Mrs. Shterna Sarah Kalmanson obm was a pioneer Shlucha in Cincinnati, Ohio for over forty years. She passed away seven years ago on 11 Nissan. One year later a small library with a few hundred English Sefarim was established in her memory. An old shaimos room in the back of the Chabad Shul was converted into a cozy reading nook and dubbed Shterna’s Library.
From year to year the library grew. Hundreds of Sefarim and books were added, and two years later the library spilled over to the next room. The wall between the two rooms was demolished and the rooms combined into a large rectangular space lined by walls of bookcases. New categories were added: Biographies, Jewish thought, Fiction. That was when the library really took off.
The news spread, by word of mouth, that Shterna’s Library was the place to go on Friday afternoon to stock up on reading material for Shabbos. All segments of the Frum community, Chabad, Yeshivish, and Modern Orthodox began to make Shterna’s Library a regular part of their Erev Shabbos routine.
It quickly became obvious that a proper library system needed to be obtained in order to manage the growing membership. Girls from the local frum High School volunteered to assist during library hours. Membership soon topped 100 families.
Cincinnati is a growing frum community with two elementary schools, separate girls and boys high schools, and a Chabad preschool, a pilot Cheder, Mesivta and Zal. Families are constantly moving into town, and a year later the library again outgrew its space. A successful fundraiser enabled the expansion of Shterna’s library into a THIRD room – a dedicated Children’s Space. Here you can find children’s books, books for young readers, and a huge selection of kosher comic books.
Today Shterna’s LIbrary boasts over 3500 English books and Sefarim, and a membership of over 200 families. Shterna’s is a household name in the Jewish community of CIncinnati. Its shelves are again bursting at the ends, and yes, the time has come for ANOTHER expansion. Shterna’s Library is currently running a fundraiser. Every dollar raised will go towards providing Kosher, thoughtful reading for another Jewish child. In the current social climate the necessity of quality Jewish reading material is relevant more than ever before.
If you are thinking of opening a library in your community, feel free to email [email protected]. We will be happy to share our experience and guide you in this most significant endeavor.
Donate to Shterna’s Library here
