New Rochelle Public Library to host “Stories of Exile” Reading Group

The New Rochelle Public Library is one of 29 libraries across the country selected to participate in The Yiddish Book Center’s “Stories of Exile” Reading Groups for Public Libraries program.

The program uses excerpts from translated Yiddish works, and other books related to the experience of the community, to bring people together for healthy discussions on social issues such as immigration, displacement, and economic and political upheaval, and individual experiences of migration, identity and belonging.

“The themes these works explore are timeless”, said Tom Geoffino, Director, New Rochelle Public Library. “Our hope is to bring members of the New Rochelle Community together to pose and contemplate questions such as what does it mean to lose one’s home, as an individual, a family, or a community; how do writers depict ideas and experiences of migration and displacement; and how do ideas and meanings of “home” change over time? While New Rochelle’s diverse population has many different stories of displacement and exile, we hope this program will shed light on how much we also have in common”, said Geoffino.

The program will be facilitated by Haina Just-Michael, past President of the New Rochelle Public Library. Ms. Just-Michael received comprehensive training for this role from experts, scholars, and authors at the Yiddish Book Center.

“Stories of Exile” Reading Groups Schedule

Tuesday, November 14, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Participants will discuss the challenges of displacement, migration and diaspora through the lens of their personal histories. The reading list for this session will include excerpts from the following:
In the Land of the Postscript: Short Stories by Chava Rosenfarb, translated by Goldie Morgentaler; On the Landing: Stories by Yenta Mash, translated by Ellen Cassedy; African Town by Charles Waters and Irene Latham; Homelands: Four Friends, Two Countries, and the Fate of the Great Mexican-American Migration by Alfredo Corchado.

Tuesday, December 5, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Participants will review excerpts from current day publications as they relate to the challenges of displacement, migration and diaspora. The reading list for this session will include excerpts from the following:
The Glatstein Chronicles, by Jacob Glatstein, edited by Ruth Wisse, translated by Maier Deshell and Norbert Guterman; African Town by Charles Waters and Irene Latham; Homelands: Four Friends, Two Countries, and the Fate of the Great Mexican-American Migration by Alfredo Corchado; excerpts from current day publications.

Reading materials will be provided by the New Rochelle Public Library. Discussion groups will take place at the Main Library, 1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle. Participants may attend one or both sessions. Advance registration is appreciated. Register online at bit.ly/StoriesofExile_11_2023 for the November 14 discussion, and bit.ly/StoriesofExile_12_2023 for the December 5 discussion.