We are enthusiastic about the East Side Freedom Library as a place where history lives, stories are shared, and knowledge is produced. You can find this in our broad range of programs and in our amazing collection of books.
You can all join in this process in the coming weeks. Elizabeth Faue grew up locally in a union family and earned a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. As a Professor of History at Wayne State University in Detroit, she has coordinated the North American Labor History Conference for more than two decades. One of the most respected labor historians in the country, Liz recently authored RETHINKING THE AMERICAN LABOR MOVEMENT, which has become the core text for the Working-Class History course at the New Brookwood Labor College, based here at ESFL.
Liz is making a special trip to St. Paul this month, to speak to the Executive Board of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and the New Brookwood students who are reading her book, and to make a public presentation on “Women and Labor’s Democracy” at ESFL.
While authors and books are a great vehicle for story-telling and knowledge production at ESFL, so, too, is music. We are delighted to host the widely-hailed local Naye Strunes Klezmer Ensemble in their performance/ presentation of “The Garden of the Righteous.” This musical creation tells the stories of courageous non-Jews who protected their Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust. This is a great way to enjoy the traditions of klezmer music and to learn. through it, an untold historical story. And, if you want to learn more, you can engage some of our books at ESFL, such as Henry Sapoznik’s KLEZMER! JEWISH MUSIC FROM THE OLD WORLD TO OUR WORLD.
Learning from our October programs — and many, many more — is supported not only by our great presenters, but also by our rich collection of books. Thanks to dozens of donors and dozens of volunteer catalogers, more than 20,800 books are available for your use. Come in and find a comfortable rocking chair. We hope to see you soon at ESFL.