Woodside_park Synagogue

The Library

Woodside Park Shul has a Library but it is not a 'Shul Library' containing only religious books. It is a Community Library and books are selected on the basis of their Jewish interest to our members. Hundreds of new books are purchased each year and the Library is wholly funded by donations from the members - who are of course also the readers.

The most popular section is Fiction and most newly published novels involving Jewish characters or themes are acquired.

Even though the Hebrew language has no word for history, the Library has three separate historical sections. One is devoted to Israel and Zionism, a second is devoted to the Holocaust and Anti-semitism and a third covers all other aspects of national and local Jewish history.

As one would expect, the religion and all its aspects are fully covered. There are four sections containing Texts, Commentaries, the Halacha and Philosophy and Theology. In addition there is a large reference library containing predominantly texts and commentaries written in Hebrew but also with several sets of the Encyclopaedia Judaica.

For lighter reading, there is a section entitled Art, Photography and Culture, where one will find Chagall under Art, Visniak under Photography and Roden under Culture.

Many Jews have led interesting lives and there is a large biography section, covering characters from Begin to the Warburgs.

In recent years, thanks to a generous donation from a local family, we have been able to start a Youth Section, containing popular novels and Jewish texts written specifically for teenagers. If only they would read more.

Numerically, the largest section is probably that containing the Children's books. There are usually several copies of each book and all the children in the Hebrew Classes have a Library Session each Sunday during term. Of course, the children always want the same books at the same times of the year and looking after their needs on a Sunday morning are Librarian Bunny Marks or his assistant, Jennifer.

The Library was established over twenty years ago by Menachem Samuels and David Bender and it has been growing and developing ever since. Recently a Video Section was added and this complements the Audio Section that was created several years previously.

The Library is situated on the first floor of the Wiseman Linden Building. It is open each weekday during Synagogue Office hours (tel 020 8445 4236) when members have to sign out their books, and on Sunday mornings from about 10.00 a.m. when books can be stamped out by Bunny or Jennifer.

There are no charges (or fines). All members and their families are welcome.