Greenberg Families Library Hours
- Monday-Thursday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday – Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
You must have an active SJCC or Greenberg Families Library membership to access the Library.
To purchase a Greenberg Families Library Membership click here.
Related Pages
Use of the library is included in your Soloway JCC membership!
- The latest Jewish Fiction and Non-Fiction available without long wait lists
- Extensive collection of books for children and young adults
- Foreign and English language DVDs including TV series, movies and documentaries
- MusicCDs from klez to classical to contemporary
- Israeli books and movies
- Computers available for use
To access our extensive collection click here to search the catalogue.
- Click on the Greenberg Families Library link and then hit the catalog button to begin searching.
Carlie MacPherson
Senior Librarian
(613) 798-9818 ext: 245
library@jccottawa.com
Greenberg Families Library Policies and Procedures
Effective July 2022, the Greenberg Families Library no longer accepts book donations.
Borrowing Books
You must have an active SJCC or Greenberg Families Library membership in order to borrow items.
Material requests will be held for a maximum of one week. Holds on new releases, or those with a waiting list of more than 3 people will be held for a maximum of 4 business days.
Find everything on our shelves from home using Greenberg Families Library Online Catalog
Book Return
The library’s book return box is outside the doors of the library.
All policies, procedures and operating hours are subject to change. Patrons will be notified of any updates.
Upcoming Events and Programs
Crafternoons in the Library
Whether your child is a budding artist or simply loves to explore new materials, this program encourages open play and fosters a love for art. No registration required, just drop in to Library and let the crafting begin! All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Sunday, 1:00-2:30 pm
- April 6
- May 4
- June 1
New Titles
Local Author Spotlight
Worldly Views: One Woman’s Collection of True Short Stories from Around the Globe – Angela Mackay
Nurture your mind, body and soul in this collection of 11 true short stories that span 10 different countries. These nonfiction travel stories are told by a professional peacekeeping trainer and woman of adventure. From the unexpected madness of a pig trade in Botswana, to the freed prisoner who wound up in my car in Ethiopia, to the sheer terror of having a gun held to my head in Kenya’s “bandit country” these stories are sure to make you laugh, cry and quiver. My career in humanitarianism began in 1970 after I left a dry and unrewarding management job in the National Health Service in England. My work started in Botswana and then elsewhere in Africa, which led me to become the Director of Training at the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Nova Scotia, Canada and later to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Through this work, I have travelled to over a dozen countries over the course of 10 years. Subsequent consulting work led to a good many more. And now I’m here to tell the tales – the good, the bad and the ugly. In the end, I hope you will gain a new view of different parts of the world, and particularly those far less travelled by the masses. Perhaps your very own worldly adventure is coming sooner than you think.
FICTION
Rooms for Vanishing – Stuart Nadler
A prismatic mind-bending epic about the splintering of a family into different worlds. Everyone had been survived into different futures, and I would never see any of them again. I could sense this. I would hear them in their separate rooms, within their separate lives, but I would not be able to cross over to meet them. In Rooms for Vanishing, the violence of war has fractured the universe for the Altermans, a Jewish family from Vienna. Moving across decades, and across the world, the novel finds the Altermans alone in their separate futures, haunted by the loss of their loved ones, each certain that they are the sole survivor of their family. Sonja, the daughter, has gone in search of her husband, who has disappeared into London; Fania, the mother, is confronted with her doppelgänger in the basement of a Montreal hotel; Moses, the son, is followed by the ghost of his best friend; and, finally, Arnold, the father, dares to believe that his long-lost daughter might be alive after he receives a message from an Englishwoman claiming to be her. Spellbinding and profound, Rooms for Vanishing is a singular work that explores how—amid profound loss and the madness of grief—ghosts are made momentarily real.
Other new titles:
- Fagin the Thief – Allison Epstein
- Fine, I’m a Terrible Person – Lisa F. Rosenberg
- Mbaqanga Nights – Leonora Meriel
- Never Planned on You – Lindsay Hameroff
- One Good Thing – Georgia Hunter (available in regular and large print
- The Ragpicker King – Cassandra Clare (The Chronicles of Castellane, Book 2)
- Unlikely Story – Ali Rosen
NON-FICTION
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jew? – Raphael Shore
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Jew? is a bold, eye-opening exploration of antisemitism and its deeper meaning for Jews, Christians, and, indeed, people of all faiths and belief systems who seek a more just and moral world. Tackling the world’s oldest consistent form of hatred, Who’s Afraid is a critical and welcome addition to today’s antiracism books, providing a history of anti-Jewish bigotry juxtaposed with modern-day events with which readers are sure to connect. Lovers of Jewish history books will also find new and unique insights to expand their repertoire. Rabbi Raphael Shore invites readers to explore Jew-hatred from the antisemite’s point of view, revealing that antisemitism is not a nullification of the Jewish people but a stark reminder of why they matter. This is a provocative book—sure to excite debate—that unapologetically challenges conventional wisdom and uncovers the surprising truth: history’s greatest Jew-haters, from Hitler to modern-day extremists, often understood the Jewish people better than many Jews themselves. In their own words, these enemies of mankind have a profound recognition—and fear—of the Jewish people’s transformative mission, values, and impact. This isn’t a book on Judaism; rather, Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Jew? takes readers through a philosophical journey wrought with contemporary challenges and answers urgent questions: Why has antisemitism persisted across cultures and centuries? What is it about Jewish values—like love for your neighbor, peace, ethical monotheism, and compassion—that threatens tyrants? For those interested in books on life-changing ideas, Shore offers thought-provoking ways people can confront hatred and strengthen their sense of purpose. Far from being a story of victimhood, Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Jew? flips the narrative. It demonstrates that the very qualities despised by antisemites are the same values that have shaped and elevated civilization. Rabbi Shore challenges readers to embrace these lessons, offering a path to personal empowerment and societal transformation. Whether you’re grappling with the rise of antisemitism, seeking to deepen your identity and faith, or exploring humanity’s moral legacy, this book will educate, challenge, and inspire.
