Jews on the Eve of WWII

On the eve of the Second World War, Poland contained the largest Jewish community in Europe. Its Jewish population of close to 3.5 million was second in size only to that of the U.S. The third largest Jewish community in the world, counting nearly 3 million, was in the Soviet Union. The majority of American Jews come from these lands. What they know of their ancestors' lives - frequently based on myths, misunderstandings and stereotypes - diminishes the Jewish civilization that emerged there and fails to grasp the extent of what was lost in the passage across the Atlantic. Join Professor Antony Polonsky on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 pm as he recreates this lost world in a way that transcends both sentimentalism and the belief that the East European Jewish experience consisted only of persecution and martyrdom.

A Rhodes Scholar and D.Phil. from Oxford University, Antony Polonsky has had a presence at Brandeis University since 1992 where he is currently the Albert Abramson Professor of Holocaust Studies. The author of several books, his many awards and honors include a U.S. National Jewish Book Award in the Holocaust category.

October Teen Programs

Teen, Crafternoons

Join us for two Teen Crafternoons for Grades 6-12.

Wednesday, October 3 at 3:00 pm in the second floor Teen Area we will be hanging out, working on a craft. Check the teen blog and Facebook for more information.

Wednesday, October 17 at 3:00 pm in Meeting Room A we'll be making zombie cupcakes and watching zombie movies in preparation for Halloween. Questions? Email teens@newtonfreelibrary.net.

The Changing Landscape of College Admissions

Over the past ten years applying to college has become more competitive and complicated. Yet new opportunities exist at colleges for many types of students. Families need to be aware of the new rules for college admissions and how to evaluate both the admission and departure processes. Parents and students are welcome to join Carol Kinlan on Wednesday, October 10 at 7:00 pm for a talk that will cover important aspects of the college planning process including:

• Finding a student's best match
• Strategies for the seven key parts of the admission process
• How colleges view quantitative vs. qualitative factors of applications
• The three basic types of college support
• Best practices for students who have attention or learning issues

Carol Kinlan has a comprehensive background in supporting students of all ages with language-based and non-verbal learning disorders, and executive function and attentional challenges, as well as traditional college placement. She holds a Master’s from Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Chain Maille for Teens

Join us on Monday, October 22 at 4:00 pm for a 90-minute program on the basics of making chain maille jewelry. All tools and materials will be provided. In a hands-on learning workshop, Pat Brazill will cover working with jump rings and two basic patterns, Box and Byzantine. Participants will leave with a small chain maille pendant. Space is limited to 10; registration is required. Email teens@newtonfreelibrary.net or call 617-796-1380. Be sure to check out the chain maille display on view in the three cases on the first floor throughout October. Pat Brazill currently works as a full-time chain mailer at the Gorse Mill Studios in Needham, MA. She has held art-related jobs in N.Y. including stints as the manager of the art department at Rolling Stone Magazine and the photo editor at Spin Magazine.

College Admissions Essay Writing 101

Do you want to learn how to write an outstanding college essay that will get noticed by college admissions officers? Join Debra Berger on Wednesday, October 24 at 7:00 pm for a program that will cover the basics of college essay writing such as:

• How to highlight your strengths and what topics to avoid
• Pre-writing techniques to narrow down and develop your ideas
• Editing
• Essential information on time saving techniques

Debra Berger's goal is to help students write essays that reflect their interests and experiences. She has a Master's in education from Boston College. An accomplished writer, Debra worked for over 10 years as a contributing education writer for nationally recognized publications including The Boston Globe and The Boston Parents Paper.

Teen Stories for a Halloween Eve

Join Rona Leventhal on Tuesday, October 30 at 7:00 pm for a program titled Haunts and Hollers: Stories for a Halloween Eve. Will Jack survive the haunted house? No one else has! What does the dead man want from Mary Culhane? What would you do with a skeleton that won’t die or screams you hear in the night? You will find all manner of haunts, dead folk, shape shifters and mysterious players.......from the spooky and eerie to the silly and transformative at this program for ages 13 – adult. Rona Leventhal, is a storyteller and educator from Western Massachusetts.

2012-2013 Poetry Series

The Poetry Series continues on Tuesday, October 9 at 7:00 pm with readings by Bernard Horn, Elizabeth Lund and Shelby Allen. An open mic will follow with a limit of one poem per person. Come early to sign up for the open mic; limited slots are available, time permitting. The series is facilitated by Doug Holder of Ibbetson Street Press.

Bernard Horn's first book of poems, Our Daily Words, has been praised by Robert Pinsky and David Mamet. His poems and translations of poems by Yehuda Amichai have appeared in The New Yorker, Moment Magazine and The Manhattan Review, among others.

Elizabeth Lund's poetry reviews appear regularly in The Christian Science Monitor where she was a staff writer and editor for 13 years. She earned her MFA in poetry from Cornell University and has since read and spoken at events from New Hampshire to Florida.

Shelby Allen's Crack Willow: Poems of Transformation was published by Cherry Grove Collections last year. Her poems have been seen in national literary magazines including Sanctuary, Wild Earth, The Awakenings Review and more.

