In response to the tragedy at the synagogue in Pittsburgh and to rising antisemitism in the U.S., the Association of Jewish Libraries offers this series of book lists for young readers intended to provide children and their families with a greater understanding of the Jewish religion and its people. Lists include "Standing Up for Each Other," "Synagogues, Clergy, and Jewish Ritual," "The American Jewish Experience," and "Let's Be Friends."
BJE Maurer Jewish Community Library
The BJE Maurer Jewish Community Library welcomes the whole community to visit and access our extensive collection of Jewish books.
Library Hours:
Mondays, 10 am-2 pm | Tuesdays, 1-4 pm | Thursdays, 10 am-2 pm
Contact Library Coordinator Marcia Goldstein at library@jfgi.org for more information.
Collection highlights include:
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Children's books about Jewish holidays and values
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Jewish textual reference books, including Torah, Talmud, and rabbinic commentaries
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Jewish educational reference books and teacher resource materials
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Holocaust books, posters, and videos to inform learners at all ages
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A collection of books in Yiddish, including a full collection of writings by Sholom Aleichem
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A wide variety of Hebrew books, ranging from Hebrew instructional texts to modern Hebrew novels
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IndyPL Shared System
We are pleased to announce that the BJE Maurer Jewish Community Library has rejoined the Indy Public Library Shared System. This means that patrons can have books delivered to our branch from any library in the system and the broader community can access our extensive collection of Judaic resources. We also plan to have a library drop-off box located on-site for easy book returns for the entire IndyPL system.
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Holocaust Education
The BJE Maurer Jewish Community Library shares Holocaust resources throughout the state of Indiana. Our Holocaust Trunk program provides age-appropriate resources to any school upon request. We also have classroom sets of Holocaust texts to share and can coordinate an educator visiting a classroom or a member of our Holocaust Speakers Bureau to present to a school. For more information about Holocaust Education resources and general resources available to local schools, visit our resource page.
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Children's Collection
Our children’s collection holds hundreds of Jewish-themed children’s books for infants through young adults, including many PJ Library books printed with parent guides and supported by online resources. We also have a variety of children’s books in Hebrew. Enjoy a comfy place to read a book and access Jewish holiday crafts!
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Library Programs
The BJE Maurer Jewish Community Library holds a variety of learning programs in partnership with community organizations, including PJ Library storytime, Hooverwood Book Group, and ECE/Hooverwood intergenerational programs. If you are interested in holding a program at the BJE Maurer Jewish Community Library, we welcome opportunities to collaborate with community organizations; contact us to learn more about upcoming programs and inquire about partnering on a future program.
The BJE Maurer Library appreciates patrons and community members who think of the library as a place to donate Jewish materials. In considering materials for inclusion in our collection, we have adopted the following policies:
• In keeping with the Jewish nature of our library, only Jewish-themed materials will be accepted. This includes topics of Jewish interest and books in Hebrew and/or written by Jewish authors.
• Materials will be added to our library based on our judgment; specifically that their content will ad to our collection, the interest of the Community Library and Indianapolis Public Library patrons, and whether the material is available at other local libraries.
• Due to the cost of processing materials to include in the Indianapolis Public Library system, those who make a donation of materials will be asked to help with the processing (approximately $3.75 per book).
• Materials not needed for our collection will be put on display several times during the year, offered to our patrons at no charge, or donated to the Public Collection.