Rose Ruth Freudberg Memorial Sisterhood Library
We invite you to come visit!
Enjoy our Jewish-themed fiction and non-fiction, try out Israeli authors, browse Jewish magazines and newspapers, study sacred texts, or even play games and do puzzles, surrounded by the warmth of books. Members are welcome to borrow from our rich and growing collection of books, films, and musical recordings, encompassing more than 18,000 items.
The Library
Upcoming Programs
Meet Author Jonathan Kaufman
Sunday, January 10, 11 am - Register here
Jonathan Kaufman, former China Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal, will discuss his latest non-fiction book, The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties that Helped Create Modern China.
Book Chat: The Tunnel by A.B. Yehoshua
With special guest Stuart Schoffman
Sunday, February 7, 11 am | Register Here
We will discuss this comic and thought-provoking novel by one of Israel’s foremost authors. Retired engineer Zvi Luria hopes to stave off dementia by volunteering to help design a road near the Ramon Crater in the Negev Desert. We will be joined by Stuart Schoffman, who created the English translation of "The Tunnel" and will share his unique perspective.
Meet Author David Biespiel
Sunday, March 14, 11 am | Register here
Are we ever done leaving home? In A Place of Exodus: Home, Memory, and Texas, acclaimed poet and essayist David Biespiel tells the story of his Jewish boyhood in Texas, and muses on the meaning of home, family, and identity. David will discuss his memoir and answer participants' questions.
Book Chat: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Sunday, April 18, 11 am | Register Here
Join us to discuss this powerful and critically acclaimed social history by Isabel Wilkerson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal. Wilkerson explores the caste system in India and anti-Jewish policies in Nazi Germany to better understand racism in the United States.
The Library
Archives
Meet the Author
Goldie Goldbloom on Ordinary Hasidic Jews
Click here for video recording of program, excluding Q&A
Goldie Goldbloom talked about her prize-winning novel, "On Division," and the joys and frustrations of Hasidic life from the perspective of an insider.
Meet the Author
Rachel Kadish & Her Novel: The Weight of Ink
Click here to hear recording of program, excluding Q&A
Rachel Kadish discussed her award-winning novel, The Weight of Ink, set partly in 1600's Jewish London and partly in modern London.
Meet Author Boris Fishman
Click to hear recording of program, excluding Q&A
Acclaimed author Boris Fishman shared the stories behind his latest book about the Soviet Jewish émigré experience, Savage Feast: Three Generations, Two Continents, and a Dinner Table (A Memoir with Recipes),
The Library
Book Club
Join our popular monthly book club, which includes meet-the-author and other literary events. Meet interesting, new people and encounter a broad range of books and ideas. No obligation to attend every meeting – come when you can. For information contact Robin Jacobson.
Toddler Sing N' Play, Thursdays @ 10am
Treat your baby or toddler to our Sing N’ Play library program, offered free of charge on Thursday mornings at 10 am during the school year.
Search Our Online Catalog
Please be advised that the online catalog lists all items owned by the Library, but does not reflect whether those items are currently available or on loan. To check an item’s availability and to request a hold, click here.
The Library
Thank You
Our deep gratitude to the many community members who build and support the library through donations. And a special thank you to those who fund our special collections:
- Barbara Abrams Cohen Collection for children’s holocaust-related books
- Glenn S. Easton Jewish Genealogy Collection
- Salzberg Family Music Library
- Sisterhood Jewish Heritage Video Collection in memory of Anita Schwartz (z”l)
- Ruth and Emanuel Weinstein (z”l) Collection encompassing Jewish literature, early Jewish settlement in the United States, strong Jewish role models of the past and present, and contemporary events related to the Jewish Community.
- Sybil Wolin Passover Collection
We also appreciate support from the following funds:
- Henry L. & Claire P. Kronstadt Library Endowment Fund
- R. Robert Linowes Memorial Bookshelf Fund
- Rabbi Solomon H. Metz Library Fund.
- Charles Jay Pilzer Computer Center Project.
The Library
Contact
Robin Jacobson,
(librarian@adasisrael.org)
Library & Literary Programs Director
Adas Israel Congregation
2850 Quebec Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-362-4433 X116