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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
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.
L’Dor V’Craft
Sunday, May 24 ➜ 12:00 pm-2:00 pm
Our drop-in craft circle welcomes participants to bring their own handwork or projects, such as mending, knitting, embroidery, felting, crochet, drawing, or painting. It’s an inclusive space for all skill levels to work on projects, share ideas, and enjoy company.
18+
Drop in. No registration necessary.
New Titles
DVD
Marty Supreme
Marty Supreme (2025) is a sports comedy-drama directed by Josh Safdie and co-written with Ronald Bronstein, starring Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, a hustling 1950s New York table tennis player chasing fame and a world title. After stealing money to fund a trip overseas, Marty rises through international competition but clashes with corruption, ego, and his own reckless choices, leading him through a chaotic journey involving romance, scams, run-ins with the law, and underworld entanglements. Following setbacks that derail his championship hopes, Marty ultimately fights for redemption in a high-stakes rematch abroad, returning home transformed after confronting his failures, relationships, and ambitions.
Fiction
Evening Begins the Day by Jessica Brilliant Keener
After she discovers her husband’s infidelity, Rachel Cohen, reeling from hurt and shame, escapes to a rental house in the idyllic town of Woodbury near Boston. She winds up next door to her colleague Cynthia Meyer, who—unlike Rachel—seems to have everything in this town where parents are high achievers, children excel, and problems are sealed inside well-tended houses. Cynthia is a successful VP in corporate giving who helped fund Rachel’s latest environmental project, while her husband is a pioneering cancer researcher and their daughter Lauren is about to graduate high school. Pretenses shatter when an ambulance arrives and Lauren is rushed away on a stretcher, intertwining Rachel’s life with the Meyers’. As both families face crisis, they adopt the Counting of the Omer, an ancient spiritual practice that leads them toward healing, connection, and hope.
Other new titles:
- A Novel Crime by Deborah Levison
- Howl by Howard Jacobson
- Once and Again by Rebecca Serle
- Still Talking: Stories by Lore Segal
- The Kingdom of Almonds by Ariel Kaplan (The Mirror Realm Cycle Book 3)
- The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion
- The Song of the Bluebird by Esther Goldenberg (The Desert Songs Trilogy 3)
Non-Fiction
The Jewish Experience: Discover the Soul of Jewish Thought and Practice by Mark Wildes
With so many people searching for meaning, Judaism is often misunderstood as a set of outdated rules and rituals—but what if it offers something much deeper? Drawing on decades of teaching at the Manhattan Jewish Experience, Rabbi Mark Wildes explores core beliefs and practices including God, Torah, prayer, kindness, Shabbat, and tikkun olam, asking why they matter and how they can transform modern lives. Blending practical takeaways, mystical insights from Kabbalah, and opportunities for reflection, this book creates an accessible and engaging roadmap for spiritual growth, purpose, and a deeper understanding of Jewish life.
Other new titles:
- Here Where We Live Is Our Country: The Story of the Jewish Bund by Molly Crabapple
- Israel Rediscovered by Bill Slott
- Judy Blume: A Life by Mark Oppenheimer
- Mordecai M. Kaplan: Restless Soul by Jenna Weissman Joselit (Jewish Lives Series)
- Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman
Young Reader
Hidden on a High Wire by Kathy Kacer
Irene grows up traveling through Germany with her family’s circus, dazzling audiences with high-wire performances until everything changes as the rise of Nazi power puts Jewish families like hers in danger. When the circus is shut down and Irene’s father is taken away, Irene and her mother are forced into hiding with another circus. Living in constant fear, Irene faces a new balancing act between the urge to perform and the necessity of staying hidden, even in plain sight, in this powerful story of resilience and survival.
Other new titles:
- Last Known Address: The Stumbling Stones of Europe by Kathy Kacer
Juvenile
Something Sweet: A Sitting Shiva Story by Lesléa Newman
Something Sweet is a touching picture book for ages 5 to 8 that gently explores grief through the experience of shiva. When Lizzie visits a friend mourning the loss of a grandparent, playful distractions fall short, and Lizzie learns that sometimes the best way to support someone is simply to listen. Blending honesty, warmth, and cultural insight, this story thoughtfully teaches empathy, friendship, and how to show up for others in difficult moments.
- My Grandpa Wraps Tefillin by Morgan Goodman
- Shavuot, Shavuot, Why Are You Sad? by Doug Rand
- The Passover Pet Surprise by Ana Maria Shua
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
