Library & Archives

Lee & Dolores Hartzmark Library

Our Library offers a comprehensive Jewish resource for the entire congregation and community.

The Lee and Dolores Hartzmark Library, dedicated in 1997, offers the congregation and community an extensive collection of resources on Judaism and Jewish life. Our holdings include award-winning fiction and non-fiction for children, adults, and young adults, DVDs of feature films and documentaries, music CDs, audiobooks, and periodicals.

Highlights include a comprehensive collection of books, developed by The Temple Museum of Jewish Art, Religion, and Culture, on Jewish and Israeli art and artists; an extensive collection on Jewish cooking and foodways; books on the history of The Temple and the Cleveland Jewish community; and the published works of Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver and Rabbi Daniel Jeremy Silver, who collectively served as leaders of The Temple for more than a century.

We feature a collection of picture books introducing our youngest members to Jewish holidays, folklore, and history, to mitzvot, the Bible, and Israel, as well as to amazing stories of all types. We offer resources for families on parenting and how to address challenging issues for children and teens. The Library’s collection also supports Jewish learning at The Temple, including B’nai Mitzvah preparation, The Learning Center, and Ganon Gil Early Childhood Center.

The Library’s Book Discussion Group offers adults the chance to participate in a stimulating moderated discussion of selected fiction and nonfiction.

The Library is open whenever The Temple is open. The Library and Archives are currently staffed Monday – Friday, as well as on Sunday mornings while The Learning Center is in session. Check-out forms are available for signing out materials when no staff is present. The loan period is three weeks, and materials are renewable as long as there are no reserves.

View Our Library’s Online Catalog

Upcoming Events

“Modern Illuminations of Passover: Haggadot by Arthur Szyk, Ben Shahn, and Saul Raskin” Exhibit in the Hartzmark Library, April 1-30 This exhibit features Haggadot from The Temple-Tifereth Israel’s rare books collection created by Eastern European-born American Jewish artists in the decade leading up to the Second World War. Arthur Szyk, Ben Shahn, and Saul Raskin each turned an artist’s eye to the Haggadah, the book that guides the celebration of the Passover seder and retells the central Jewish story of liberation from slavery in Egypt. They used their art to engage with the Haggadah, creating powerful works of visual midrash.

Poetry Thursday with Rabbi Klein
Thursday, March 21, 2024, 4:00PM
A Zoom discussion featuring the favorite poetry.
Book Discussion with East View United Church
Saturday, March 23, 2024, 12:00PM

East View United Church of Christ 17300 Van Aken Blvd., Shaker Heights Join The Temple-Tifereth Israel book group and the East View United Church of Christ book group for discussion of The First Ladies, a novel by …


View Calendar

The Archives

The Temple Archives is dedicated to preserving The Temple’s rich history, documenting its ongoing activities, and serving as a resource for our congregation and the larger community.

The Archives holds the historical records of The Temple from its founding in 1850 through the present. The collection documents all aspects of congregational life, including governance, our clergy, religious education, worship, and the activities of organizations such as The Temple Women’s Association and the Brotherhood. Records include print material, publications, photographs, audio and video in various formats, architectural records, art and artifacts, and rare books. Materials from the Archives are featured in an exhibit on Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver, currently in the Hartzmark Room.

Documenting our community is an ongoing process, not a completed activity. The Archives is currently in the process of documenting the military service of our congregants, their ancestors, and their family members through our Veterans History Project.

Hours & Contact

The Library is open whenever The Temple is open. The Library and Archives are currently staffed Monday – Friday, as well as on Sunday mornings while The Learning Center is in session. Check-out forms are available for signing out materials when no staff is present. The loan period is three weeks, and materials are renewable as long as there are no reserves.

For questions about the Library or Archives, or to participate in the Veterans History Project, please come in and say hello or contact Jane Rothstein, the Librarian and Archivist at (216) 455-1724 or email jrothstein@ttti.org, or archives@ttti.org.