Exit: The Endings That Set Us Free by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot

Join acclaimed sociologist Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot on Thursday, October 11 at 7:00 pm when she will give a talk on her new book, Exit: The Endings That Set Us Free. Looking at important moments both large and small that define how we transition through our lives, Lawrence-Lightfoot notes that there are few examples in our culture that suggest how to approach exits with grace and understanding. In a period when many people are leaving jobs and technology blurs the idea of final farewells, questions of exiting are particularly timely. The book explores individual experiences of transitions and exits including an Iranian teenager who leaves the political strife of his native land to come alone to America; a middle-aged gay man who remembers his long exit from the closet; the director of a hospital ICU who oversees patients making a recovery or facing death and more. The talk will be followed by a book signing with books provided by New England Mobile Book Fair.

The author of eight books, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot won the MacArthur prize in 1984. In 1998 she was the recepient of the Emily Hargroves Fisher Endowed Chair at Harvard University which, upon her retirement, will become the Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Endowed Chair. In 1993 she was awarded Harvard's George Ledlie prize for research that makes the "most valuable contribution to science" and "the benefit of mankind." In 2006 she was featured in the PBS documentary titled African American Lives. Since 2008 she has been a member of the American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the U.S. which dates back to 1743.

Retirement on the Line by Caitrin Lynch

In an era when people live longer and want (or need) to work past the traditional retirement age, the Vita Needle Company of Needham, MA, provides inspiration and important lessons about the value of older workers. Founded in 1932, Vita Needle is a family-owned factory that makes needles, stainless steel tubing and pipes, and custom fabricated parts. As part of its unusual business model, the company seeks out older workers; the median age of employees is seventy-four. In Retirement on the Line, author and cultural anthropologist Caitrin Lynch explores what this unusual company's commitment to an elderly workforce means for the employer, the workers and the community. Join her for an inspiring talk on Thursday, October 18 at 7:00 pm which will be followed by a book signing with books provided by New England Mobile Book Fair. The talk is cosponsored by the Newton Human Rights Commission and the City of Newton Department of Senior Services. Lynch will summarize what we can learn from Vita Needle including how:

• Working during the retirement years provides more than a paycheck and needs to feel different than work at other life stages
• Rich connections are forged when old and young work together
• Under the right circumstances, work arrangements can benefit employers and workers alike
• Membership and mattering are key values for today’s older Americans

Caitrin Lynch holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Olin College of Engineering and a Visiting Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at Brandeis University.

Reinventing Yourself in Today's Economy

Join executive, leadership and career development coach Danila Székely on Tuesday, October 23 at 7:00 pm for a program titled Reinventing Yourself in Today’s Economy. The program is for people who are considering a career transition, currently engaged in a job search or are interested in re-defining their career. It is the second presentation in the ongoing Job Seekers, Career and Professional Development Series.

With shifts in the workplace and job market, do you find yourself thinking about exploring your career and life in a new context or even reinventing yourself for the next chapter? This interactive session will include tools, suggestions and exercises to help participants take the next step in their careers. Come prepared to share your questions, challenges and successful approaches that have worked for you.

Danila Székely has over 25 years experience in her field. Her many qualifications include an Organization and Relationship Systems Coach certification by the Center for Right Relationship and a Professional Co-Active Coach certification by the Coaches Training Institute.

Trends in New Media Art

Do you love contemporary art? Are you unfamiliar with new media art terms like location aware, augmented reality, digital installation and immersive multimedia? Then join new media artist Roberto Mighty for a program on Thursday, October 25 at 7:00 pm. Roberto will present slides and audio tracks as he facilitates a discussion on the brave new territory where art meets digital technology. Participants will leave with an idea of which local museums and galleries have this type of art on view such as SOWA, the ICA and The LIST Gallery. Famed and emerging new media/multimedia artists will also be discussed.

Roberto Mighty is a new media artist who uses film, video, audio, projections, GPS and other digital interactive technologies in his work. His recent immersive, multimedia installation at Harvard's Fisher Museum titled First Contact was based on his one-year Artist Residency at the Harvard Forest. Roberto received his Master of Fine Arts in the Visual Arts from Lesley University and is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College. He is also a lecturer at Boston University's Center for Digital Imaging Arts.

New Film Screening: The Durant-Kenrick Homestead:

A House of Many Stories

Join award-winning historical documentarian Joe Hunter on Monday, October 29 at 7:00 pm for a screening of his new film The Durant-Kenrick Homestead: A House of Many Stories. The movie presents the history of the house up to the current transformation into an educational center under the auspices of Historic Newton; also the program cosponsor. Following the screening, Historic Newton Director Cindy Stone and other project representatives will speak about the history and future plans for the house.

Built in 1734, the Durant-Kenrick House is Newton’s connection to many of the pivotal events of American history. Its occupants were leaders in early Newton, significant players in the American Revolution, pioneering entrepreneurs, steadfast abolitionists and among the first historical preservationists.

Joe Hunter, Assistant Vice President and Director of Communication at Olin College of Engineering, is a veteran of 20 years in the field of educational communications. Joe is also the owner of Remember Productions where he produces history-themed programming.

Computer Classes

Stop by the library and sign up for a free one-session computer class in Internet, PC Basics or other topics. For more information call 617-796-1380 or see class schedule.