In New York City, we have a program called Lambda Literary Writers in Schools, where teachers and librarians apply through a grant application to bring an LGBTQ author to their classrooms and libraries. Every participating student receives a copy of the author's book and the chance to meet a real, living author-it has been an extraordinarily meaningful program for students of all identities.
I'd like to find something comparable for Jewish authors: a program that brings a Jewish author - Jewish and queer, Jewish and Black, Jewish and anything else, simply Jewish - into schools, so that students encounter Jewish identity and culture directly from a Jewish voice, rather than only through what they may be hearing secondhand. Does a program like this exist? Lambda Literary created this program, and the City Council pays for it. Do any Jewish literary organizations have something similar? I think there is a need for one, especially for K-12 public school students to help interrupt stereotypes and counter dangerous tropes about Jewish people. I think it would help. I've seen it happen when helping to change stereotypical thinking about LGBTQ people among students who don't identify as LGBTQ. I would love to see Jewish authors share their Jewish-themed books and customs in secular public schools, introducing Jewish identities to both students who identify as Jewish and those who don't.
If such a program existed, would you be interested in having a Jewish author talk about their Jewish-themed books in your public school libraries?
In the Lambda program, the authors are paid, and each participating student gets a free copy of the author's book. I am willing to write a grant for such a program!!!!
Does this sound interesting to anybody?
Patricia
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Patricia Sarles, MA, MLS, MSEd
Librarian, Anthropologist, Lifelong Learner
Writer, Editor, Curator, Founder:
http://booksfordonoroffspring.blogspot.comhttp://yabooksfordonoroffspring.blogspot.comtovahsmom@gmail.com------------------------------