I would like to weigh in with a hearty agreement that content and literary worth should be the determining factors, not the author's religion, gender, hair color or associates. Rachel may remember we featured a number of speakers at Sinai Temple, during long-ago days in LA, whose work was significant in terms of Jewish interest, values, history or culture but who were not MOT's. I wish her well in educating her committee. With her help, they'll learn to deepen their collection and expand their programming, not limit it by setting up inappropriate barriers. Lois's example is well taken and her advice worth following. Best of luck, Rita In a message dated 1/9/2014 3:28:59 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Absolutely, Lois is right. It's about the content, not the author. Would we exclude award winning writers of Jewish literature like James Carroll (Constantine's Sword) or David Wyman ( Abandonment of the Jews)?
Sent from my iPad mini On Jan 9, 2014, at 3:16 PM, Lois Ruby <[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) > wrote: I'm stunned by the notion that Rachel's committee would object to having this non-Jewish (and worthy) author speak. Yes, we need to support our local Jewish authors. In fact, my library committee is sponsoring its second Author Panel wherein local Jewish authors who write on mostly secular topics discuss their work. However, a library represents first and foremost the literature, not the author. Let's look at it from a different perspective. I am a Jewish author, and I am currently invited to speak at two Catholic schools. They apparently don't feel they need to support only Catholic writers. So, I say invite Grace Tiffany and promote it robustly! LOIS RUBY _www.loisruby.com_ (http://www.loisruby.com/) Author of ... Steal Away Home The Secret of Laurel Oaks Strike! Mother Jones and the Colorado Coal Field War Rebel Spirits (now in Scholastic Bookfairs!) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @ LoisRubyWriter ____________________________________ From: "Rachel Haus" <[email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) > To: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2014 9:41:20 AM Subject: [ha-Safran] Non-Jewish speakers Dear Hasafranim, We have a respected professor and historical novelist in town -- Grace Tiffany -- who just wrote a book called Paint set during the Shakespearean era, the protagonist being a part Jewish, part Italian female poet. According to the author herself, the Jewish content is minimal. However, she also wrote an earlier book, based on The Merchant of Venice called The Turquoise Ring, which is primarily Jewish. I'm considering inviting her to speak, but one member of my library committee suggested that, as a Jewish institution, it would be best to support Jewish authors exclusively. Such a thing never occurred to me; to me, as long as the scholarship and perspective is sound, then the author should have something of great value to impart. I'm curious as to what others have done and considered regarding non-Jewish speakers. Rachel Haus Library Director Congregation of Moses Library Kalamazoo MI [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) Ha-Safran Archives: Current: _http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillis t.html_ (http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html) Earlier Listserver: _http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.ht ml_ (http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html) AJL HomePage _http://www.JewishLibraries.org_ (http://www.jewishlibraries.org/) -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) Ha-Safran Archives: Current: _http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillis t.html_ (http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html) Earlier Listserver: _http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.ht ml_ (http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html) AJL HomePage _http://www.JewishLibraries.org_ (http://www.jewishlibraries.org/) -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran = __ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected] To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist .html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.htm l AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected] https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected] To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected] https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
