“Let’s talk about it: Jewish Literature – Identity and Imagination,” a five-part program, will be offered at the Moraga and Kensington libraries early next year. Each location will offer a unique topic.
The Moraga library program is “Demons, Golems and Dybbuks: Monsters of the Jewish Imagination.” Scholar Daniel Y. Harris will head the once-a-month, five-part series beginning Jan. 10. Discussions will be based on “The Dybbuk,” by S. Ansky, “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, “Satan in Goray” by Isaac Bashevis Singer, “Angels in America” by Tony Kushner and “The Puttermesser Papers” by Cynthia Ozick.
The Kensington library will be hosting a similar program, “Between Two Worlds: Stories of Estrangement and Homecoming,” beginning Jan 14, headed by Dr. Naomi Seidman of the Graduate Theological Union. The reading material will be “Lost in Translation” by Eva Hoffman, “Mr. Sammlet’s Planet” by Saul Bellow, “Out of Egypt” by Andre Aciman, “The Centaur in the Garden” by Moacyr Scliar and “Kaaterskill Falls” by Allegra Goodman.
The program is sponsored by a grant from the American Library Association and “Notebook,” a Jewish cultural organization. Only 30 libraries in the country will receive this particular grant. Both five-part series are free and open to the public.
Contact the individual libraries for exact dates and times: Moraga Library, 1500 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga(925), 376-6852. Kensington Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington (510) 524-3043.