On Friday, November 15, 2019, our congregation celebrated the re-dedication of the library. This event was well-timed to coincide with Jewish Book Month which takes place annually in November. To recognize these occasions, there was a special presentation during Shabbat services and our oneg was held upstairs in the library.

During services, Laura Naide and Marcia Zimmet spoke about the effort to refurbish the library and the importance of books to the Jewish people. Over the past three years, many volunteers transformed the CEH library. We removed over 2000 books and either donated, recycled, or buried them depending on their condition and contents. We logged the remaining 1000 or so books into an online database, adding bar codes and Dewey decimal classifications. Edgar Rendon did a beautiful job painting the room and we purchased a new rug and bookshelves. The Rosman family donated a couch and loveseat. The Cohen family donated a large screen tv so our students could watch movies. Marcia Zimmet donated many beautiful items of Jewish art. And our rabbi, Lia Bass, made a beautiful quilt to add warmth and color to the room.

Marcia Zimmet reminded congregants that Jews are known as the “People of the Book.” She shared many Jewish references to the holiness of books. For example, in 998 CE Rabbi Hai Gaon commented that “three possessions should you prize. a field, a friend and a book.” Rabbi Shamuel ha Nigid, a Talmudic scholar in the early 11th century wrote “the wise of heart will abandon ease and pleasure for in his library he will find treasures.” And Rabbi Yehuda ha Levi, a poet of the 12th century wrote of the importance of books by commenting: “my pen is my harp and lyre, my library is my garden and orchard.”

We hope that all congregants will make the trip upstairs to spend time in our library. Our online database can be accessed at www.tinyurl.com/cehlibrary. Please use this resource to find books on whatever Jewish topics are of interest to you! If there are books you think should be in our collection, send your suggestions to Laura Naide at school@etzhayim.net.

Thank you to Laura Naide, Marcia Zimmet, Marcy Burka, Edgar Rendon!

Don’t forget to join us for Adult Education: What Five Books Should You Read to be An Educated Jew? On Sunday, February 2 at 10:15am.