By Eva Trieger
LA JOLLA, California — Nothing quite says relaxation to me more than the two words “Summer Reading.” Well I remember the friendly competition held by the Larchmont library the summer after fifth grade. For every book completed a reader would earn a decal of a state to then apply to his/her map of the United States. The obvious objective was to collect all fifty over the course of the languid summer months. With this august goal in mind, my summer adventures went far beyond the Hommocks’ swimming pool or Jones Beach. I introduced Judy Bloom, Elizabeth Enright and Norton Juster to my summer hangouts, and they in turn, took me to places I’d never visited. The experience of gobbling up all of the library’s offerings seemed limitless and thrilling. And now, thanks to the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, summer reading is back!
In a phone interview with Program Manager, Lauren Luedtke at the LFJCC, I learned that an Adult Summer Reading Program has just begun. From June 21-September 21st, the community is invited to register for this opportunity to dive into works by Jewish authors, or writings that address Jewish content. The book lists are available for participants and many of the books may be found at the JCC’s Samuel & Rebecca Astor Judaica Library. The brainchild for this grew out of the very successful summer camps for kids. While children are exploring their passions through various camp activities, their parents deserve to also have something exclusively targeting the adults.
Participants are encouraged to check their local library’s holdings, e-readers or favorite audiobooks sites. To encourage more registrants, there are prizes in the offing. The intention is to get the community involved in reading and become exposed to more Jewish authors and stories. To this end, the local community celebrities are weighing in with their favorite book picks and this will continue throughout the summer. These celebs include the Ken community leader, as well as Board members from the LFJCC.
What types of prizes? For taking part in the “Ten to Try,” categories set up by the Jewish Book Council, one wins entry to a raffle. These books deal with diverse topics including immigration and civil rights, among others. Other prizes include tickets to the Joyce Forum Jewish Short Film Festival, tickets to Tapestry, and passes to the renowned fitness center.
The Adult Summer Reading Program is free and open to anyone wishing to read more Jewish literature. Participants need not be members of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center or affiliated with any synagogue. Registration is open to all and may be found at lfjcc.beanstack.org. This will allow participants to track the pages they’ve read and become eligible for prizes, as well as connecting with other reading challenge participants.
I love the feeling of an unscripted, tranquil and boundless summer. How much better is it when you are transported to new places that don’t require a passport, negative COVID test or even packing a suitcase? Travel through books is made easy with this exciting inaugural reading program.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com