West Caldwell library welcomes Yiddish series

The West Caldwell Public Library has been awarded a grant from the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Mass., to launch “Between Two Worlds,” a program celebrating Yiddish literature, tradition, and culture.

The series will begin on Tuesday, February 24, at 3:30 p.m. with the screening of “A Bridge of Books,” showing how, as a young graduate student, Aaron Lansky launched a rescue mission to save works in the mamaloshn (native tongue) from the garbage — and over a million books from around the globe – to found the Yiddish Book Center. A virtual tour of the center and a Q&A with a staff member will follow.

Community members are also invited to join discussions of three works of Yiddish literature in English translation — the first, “Tevye the Dairyman” by Sholem Aleichem is March 24 at 2 p.m., and “The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America,” a portrait of the immigrant experience. The works aim to connect readers to questions about what happens to the individual, the family, and society when they undergo changes.

Besides the reading group, future programs will include arts and crafts, cooking demonstrations, and traditional music.

For information or to register, contact WCPL adult program coordinator Alexis Prussack-Martin at (973) 226-5441 or go to WCPLNJ.org.