel by Israeli Leil Leibovitz presents portraits of three families of Olim who leave their safe, secure and successful lives in the USA to embrace their hopes, fears, and dreams in a journey that lies at the heart of what it means to be a Jew.

Of course, there are numerous biographies of and memoirs by very unique Israelis in the JCC Library. Joseph Klausner’s Menahem Ussishkin - His Life and Work captures the life of this notable Zionist leader, born in Imperial Russia, a member of the Hibbat Zion movement, Hebrew Secretary at the First Zionist Congress, a settler in the Land of Israel, and, as President of the Jewish National Fund, the driving force behind large land acquisitions in Emek Hefer and the Jezreel and Beit She’an Valleys.

Veteran journalist Hirsch Goodman presents a memoir with a split personality in Let Me Create a Paradise. Appropriately sober and almost hard-boiled, Goodman traces his transformation from a protected child in apartheid South Africa to an idealistic Zionist socialist and wide-eyed eager Israeli paratrooper to an objective reporter with a changing and more realistic view of his adopted nation. Similarly, in A little Too Close to God, English journalist and émigré to Israel, David Horovitz examines the difficulties of becoming an Israeli and questions his decision to stay in Israel rather than raise his children in a safer, saner place.

If you learn more from pictures than words, the library has several offerings that might help you out. Two that caught my eye are A Day in the Life of Israel and Above the Holy Land: Israel From the Air. The first captures May 5, 1994, the first day of official peace between Israel and the PLO; over 60 photographers from around the world assembled in Israel for a marathon 24-hour photo shoot, and this book is the result. The second is a compilation of maps and photos taken from the air and gives you a completely different perspective on the land, its topography and its relations to its neighbors.

All of the above reading should prepare you for a trip to Israel. Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman’s Israel: A Spiritual Travel Guide will prepare you for the spiritual as well as the physical dimension of your journey. Hoffman offers short meditations to read while getting ready for departure, on the eve of your trip, en route to Israel and at specific destinations in Israel.

Off the Beaten Track in Israel presents an Israel that most tourists never see – unusual nedudat chem (spots of beauty) from the ancient copper mines to the Crusader castles to the Tal Forest and Har Sedom. For each location, author Ori Devir provides a full-page color photo and a map, as well as witty geographic descriptions and historical insights. Great for armchair travelers too!

And to prove there is something for EVERYONE in the library, consider this: Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants in Israel by the Vegetarian Resource Group in Baltimore. Clearly, the Israel Collection at the Astor Judaica Library is VERY inclusive!

Now, if you have youngsters to prepare for a trip to Israel, what better introduction than through the eyes of Sylvia Rouss’s famous Sammy the Spider! As a stowaway in a model airplane, Sammy joins the Shapiro family on a sightseeing trip to Israel. Sammy Spider’s First Trip to Israel: A Book About the Five Senses is for children grades K- 2.

For about the same age group, we have Israel ABC’s: A Book about the People and Places of Israel. Each letter of the alphabet (English, not Hebrew) is represented by some object or idea related to Israel. Colorful illustrations by Claudia Wolf enhance the information presented by author Holly Schroeder.

For children in grades 1-4, Joshua’s Dream: A Journey to the Land of Israel (author Sheila Segal and illustrator Joel Iskowitz) explains the concept of Zionism to young children. When Joshua explores his family’s photo album and hears stories about his great-aunt Rivka’s experiences as a pioneer in Palestine, he too wants to help build the land.

A magnificently illustrated book by Mark Podwal, Jerusalem Sky: Stars, Crosses and Crescents, pairs a brief poetic text with impressionist paintings that show the beauty and sacredness of the ancient city and its importance to the three religions rooted there.

With a similar purpose but a more personal touch, Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah da Costa tells the story of two young Jerusalemites – Avi in the Jewish Quarter and Hamudi in the Muslim Quarter – and a stray cat that wanders between the two boys’ homes. When the cat reappears after a long absence, the boys argue over which of them owns the cat, but when she leads them to her four kittens and it begins to snow, they conclude that she doesn’t want them to fight. The political lesson is simplistic but the optimism is appealing, and the book is a good discussion starter. Recommended for children ages 5 to 10.

There are also selections for older youth and young adults in the Israel Collection. Running on Eggs by Anna Levine is a sympathetic story of an Israeli –Arab friendship for readers ages 9-12. My Enemy, My Brother, a novel by James Forman tells of a sixteen-year old Polish concentration camp survivor who decides to rebuild his life in Israel and becomes involved with an Arab boy.

Journey of Hope: The Story of Ilan Ramon, Israel’s First Astronaut is a biography of Ramon and the failed mission of the space shuttle Columbia, all enhanced with full color photography. Ramon personified the best of Israel – committed to family, country and faith, a war hero and a quiet modest person. Alan Abbey’s book of his life captures the drama, humor and humanity of Colonel Ramon.

To end this month’s collection, I can think of no better topic than the hope for peace, and no better embodiment of that hope than Yitzhak Rabin, the Prime Minister who lost his life in the quest for peace for his people. Adults can refer to Shalom, Friend: The Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin, edited by David Horovitz. This collaborative effort by over a dozen reporters and editors of The Jerusalem Report, and drawn from interviews with those who knew him best, Shalom, Friend gives us a dramatic portrayal of a great man’s life, a necessary historical perspective on Israel yesterday and today, and a look at what Rabin had in store for tomorrow had he lived to pursue the path to peace he’d so carefully crafted.

For your children or grandchildren there is Barbara Sofer’s photo essay Shalom, Haver: Goodbye, Friend. This beautiful tribute to a great peacemaker addresses the question, “How do you say good-bye to a friend?” – especially when that friend carried on his shoulders so much hope and optimism for our future.

