Highland Lakes Library Offers Jews More Than Books

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL — To Shai Zmora, the Dovid Bryn Library is more than a place to find Jewish literature and classes; it’s a peaceful refuge where he can study mathematics.

”I feel content, peace and quiet here, unlike other places where there is continuous noise or music in the background,” said Zmora, 26, a resident of Highland Lakes.

The library is part of the Chabad Chayil, located in a converted house at 2601 NE 211th Ter. in Highland Lakes. Named after Chabad Chayil founder Rabbi Dovid Bryn, the library opened a year ago. Chabad is a movement in Judaism whose members are observant of Jewish laws and traditions.

The library features about 6,000 Jewish books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, tapes and videos and also offers Shabbat services, classes and social gatherings.

On Friday, there will be a Shabbat dinner for singles following services, which start at 7 p.m.

There will be singing, stories and traditional food.

Suggested donation is $26. On Wednesdays, the Yiddish Club meets to sing songs, play bingo and listen to stories.

Brenda Goldstein, 65, attends with her husband, Ira, 57. She said she’s learned lessons from the stories: ”You should be good to others because goodness comes back to you,” said Goldstein, a retired deli worker.

Some of the Yiddish Club members are Holocaust survivors whose stories of survival have made a big impact on Shirley Peelosof, 28.

”I’m 28 and been through a lot, but they’ve been through more,” said Peelosof, a mental health therapist.

Jacobo Landman, 12, is studying for his bar mitzvah with library director Rabbi Moishe Kievman, who owns the converted house. Jacobo said he, too, enjoys the library’s atmosphere.

”It feels relaxing,” said Landman, a seventh-grader at University School, a private school in Davie.

Weekly classes offered at the library include Mishna Ethics, the study of Jewish law, and Parsha Highlights, a prep for the Bible portion being read in synagogue the following Saturday.

Zmora started as a visitor but now volunteers to help run the library in the evenings.

”I want people to have that refuge where they can come relax, read and learn,” he said.

The library was the vision of Bryn, who died six years ago. Kievman, who took over responsibility for the Chabad Chayil, saw the idea through.

”I thought it was an awesome vision. I felt that I was the one responsible to make sure it happened,” Kievman wrote in an e-mail.

Kievman said he wants to add a computer learning center so patrons can do research, browse the Internet and listen to audio classes.

He wants the library to be ”your place to relax, read, watch, learn, listen and most importantly feel at home,” he said.

Books can’t be checked out because they are being digitally cataloged but should soon be available for checkout.