Rabbi Ken Ehrlich, Librarian
Anti-Semitism Class
I once heard an esteemed Professor of Education offer some practical advice to his class of rabbinical students: “I suggest you consider moving every ten years, so you can assess what furniture and other belongings are worth keeping, and what should be thrown out. You will also find all those library books you forgot to return!”
I thought he was joking. But now that I am the librarian at TES, I realize how sage his advice was. It seems that every week someone returns books that had been checked out one or two years (or more) ago. One book was eleven years overdue: that’s the record so far!
I have a suggestion: let’s take a few minutes to examine our bookshelves, our desks, our nightstands, or anywhere else we might have put books that we’ve borrowed from the Library. And if we find any books that we’ve been holding for a month, or a year, or eleven years (!), drop them off at the Temple so someone else can borrow them.
It’s takes a little time and a little effort to find and return overdue books. But it’s a lot less trouble – and expense – than moving!
See you in the Library…