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Greenberg Families Library Hours
Regular Hours
- Monday: 9:00-5:00
- Tuesday: 9:00-5:00
- Wednesday: 9:00-5:00
- Thursday: 9:00-5:00
- Friday – Saturday: CLOSED
- Sunday: 10:00-3:00
You must have an active SJCC or Greenberg Families Library membership to access the Library.
To purchase a Greenberg Families Library Membership click here.
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
Author Talks
Songs for the Brokenhearted: Ayelet Tsabari in conversation with Gefen Bar-On Santor
In Songs for the Brokenhearted, a young Yemeni woman learns of her mother’s secret romance in a dramatic journey through lost family stories, revealing the unbreakable bond between mother an daughter.
Sunday, May 3
11:00 am
On zoom
Free
Register here.
Songs for the Brokenhearted is the winner of the National Jewish Book Award for fiction, and the Association of Jewish Libraries award for fiction.
Caroline Topperman: Your Roots Cast a Shadow
Join us during Jewish Heritage Month as Caroline Topperman takes us on a personal journey to uncover her family’s history. She will talk about how living in Poland for four years prompted her to research her unique family story: her Jewish grandparents who survived the Holocaust by fleeing to Uzbekistan, and her non-Jewish grandparents who survived the war in Afghanistan. Through their stories and the gaps in their collective memory, Caroline explores the complexities of identity and assimilation even outside a traditional community. Ultimately, this is a conversation about the search for meaning and connection, and how our past shapes who we are today.
Tuesday, May 26
7:00pm at the SJCC
Free
Register here.
Carlie’s Creations
Transform ordinary garden pavers into your favorite stories! In this hands-on workshop, participants will use paint to transform bricks to resemble classic or beloved books, creating charming, literary-inspired décor for gardens, walkways, or bookshelves. No prior painting experience needed, just a love for books and creativity!
Tuesday, May 19 ➜ 6:30-8:30 PM
$15
All materials will be provided, and attendees are encouraged to bring the titles of their favorite books for inspiration. Perfect for adults, teens, or families looking to craft together and add a personal, bookish touch to their outdoor(or indoor) spaces.
Register here.
Monthly Movie Night
With The Greenberg Families Library & the Ottawa Jewish Historical Society
Doors open at 6:30 pm, movie starts at 7:00 pm.
Free – Drop In (no registration required)
Please consider making a $2 donation to help cover the cost of movie snacks
The Life of Brian ➜ Wednesday, April 29
The Life of Brian tells the story of Brian, born on the original Christmas day in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth spends his life being mistaken for the Messiah. Arrive early to grab yourself a good seat and some snacks.
New Titles
Fiction
The Tavern at the End of the World, by Morris Collins
Over a span of five days in 2017, two strangers find themselves in a sea-rocked sanitarium on the coast of Maine where, as they gather at an auction for a piece of art stolen in the Second World War, they must reckon with the wounds of inheritance: shame, displacement, and the longing of exiles. Jacob, grandson of a Holocaust survivor, son of refugees, has lived his life overshadowed by the grief of others. His mistakes have cost him his job and his marriage. So, when he meets Baer, an impoverished Holocaust survivor looking for help, Jacob sees an opportunity to redeem himself. But what Baer wants won’t be easy. A piece of art given to him as a boy—and that disappeared during the war—has resurfaced and is about to go up for auction in a secluded sanitarium for Holocaust survivors and their families on an island off the coast of Maine. The head of the sanitarium is Alex Baruch, a disgraced writer and Kabbalist whose memoir about surviving the Holocaust has been denounced as fraudulent. Baer asks Jacob to go to the auction with his niece, Rachel, and steal back the piece.
Other new titles:
- The Cabernet Club by Rona S. Zable and Margie Zable Fisher
- The End of Romance by Lily Meyer
- The World Between by Zeeva Bukai
Non-Fiction
Entwined Homelands, Empowered Diasporas: Hispanic Moroccan Jews and Their Globalizing Community by Aviad Moreno
Entwined Homelands, Empowered Diasporas explores how the 30,000 Jews in northern Morocco developed a sense of kinship with modern Spain, medieval Sepharad, and the broader Hispanophone world that was unlike anything experienced elsewhere. The Hispanic Moroccan Jewish diaspora, as this group is often called by its scholars and its community leaders, also became one of the most mobile and globally dispersed North African groups in the twentieth century, with major hubs in Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Israel, Canada, France, and the US, among others. Drawing on an array of communal sources from across this diaspora, Aviad Moreno explores how narratives of ancestry in Spain, Israel, Morocco, and several Latin American countries interconnected the diaspora, empowering its hubs across the globe throughout the twentieth century and beyond. By investigating these mechanisms of diaspora formation in a small community that once shared the same space in Morocco, Entwined Homelands, Empowered Diasporas challenges national accounts of the broader Jewish diasporas and adds complexity to the annals of multilayered ethnic communities on the move.
Other new titles:
- How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash: An Introduction to Early Rabbinic Literature by Ishay Rosen‑Zvi
- Israel Rediscovered by Bill Slott
- Upside‑Down Love: A Memoir in Two Voices by Sari Bashi
- Walter Benjamin: The Pearl Diver (Jewish Lives series) by Peter E. Gordon
- Your Roots Cast a Shadow: One Family’s Search Across History for Belonging by Caroline Topperman
Juvenile
The Talmud for Kids by Samuel B. Yonah
The Talmud for Kids: Timeless Stories and Lessons of Wisdom, Kindness, and Justice for Young Minds brings ancient Jewish teachings to life through captivating stories written especially for children. Each chapter introduces young readers to real Talmudic tales filled with meaningful lessons about honesty, humility, friendship, forgiveness, and doing what’s right—even when it’s hard. With a clear and engaging voice, this book helps children understand big ideas in a simple, thoughtful way they can relate to and remember. Perfect for ages 3–12, this book encourages curiosity, compassion, and a sense of justice that kids can carry into everyday life. Whether read independently or shared aloud, these timeless stories will spark meaningful conversations and inspire strong values in young readers. A wonderful resource for families, educators, and anyone looking to pass down wisdom that shapes both character and heart.
Juvenile
Who Will Rule the Trees? by Eric A. Kimmel
The work of Creation is finished. Now is the time for the trees to select a ruler. The oak brings strength. The pine brings presence. The maple brings magnificent color. The fig and date trees provide food. What can the poor olive tree offer? She is not strong or tall or colorful. Olives, though tasty, are not as sweet and filling as dates and figs. Yet the olive tree can offer something that none of the others can. What is it? And will it be enough to qualify her to rule the trees?
- A Place to Pray by Doreen Klein Robinson
- Todah: I Am Grateful by Michelle A. Orrelle
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