In Rabin’s memory, and in honor of Israel’s 60th, let us all resolve to become more knowledgeable, more hopeful, and ever more dedicated to the future of Israel and its prospects for peace – if not in our lifetime, then in that of our children and grandchildren.

Yom Huledet Sameach! Happy Birthday Israel – and Many More!

e-Connection Editor
Hliber@aol.com

Astor Judaica Library Lectures for Spring 2008

Distinguished Author Series

The Daniel Matt lecture, How the Zohar Reimagines G-d, scheduled for Monday, May 12th was CANCELLED. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, You Don’t Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism

Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 7:30 pm at the Lawrence Family JCC
The President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership brings his unique insights for a fascinating lecture on the balance between faith and rationality, nurturing the ability to balance commitment and openness in our deeply divided world.

Admission: $12/JCC Member; $15/Non-Member

Debra Winger, Undiscovered

Tuesday, June 17, 2008 • 7:30 P.M. at the Lawrence Family JCC
Debra Winger, three-time Oscar-nominated actress, known for her performances in "Shadowlands," "Terms of Endearment," "An Officer and a Gentleman," and "Urban Cowboy," discusses her debut book, "Undiscovered," a series of vignettes from her life. The actress reveals how she has drawn on her creative talents to transform a successful career into a fulfilling life. Hear her discuss her life as an actress, a mother and a daughter, in an intimate glimpse of an artist wide-ranging in her gifts, providing inspiration for those who seek to navigate life's unknowns and forge new pathways beyond work and career.

Special evening co-presented with the UJF Women's Division, and co-sponsored by Hadassah and the Jewish Women's Foundation.

Admission: $20/JCC Member; $24/Non-Member

Informative Lecture on Childhood Diseases               

Thursday, May 22, 2008, 7:00 pm at the Lawrence Family JCC
Please join us for an informational lecture providing the most up to date research on various childhood diseases including: cancer, diabetes, autism, and obesity as well as diseases of neurological and genetic origins such as Tay-Sachs. World renowned researchers Drs. Evan Snyder and Fred Levine, among others, will present the latest cutting edge research in their respective fields.
This lecture is generously offered to the community by the Fishman Fund of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research, and co-sponsored by the Samuel & Rebecca Astor Judaica Library and the Nierman Preschool.
Free Admission
RSVP to Chelsea Jones at 858-795-5239 or email cjones@burnham.org

"How the Stories of the Past Can Help Us Build a Better Future"

May 4, 2008 1:00 PM in the Senior Activity Room (adjacent to the Library) at the Lawrence Family JCC.
Ellen Cassedy will speak about her quest for her Jewish heritage in Lithuania -- a quest that taught her valuable lessons about moving toward understanding and repair.
A visit to a small shtetl in the northeast corner of Lithuania turned up an unexpected fact: during the Holocaust, a close relative had been a member of the morally controversial Jewish police in a Lithuanian ghetto.  Faced with this surprising and troubling information, Ms. Cassedy began a fascinating journey through archives, historical sites, and interviews on both sides of the Atlantic. Her talk -- based on her recently completed book manuscript -- tells the suspenseful story of how she sifted through complex and conflicting truths and emerged with encouraging lessons for the future.
Ms. Cassedy is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist who writes for Hadassah, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Forward, and other Jewish publications. She will help us find our way through sources that may be contradictory or distressing. And she will cast light on how we can use the lives of our ancestors to help us face conflicts in our world today.
Free admission
A program of the San Diego Jewish Genealogical Society.

9th Annual San Diego Jewish Music Festival

Sponsored by U.S. TRUST, Bank of America Private Wealth Management

Jewish Composers, Jewish Music in the Twentieth Century

Conversations from the piano with Steven Cassedy, Juilliard graduate, Professor of Literature, UCSD

Who is a Jewish composer, and what is Jewish music? This series will explore the work of Jewish composers in the twentieth century—both as composers of specifically “Jewish” music and as composers pure and simple. The central event of the Holocaust had a profound effect on many Jewish composers of the twentieth century. Before the rise of Fascism in Europe, some Jewish composers simply ignored or outright abandoned their own roots, while others recognized those roots through their interaction with popular cultural forms in their host countries. With the rise of Fascism, many Jewish composers devoted considerable energy to reclaiming and re-exploring their Jewish legacy.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Lawrence Family JCC
Arnold Schoenberg: A musical radical abandons and re-embraces his Jewish roots
Europe’s most  radical composer rejects Judaism, overthrows the conventional rules of classical music, quarrels with his Russian friend Wassily Kandinsky, and later returns to his faith.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Lawrence Family JCC
Jerome Kern and George Gershwin: The Jewish immigrant experience meets and shapes popular culture in America

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Lawrence Family JCC
Ernest Bloch and Darius Milhaud: European musical modernism pays tribute to the Jewish Scriptures and religious rites

Admission: $10/JCC Member; $12/Non-Member

Thank you to all of our Astor Judaica Library supporters and volunteers.
The Astor Judaica Library is a community resource. If you have a program that you would like to introduce to the community by using the Library venue, please contact Jackie Gmach.

LIBRARY CONTACTS:
Astor Judaica Library Chair: Roberta Berman
Jackie Gmach, JCC Program Director: 858-362-1150 jackieg@lfjcc.com
Hadas Blinder, Program Assistant: 858-362-1174 hadasb@lfjcc.com
LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
Sir Martin Gilbert, Francine Klagsbrun, Rabbi Danny Landes, Rabbi Jack Riemer