Other new titles:
- Abraham: The First Jew – Anthony Julius
- In the Footsteps of Eliyahu Hanavi – Rabbi Berel Wein
- The Jews: An Indigenous People – Ben M. Freeman
JUVENILE
Terrifying Trap of the Bad Middos Pirates – Rabbi Baruch Chait
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better—it does! This newest volume from The Middos Series shines with golden lessons appropriate for both young and old. The spellbinding storyline takes the reader through the capture of the Anavah passengers by terrifying pirates, each of whom embodies a bad middah (character trait). The stunning illustrations depict the manifestations of each of the bad middos in a realistic, concrete way that even very young children can grasp. Although this volume is a continuation of the first two in the series, it also can be read as a stand-alone story. Based on the teachings of Orchos Tzaddikim—Ways of the Tzaddikim—this powerful book is a superb educational tool for home and school.
Other new titles:
- Lost Treasure of Tikun HaMiddos Island – Rabbi Baruch Chait
- Shadow Pirates: The Wheel is in Your Hands – Rabbi Baruch Chait
Libby – Digital and Audiobooks
The Libby app is the easiest way to get started with digital and audiobooks from your public library!
Download the free Libby app on any device to get started or visit libbyapp.com
Why Libby is your perfect reading companion:
- Eliminate wait lists for your favourite titles.
- Read or listen on your phone, tablet, or other e-reader.
- Make any text large print and adjust lighting settings for ebooks.
- Change the playback speed or set a sleep timer for audiobooks.
- Questions? Speak to your librarian, or get help in the app from the U.S.-based Libby support team.
- Install Libby for Android, iOS, or Fire tablets from overdrive.com/apps/libby. Or, visit libbyapp.com in your Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge browser.
- Email the Greenberg Families Library to set up your login credentials (library@jccottawa.com)
- In Libby, follow the prompts to find your library and sign in with your email.
- Browse your library’s collection and borrow a title.
- Borrowed titles appear on your Shelf and download to the app automatically when you’re on Wi-Fi, so you can read them when you’re offline.
- Tap Open In Libby, Open Audiobook to start reading or listening in the app.
- Tap Manage Loan to see options like Renew Loan and Return Early.
Happy reading!
Sefer Torah 1336
This is Sefer Torah 1336, the Ivanovice Scroll
Having arrived in Ottawa on permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust in Westminster, England, Sefer Torah 1336 was dedicated in 1998 and installed in the Soloway Jewish Community Centre’s Greenberg Families Library in April 2001. Where it has been ever since.
Sefer Torah 1336 comes from the town of Ivanovice, now part of the Czech Republic. Ivanovice is located approximately 7km from the district town of Vyskov. Until 1918, Ivanovice and the region were part of the Austrian Empire. Between the two World Wars, and during the postwar communist era, it was part of the Republic of Czechoslovakia.
History of the Jews in Ivanovice
It is unclear precisely when Jews first settled in Ivanovice, however, tombstones dating from the 17th century indicate that by that point there were a significant number of Jews living there. By 1727, a synagogue had been built. By the mid-20th century the majority of the Jews in the community spoke German.
In 1848, Jews throughout the Austrian Empire were emancipated and received full civil rights. Restrictions on movement were also removed, which led to a migration of Jews to larger towns and cities in search of more economic and educational opportunities. This resulted in a population decline of the Jewish community of Ivanovice. In 1857, the Ivanovice Jewish community’s population peaked at 483, which was approximately 20% of the town’s total population. However, by 1922, this population had decreased to only 80 members. By 1930, the Jewish population had dropped to just 64.
The Jews of Ivanovice and The Holocaust
When the 1938 Munich Agreement was enacted the Republic of Czechoslovakia was dissolved and in March 1939, the region of Bohemia and Moravia became a protectorate of Nazi Germany. This ushered in a period of discrimination and violence against the Jews of the area.
While we do not know for sure, it is most likely that the Jews of Ivanovice were deported to the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto along with the Jews of Brno around the end of 1941. From there, they would have been sent to a number of concentration and death camps. Jewish life was not renewed in Ivanovice after the war.
The Looted Torahs
During the Second World War the Nazis looted many items, including Torah from damaged Synagogues and stored them near Prague. After the war some 1,100 were recovered. Those that could be repaired were, but those that were not sparked a debate about what to do with them. It was determined that these Torahs would be used for educational purposes, displayed in Jewish Centers, museums, archives, schools, etc. around the world as a memorial and reminder of the Holocaust.
While we are unsure of the original provenance of Sefer Torah 1336, we believe it could have come from this Synagogue. This synagogue was active from the early 19th century until the outbreak of the Second World War. The Synagogue was reconstructed in 1951 but has since been converted into a Czechoslovak Hussite Church.
As written by Rabbi Kassel Abelson:
“A notice was sent to synagogues, museums, colleges and similar institutions throughout the world offering such a scroll on condition that they be kept on perpetual display as a reminder of the Holocaust. Over four hundred synagogues, museums, colleges, etc., have received such Torahs and keep them on display as a reminder of the Holocaust.”
For information on other Memorial Torah Scrolls please visit www.memorialscrolltrust.org
