Lincoln Exhibition at JCCNV!

There are still 10 more days to see the framed panel version of our exhibition, Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City, at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia. It's there until February 22.

The exhibition's 15 panels tell stories of Jewish life in Civil War-era Washington and Alexandria. As a bonus, we also have directories of known Jewish residents in Washington and Alexandria and extra pictures and documents on display.

Can't make it to JCCNV before February 22? Then come see the show at B'nai Israel Congregation (March 4-April 4) or the Washington, D.C., Jewish Community Center (April 10-30).

You can also buy the book and see illustrated lectures.

Thanks to board member John Tolleris for his generous contribution, which allowed us to create the traveling version!

Barnes & Noble Talk Success

I was thrilled to have an enthusiastic audience for a book talk on Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City yesterday at Barnes & Noble in Rockville. The talk originally schedule for a snowy February evening to coincide with the president's birthday had been moved to April and what turned out to be the prettiest day of this spring.

Thanks to those who gave up their sunny Sunday to listen in. April has many connections to Jewish life during the Civil War in our area. Many are sad and associated with Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865-- the arrival of Dr. Charles Liebermann to the president's bedside vigil at the Peterson Boarding House, the marching of 125 members of Washington Hebrew Congregation in the funeral procession on April 19, and the Lansburgh brother's donation to the creation of a memorial statue to the fallen president (which still stands in front of the old City Hall now the DC Court of Appeals at 5th and D Streets, NW).

The date of the assassination was also the fifth day of Passover that year and the associations were not lost on those that eulogized the fallen leader. Lincoln was referred to as Moses leading the nation out of the house of bondage. He was eulogized both at Washington Hebrew Congregation and Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria.

Third Salon a Touchdown!

Yesterday the Society held the third of our series of salons, this one featuring sportswriter David Elfin. Twenty-seven people braved a rainy day to come to the home of our executive director, Laura Cohen Apelbaum.

David has written for the Philadelphia Bulletin, Syracuse Post-Standard, Washington Post, and Washington Times, and served as president of Congregation Beth Chai. He regaled us with stories of his career in sports—including how he got Darrell Green, Art Monk, and Russ Grimm into the NFL Hall of Fame—recapped the Redskins’ 2009 season, and looked into the Burgundy and Gold’s future. After the lecture, everyone stayed around for a kosher tailgate meal. All in all, a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

We still have plenty of other salons coming up, and we’d love to see you at a future event!

Featured in The Examiner!

Executive Director Laura Apelbaum recently spoke about the Society's new book, Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City with The Examiner. Check out the interview!

To hear more about the book, join Laura for a book talk at the Rockville Barnes & Noble on Sunday, April 11th.

New Book on Library of Congress' Shelves

It's a thrill to visit the African and Middle Eastern Reading Room at the Library of Congress. I always feel like Belle in the Beast's library with the mahogany bookcases and stairs to the upper shelves!

Yesterday JHSGW staff and leadership formally donated copies of Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City to the Library. That's Mary-Jane Deeb, Chief of the African and Middle Eastern Division with our very own Peggy Pearlstein (center), Head of the Hebraic Section (and JHSGW past president) accepting the book from JHSGW President Sidney J. Silver.

Vice President Bill Rice and staff members Claire Uziel (co-editor of the book), David McKenzie, and Joel Wind were also on hand.

Unusual Book Sales

As the staff member responsible for keeping track of book sales, some times I receive an order that makes me ask, "What's the story?" Here are a few interesting sales we've had since the publication of Jewish Washington: Scrapbook of an American Community, our first book.

• The Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation purchased Jewish Washington to give as gifts on an Israel trip
• Machar and Fabrangen both purchased Jewish Washington to give as bar/bat mitzvah gifts to their members.
• Researchers from Danzansky-Goldberg Memorial Chapels purchased Jewish Washington for the waiting areas in the funeral parlor.
• Bernard Lisker of Reston, VA, purchased Jewish Washington at the Lincoln Memorial's gift shop and then ordered 80 more copies to give as party favors at his son's bar mitzvah!

As our new book, Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City, picks up steam, I hope to have more of these sorts of sales to share!

Both books are available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble or by contacting us at (202) 789-0900 or info@jhsgw.org!

New Book at Barnes and Noble and Amazon

We are thrilled to begin blogging with news that Barnes and Noble and Amazon have purchased our new book, Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln's City, to sell. To book an illustrated talk, contact us at 202.789.0900. To learn more or catch a glimpse of a book talk Wendy and I gave earlier this year at the Library of Congress, visit our website.

We sell the book for $15 per copy plus $5 shipping (a complimentary copy is in the mail for members/donors of $500 or more). We offer great discounts on purchases of 10 or more books. This is the most comprehensive book now available about Jewish life in our area during the Civil War. Hope you'll purchase a copy for your home library or buy one to donate to your school or synagogue library.