The Importance of a Jewish Library
A library is not a collection of books. It is like a vast collage. The meaning is in the whole, but the parts are able to briefly stand for themselves when they catch our gaze. Our experience of those moments then reverberates in a particular reading that each viewer of the whole carries into their understanding of the whole. That whole, in the end, determines the correct reading of the image. That said, what makes a book Jewish in the final effect is that it is read Jewishly, that it is viewed within a Jewish frame of meaning.
Is it possible that a book is read as a Jewish book outside of a Jewish framing? Of course. That occurs whenever the reader is well-versed in the world of Jewish thought and the Jewish library. This description applies to some within our larger community. There are many that believe that they know the whole of the Jewish tradition because they are deeply acquainted with a small piece of that tradition. They can think that because they exclude the parts that they don't approve of. In the vastness of our heritage, every Jew can use a guide. A Jewish library and those that mind it can be the guides to the fullness of Jewish civilization.
Two weeks ago I identified the need for a Jewish community library in Los Angeles. The real challenge to establishing a library like this is financial, but the amount of money that we are talking about doesn’t have to be set so high that it becomes an insurmountable obstacle. The initial costs would be no more than what it would cost to fit out a small space, say 300 square feet. It is possible that here in Downtown we might be able to find that space as a donation in kind from one of the Jewish landlords. We would need bookshelves, a table with chairs, a computer, a phone line and office supplies. There is a good chance that the foundations of a basic collection could be acquired relatively quickly through donations. A few days of volunteer labor would get the collection in enough order to begin to create a catalog and loan out books. A website and an online catalog that would be accessible online could follow afterwards.
Initially this would be a project of Der Nister. It dovetails with the goals as set forth in our mission statement. Having the library would also warrant an increase in book-related events, an area that has been under-represented in our offering so far. As the community finds value in the library, it should be spun off into an independent institution. Many in the Jewish community might object to locating such a library outside of the Westside. However, Downtown is the civic center of Los Angeles and this library would be an element of Los Angeles’ Civic Center.
There are certainly arguments for waiting to gather support from the larger Jewish community. However, the larger Jewish community has consistently made choices that have led us to the current problematic situation. It seems unproductive to wait for their permission or their interest. The best time to start something is some time in the past, but if that is not an option, now is always good.
