Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies to Host Online Summer Book Series
The Raritan Valley Community College Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and Chhange, the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education at Brookdale Community College, will present a virtual Summer Book Series beginning June 17.
Held via Zoom webinars, the programs are free of charge and open to the public. The series, which features discussions of award-winning novels that explore the past, includes:
• June 17, 10-11 a.m., Eternal by Lisa Scottoline: This novel offers a sweeping epic story of historical fiction fueled by shocking, true events that took place in the Jewish ghetto in Rome during the Holocaust. It also depicts a love triangle that unfolds in the heart of Rome in the creeping shadow of fascism.
• July 15, 10-11 a.m., The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar: In 2011, the peace of the Syrian city of Homs is disturbed by protests and shelling. The Map of Salt and Stars interweaves the tales of two heroines coming of age in perilous times and shines a light on a country in turmoil, human resilience, and the power of stories.
• August 19, 10-11 a.m., The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray: The remarkable novel tells the story of J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.
The books are available online to download for reading or listening through most county library systems. To participate in the program, email Program Specialist Michelle Edgar at michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu.
The summer book series is presented in partnership with Chhange, the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education at Brookdale Community College, and is co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties; The JCC Holocaust Memorial and Education Center; and The New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education.
RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2022
PR #131
