Rabbi Gruenewald served as Congregation B’nai Israel’s Rabbi from 1946 thru 1970, and as Rabbi Emeritus from 1970 thru 1992…46 years of loving, remarkable service to CBI.
He spoke often of books and libraries. The Library “spells out the history of centuries of (Jewish) living and deserves, as an instrument of objective information, our attention and support.” — December, 1952
So that his memory is a blessing for all of us, CBI proudly maintains this book collection which joyfully carries the name of a man who was CBI for nearly 50 years, and who so loved all of the books in our library.
Getting Familiar with Our Library
This quick-guide to our Library should help “get where you would like to go.” Please visit the Library soon. It is open whenever the synagogue building is open to the public. Books may be borrowed through the Main Office during office hours.
We have eight main areas of interest, as well as many smaller collections as reflected in the shelf listings.
1. Fiction – Novels – Stories written by Jewish authors and/or on Jewish subjects are located on shelves #101, 104 and 105.
2. The Shoa, The Holocaust is covered from almost ever y angle in the books found on shelves #205 & 296
3. Israel, the Land and its People are covered from every vantage point and time period in the books found on shelves #208, 209 & 210.
4. The Story of Jews in America, as well as the sociology and psychology of Jewish Americans, are all found in the books on shelves #211, 212 & 213.
5. The Torah, The Talmud, The Mishna, The Prophets and Writings, as well as much commentary and analysis are found on the six shelves from #301 thru 306.
6. Biographies and Autobiographies, of the great and not so great are found on shelves #307, 308 and 309.
7. World Jewish History fill shelves #311, 312 & 313. Isn’t it interesting that there are so many books with similar titles ranging in all different sizes on the same subject? Mmmmmmmmm.
8. The Jewish Home, Family, Celebrations & Life Cycles are all covered on shelves #317, 318 & 319
Here is the complete shelf by shelf listing of the Library’s holdings.
The Rabbi Max Gruenewald Library – Congregation B’nai Israel – Master Finding Guide
Shelf #
101 Fiction
102 One of Rabbi Bayar’s Favorite Shelves – Heschel & Weisel
103 Got 5 minutes?
104 Fiction
105 Fiction
106 General Non-Fiction
107 General Non-Fiction
108 General Non Fiction
109 General Non-Fiction
110 General Non Fiction
111 General Non-Fiction
112 General Non-Fiction
113 General Non Fiction
114 General Non-Fiction
115 Future Space
116 Oversized Books – Large Art Books
117 Cantor Wallach’s Favorite Shelf
118 Mysticism – Kabballah – Chasidism
119 LOL – What’s so Funny? // Conservative Judaism // Judaism & Christianity
120 Children’s Corner
201a Children’s Corner
201b Children’s Corner
201c Children’s Corner
202 Great Jewish Ideas – Great Jewish Personalities
203 Yiddish Language – Yiddish Literature
204 Children’s Corner
205 Shoa
206 Shoa
207 Seasonal Display
208 Israel-Zionism
209 Israel-Zionism
210 Israel Zionism
211 The Jew In America
212 American Jewish History
213 American Judaism
214a Jews in Sports
214b The Synagogue
214c Poetry
301 The Talmud – Pirke Avot – The Mishna
302 The Torah // Torah Commentary
303 The Prophets – The Megillot
304 Books from all of the above
305 Prayer Books of all kinds – Compare!
306 Books about the Torah – Various English Versions
307 Here’s my Life Story – Do we have anything in common? – Biographies
308 Do you know me? – Biographies
309 Want to get to know me better? – Biographies
310 About Hebrew – Hebrew Literature
311 World Jewish History I
312 World Jewish History II
313 World Jewish History III
314 Thousands of Short Stories and Essays
315 Jews from Many Lands
316 Encyclopedia Judaica
317 Rosh Hashona – Yom Kippur – Sukkot – Chanukah – Purim – Passover – Shavuot – All Holidays
318 The Jewish Family – Jewish Home //Shabbat // Marriage // Death & Dying
319 The Jewish Woman – Jewish Law & Laws
320 The Jewish Encyclopedia