Thanks to the family of the late George Lieberman, members of the community who are in mourning can now find books to help them through the grieving process in the Applebaum Synagogue at Village Shalom. The Lieberman Lending Library for Solace has been established to help those recently bereaved to begin to find solace and healing.
“It is a library for those that are mourning where they can come and find books about saying Kaddish, books about grief, books about how a child can deal with death after losing someone they love. … {mprestriction ids="1,3"}It’s a place that they all can come to find solace,” explained Amy Lieberman Pollack, who established the library along with her mother, Floriene Lieberman.
Not only can the books in the library help with the grieving process, many also contain answers about things associated with Jewish mourning practice such as saying Kaddish and what happens at a Jewish funeral or unveiling.
“The books are really to help anyone going through their journey after losing someone,” Pollack said.
George Lieberman died unexpectedly in June 2014. Pollack said she started the library because she wished something like it was available at the time of her father’s death.
“I had so many questions after losing a parent about everything that you do as a Jew and what it all means. Mom and I were so supported by friends and rabbis and our family and we felt fortunate because we were able to find many of those answers. But not everybody has that kind of support. This gives them a place where they can come and find it,” she said.
The Lieberman family decided a library such as this was a great way to honor George because education, reading and learning was also important to him.
“He was always helping others to find answers. That’s why we thought this would be perfect because this is something that would help someone find their answers during their journey following the death of a loved one,” Pollack said.
Another reason the family thought of books, Pollack said, is because grief is often hard for people to talk about.
“Sometimes you don’t want to turn to others to ask questions and sometimes it’s something that you just want to read in the privacy of your own home and do it at your own pace. Everybody grieves differently and everybody has different needs during their grief. So having resources that you can take and rely on and look back on is a very important thing.”
Pollack serves as the library’s librarian and administrator. Before any books were purchased for the library, she asked for recommendations from rabbis, Jewish educators and counselors at Solace House, a center for grieving families. Pollack has been a grief facilitator for Solace House for about a year and a half. Solace House also donated a couple of books for the library.
“The library is really comprised of the thoughts from a lot of knowledgeable people,” Lieberman said.
The first books were put on the shelves at the Applebaum Synagogue in early September. More books are currently on order, and as donations are received, even more books will be purchased.
“It has resources for all different types of losses, all different age groups and all different parts of Judaism. … We want to be very comprehensive about the topics as well as to meet the needs for the person who will use it.”
While the collection is currently small — right now there are about 30 books — the library has books that cover a variety of topics. For example there is a book written by a widow for widows. Another book is for someone who has lost a loved one to mental illness.
“One of the most important ones is ‘The Fall of Freddie the Leaf,’ one of several books geared to children,” Floriene Lieberman commented.
Pollack and Floriene Lieberman stress that even though the library is in the synagogue inside Village Shalom — which coincidentally is where Congregation Beth Shalom holds the majority of its minyan services — the library is for the entire community.
“It’s here because the people that are attending here are those that are coming to say Kaddish. It’s something that is readily and easily available to them, although we want it to be for the entire community. We want it to be community supported and used by the community,” Pollack said.
Pollack pointed out the library is very informal.
“We want there to be a place for someone to feel comfortable to come. There is no formal check-out process. The idea is they can come and look through a book. If it’s interesting to them they can take it home, read it, find the answers that the want or need, and then return it so that someone else might be able to use it as well,” Pollack said.
Pollack has already noticed some books have been “checked out” from the library and has received great feedback from the community about its establishment.
“People telling me how much it has helped them deal with their grief. They take a book and return it and take another. I have even received a few donations to purchase books just by word of mouth,” Pollack said.
The Liebermans and Pollacks are hoping the community supports the library and helps it grow.
“I know every year at the yartzheit of my father I will purchase another few books to put here in his memory. And I think it’s a great thing for people to do to honor someone they’ve lost,” said Pollack, noting that Beth Shalom will administer the donations for the family.
Donations can be of any size.
“There are so many books that are different costs, and bookplates will be put in all the books,” Pollack said, noting that they hope to fill the one bookcase in the synagogue now, and continue to buy and fill bookcases in the future.
If you would like to help the Lieberman Lending Library grow by contributing to book purchases in memory of a loved one or in honor of a friend, contact Pollack at .{/mprestriction}
