Learning About the Jewish Experience

The Crawfordsville District Public Library would like to encourage our patrons to explore topics that celebrate the Jewish experience during this time of Holocaust Remembrance. Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion and it has been traced back nearly 4,000 years. A person can be born ethnically Jewish (Israelites and Hebrews), and yet a diverse group of people is considered to be Jewish through religious conversion. Take a moment to research what it means to be Jewish by investigating their history and traditions, learning about their comic perspective, or reading tales about their diverse family structures.

Are you a history fan? Steven Leonard Jacobs guides us through the dimensions of Jewish life in his book “The Jewish Experience” (296 Jac). He describes the Jewish existence in cycles of history, thought, writing, and practices that have continued to evolve and mature over thousands of years. “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic and Mysticism” (296.7 Den) by Rabbi Geoffrey W. Dennis is an easy-to-digest collection of prominent figures, concepts, and terminology organized in alphabetical order. If you seek information delivered in a more traditional encyclopedia format, “The Shengold Jewish Encyclopedia” (296 She) edited by Mordecai Schreiber is for you. This book has a 4,000-year timeline, various maps, full-size pages, and an array of images.

You will be in for a good laugh as Rabbi Joseph Telushkin explains the complex framework of Jewish comedy in his book “Jewish Humor: What the Best Jewish Jokes Say About the Jews” (809.7 Tel). He gives an opinionated and hilarious review of comedy from the Jewish collective. Susanna Fogel’s comedic novel, “Nuclear Family: A Tragicomic Novel in Letters” (FIC Fog), follows three generations of New England Jews through their thank-you notes, letters of condolence, and family gossip shared with Julie, a heroine we never meet.

Ready for inspirational, touching stories? Joshua Braff’s “The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green” (FIC Bra) is a touching story about what it is like for some young men growing up in a Jewish family. His tale takes you on a journey that is full of comical moments and relatable sadness. “The Chosen” (Fic Pot) by Chaim Potok is a classic story about two fathers and two sons living in New York in the 1940s. It focuses on the pressures placed on men to pursue their religion’s expectations and their quest to formulate acceptable solutions.

Stop by the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor for assistance with finding these books and more. There is a phenomenal collection of reading materials waiting for you. If you are interested in searching our catalog in advance, signing up for an upcoming program, or reserving a meeting room, please visit our website at www.cdpl.lib.in.us. CDPL is open Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 – 5 p.m.

– Toni Ridgway-Woodall is a Library Assistant in the Reference and Local History department at CDPL.