Register 6 Seats Remaining

Between Two Worlds:

The Zelmenyaners Book Discussion

Visit the library to register and pick up your book, then join us at the DG Township for a Book Discussion!

Pick up your copy of The Zelmenyaners and register for the program at the Adult and Teen Services Desk starting August 22.

The Book Discussion will take place at the Downers Grove Township: 430 Prince Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515.

"This is the first complete English-language translation of a classic of Yiddish literature, one of the great comic novels of the twentieth century. The Zelmenyaners describes the travails of a Jewish family in Minsk that is torn asunder by the new Soviet reality. Four generations are depicted in riveting and often uproarious detail as they face the profound changes brought on by the demands of the Soviet regime and its collectivist, radical secularism. The resultant intergenerational showdowns– including disputes over the introduction of electricity, radio, and electric trolley– are rendered with humor, pathos, and a finely controlled satiric pen. Moyshe Kulbak, a contemporary of the Soviet Jewish writer Isaac Babel, picks up where Sholem Aleichem left off a generation before, exploring in this book the transformation of Jewish life." -Provided by the Yiddish Book Center

Submit a request for a program accommodation. Learn more about accommodations and accessibility at DGPL.

Deepen your understanding of Yiddish literature and Jewish life, religion, and culture through DGPL and the Yiddish Book Center: Public Libraries Program. The library is honored to have been chosen, along with 38 other libraries, to participate in this year's program: Between Two Worlds: Exploring Jewish Culture and Religion through Yiddish Literature. Join us throughout September and October to learn about the incredible diversity in religions, cultures, and identities throughout the community. 

This program is in partnership with the Yiddish Book Center and the American Library Association, and is made possible thanks to a generous grant form the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Upcoming events