Mishkan Library
About the Library
Mishkan Shalom's Library holds a collection of 4,000+ books and multimedia material, lovingly tended by our Library Committee. The committee's goal is to help meet the Judaic educational and informational needs of our congregation's adult and young adult members. In addition to maintaining, enriching and circulating the collection, the committee plans the annual One Book Mishkan program series. The Library is open to the public and all are welcome to check-out books and other materials, using our self-circulation system. The Library is open whenever the building is open. To confirm building hours, contact the office at (215) 508-0226 or here. Come and visit!
We’re so proud of our beautiful library and the depth and vibrancy of our collection. Are you new to our library? We’re on the third floor across from the Chapel. Everything you need to check out and return items is just inside the entrance. A guide to our self-circulation system is on the bulletin board and 
the deposit box for book cards is right below on the circulation table. Returning books? Just put them in the blue plastic return bin under the table and we’ll get them back on the shelves for others to enjoy.
A popular spot for meetings and classes, there are many hours each day when our library can provide a quiet haven for reading, browsing, working, writing or just contemplating. Come explore…make visiting our library a regular part of your visits to Mishkan!
Recent Acquisitions, Suggestions & Donations
Ours is a vibrant, living library: We routinely add items to our collection and welcome suggestions for new works. We have created a browsing and finding tool: Click here to access our online database.
One Book, One Jewish Community
The Library Committee is so pleased to continue our association with the citywide OBOJC program. A national model for community building and Jewish literacy, the OBOJC program has touched thousands of individuals throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. Synagogues, agencies and other Jewish communal organizations and institutions explore not only the book itself but also the values and issues raised within.
Prior Year Program Series
Waveland: One Woman's Story of Freedom One Summer, by Simone Zelitch
A Guide for the Perplexed, by Dara Horn
The Golem and Jinni, by Helene Wecher
Previous One Book Mishkan titles:
- Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of its Moods, by Michael Wex
- The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth
- Betraying Spinoza, by Rebecca Goldstein
- Who Wrote the Bible, by Richard Elliott Friedman
- The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East, by Sandy Tolan
- Call It Sleep, by Henry Roth
- Sweet and Low: A Family Story, by Rich Cohen
- As A Driven Leaf, by Rabbi Milton Steinberg
- What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, by Nathan Englander
- The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker
- A Guide for the Perplexed, by Dara Horn
- Waveland: One Woman's Story of Freedom Summer, by Simone Zelitch
The Library Committee welcomes all suggestions for the improvement of our library and programs, including title suggestions for new acquisitions. Donations of new or used books must be pre-approved, as our shelves are bursting at the seams! To confirm we can accept your donation, please contact Andrea Nuñez. If you’re a reader, book lover, lover of libraries or want to deepen your knowledge of Jewish subject matter, the Library Committee could be a great fit for you. We'd love to have you join our committee! We also welcome volunteers who can help us maintain the collection. Contact Andrea Nuñez, Chair.
