Petoskey District Library to host 'Stories of Exile'
PETOSKEY — The Petoskey District Library will be hosting “Stories of Exile,” a reading group for libraries organized by the Yiddish Book Center, over the next few months.
The Petoskey library is one of 29 libraries nationwide to be selected to host these reading programs, which use translated Yiddish works to engage local communities in discussions on social issues such as immigration, displacement, and economic and political upheaval.
“The ideas and stories introduced this year are timeless and relevant to our current moment,” said Susan Bronson, executive director of the Yiddish Book Center. “Throughout history, communities have grappled with challenges of displacement and exile. Today, war, economic uncertainty and climate change create new disruptions for people across the globe. By reading together, we hope to foster conversations about the meaning of home, identity and belonging. Many works of Yiddish literature are born of exile. We hope to introduce new readers to these literary treasures.”
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Petoskey District Library Teen Services Librarian Nisa Kesseler believes that “these stories and discussions will help build relationships and community among our patrons and neighbors."
"Most, if not all, of us have stories in our own families of having to leave one home for another place that we hope to make our new home," she said. "It is universal and something we can all relate to in some fashion.”
The first program hosted by the Petoskey District Library will be at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 24 and will focus on short stories by Yiddish author Yenta Mash. There will be a second program on Monday, May 22 focusing on the stories of Chava Rosenfarb, and a third program on Monday, June 26 focusing on works by Jacob Glatstein. The Zekelman Holocaust Center will present at the May program, and the June program will include a virtual tour of the Yiddish Book Center.
For more information, visit www.petoskeylibrary.org.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey District Library to host 'Stories of Exile'
