Library

The Library Catalog is available online 24 hours a day!

Congregation Beth Israel’s Hyman Judah Schachtel Library houses one of the finest collections of books of Jewish interest in the Southwest United States. The Houston Friends of Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel founded the library in 1967, in honor of his outstanding service to our city. The contributors included such notables as the De Menil, Wortham, George R. Brown and Abercrombie families. The original gift has presently grown into well over 20,000 volumes including an extensive archive of materials dating back to the beginning of the Congregation in the mid 1800s.The Association of Jewish Libraries has accredited the Shachtel Library at the Advanced level–a designation few synagogue libraries have attained.

Primarily aimed at serving Beth Israel members and its schools, Beth Israel’s Schachtel Library welcomes everyone in the community and serves as a reference source for scholars nationwide.

Beth Israel’s Schachtel Library is divided into two sections:

• The Hyman Judah Schachtel collection serves adults with books that are of specific Jewish interest or by Jewish authors for both scholarly and leisure time reading.
• The Myrtle and Walter Loewenstern Children’s Library is designed for children and has both general interest books such as math, history, picture books, and more, as well as Jewish interests including holidays, crafts, music, folktales, and Bible stories

The Library’s Hours:

Staffed by a librarian Monday – Thursday 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. 
Open for browsing and self-checkout until 5:00 pm. 
Open on Friday for browsing and self-checkout from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

During the school year, the library is open Wednesday evenings and on Sunday mornings from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm when school is in session. 

Contact the librarian for more information. 

Readers’ Group

The Beth Israel Readers’ Group invites congregants and friends to our monthly meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm. Books are chosen from various subjects and we welcome our clergy team members and visiting facilitators. Zoom interviews with authors are also offered periodically. We also participate in the annual ERJCC Community Read.

THE BOOK CLUB MEETS IN PERSON AND ON ZOOM AT 1:00 PM. RSVP TO Susan Whitman TO OBTAIN ZOOM LINKS.

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father Leonard Nimoy by Adam Nimoy

Wednesday, November 6 – My Hebrew Teacher by Maya Arad
This is the book selected for the 2024 JCC Book & Arts Festival Community Read. As is tradition, all Readers’ Group participants are invited to the JCC’s community discussion on Tuesday, October 29. Stay tuned for details.

Wednesday, December 11 – Taking Miracles Seriously by Rabbi Michael Zedek
Author Rabbi Michael Zedek will participate in our discussion online via Zoom!

Writers’ Circle
The Writers’ Circle is a BINGE group led by Congregation Beth Israel member and author, Miriam Friedman. The group meets twice a month on Thursdays at 1 PM to discuss creative writing and share personal work. Writers of all levels, published or not, are welcome. To join, contact Stephanie Shargal, Membership & Engagement Manager, at 713-771-6221 or sshargal@beth-israel.org.

Upcoming Meeting Dates:
September 26
October 10 & 31
November 7 & 21
December 5 & 19

New Books
The library is open!   We welcome you to come and browse the collection of books and journals.   We continue to add new titles focusing on Jewish history, contemporary Israel affairs, and Holocaust history, as well as a broad range of fiction on Jewish subjects. Come see us and find your next great read!

Congregation Beth Israel’s Hyman Judah Shachtel Library has received from the Anti-Defamation League donations of two books on social justice.  Beth Israel shares the commitment to promoting social justice regardless of race, religion, and cultural background.  The library collects books and hosts book discussions and a facebook page that honor the stories of heroes of social justice, preserve the stories of diverse communities throughout the world, and document events that pertain to social justice in our community and our world.

THE GOOD FIGHT: AMERICA’S ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE, BY RICK SMOLAN AND JENNIFER ERWITT

This volume documents the historical struggles for social justice through more than 180 memorable photographs, nearly 60 embedded videos, over a dozen compelling essays, plus examples of music and lyrics that rallied America’s resistance to injustice.

IT COULD HAPPEN HERE:  WHY AMERICA IS TIPPING FROM HATE TO THE UNTHINKABLE – AND HOWW WE CAN STOP IT, BY JONATHAN GREENBLATT, CEO of ADL.

Drawing on decades of experience in fighting hate through investigative research, education programs, and legislative victories, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League issues a warning on the rise of intolerance in the United States and offers a primer on how to strike back against hate.

BOTH OF THESE VOLUMES ARE AVAILABLE FOR USE IN THE LIBRARY.  PLEASE CONTACT SUSAN WHITMAN AT (713) 771-6221 x370  OR swhitman@beth-israel.org.  BROWSE OUR CATALOG FOR MORE MATERIALS ON JUDAISM, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DIVERSITY: https://www.beth-israel.org/lifelong-learning/library/

Check out Past Events At The Library

The Beth Israel Archives

Documents from the Earliest Years of Congregation Beth Israel

The Beth Israel Archives document the activities of the congregation from its earliest days, with records of meetings, pictures and documents chronicling the life of an active Temple. The archives are available for use with the assistance of the librarian. Please contact the librarian by phone at (713) 771-6221 x370, or email for more information.

Access online archival materials 24 hours a day!
Click here to view!

Speeches from past Yom Kippur Symposia are available to read online!
Click here to read!

Contact the Temple Librarian:

Susan Whitman
(713) 820-6410, Direct Line
(713) 771-6221 ext. 370

Remember the Library Catalog is available 24 hours a day. Go to www.beth-israel.org and click on the Library home page to access. Requests for reserves can be sent to Susan or direct phone at 713 820 6410.