The Kosher Bookworm: A profile of a local literary personality, David A. Adler

By Alan Jay Gerber

Issue of May 15, 2009 / 21 Iyar 5769

Some years ago while teaching a course on the Holocaust in English literature at Brooklyn’s F.D.R. High School, one of my Polish-born students brought in a book entitled “A Hero and the Holocaust: The Story of Janusz Korczak and His Children” by David A. Adler.

Until that time I had never heard of Korczak nor of his saga in the Warsaw ghetto. It was this book that led me to research this unusual personality and

the life that he led prior to his martyrdom at the hands of the Nazis in August 1942.

“The Korczak biography is the story of how a wonderfully gifted man confronted the evil of Nazism, how he protected and shielded hundreds of Jewish orphans," says Adler.

Adler noted that aside from being a famous author, teacher and doctor, Korczak was a prominent Polish radio personality from the late 1920s to the mid 1930s. He indeed was the precursor to what we now refer to as talk-radio. Consider the following.

Korczak himself realized at that time the educational possibilities radio had, in its ability to reach thousands of children with his famous stories and advice to their parents.

He once stated that “radio will never replace the book, but, it is a new language. Radio had made it possible for nothing ever to be lost, immortal.”

He also saw it as a medium that brought awesome responsibility through its ability to reach “into the home, into the intimate areas of life, and into the human heart.”

Due to the bigotry of his day, Dr. Henryk Goldszmit could not use his given Jewish sounding name. Therefore he was forced to employ a more Polish sound name; hence, Janusz Korczak. However, after a while even that couldn’t quell the bigots on the Polish street so a new nomenclature had to be generated. “Old Doctor” became the name he was to go by until he was forced to close his program in February 1936.

There is a lot more to tell about the life’s story of Korczak. However, before getting to David Adler, I wanted to make note of this radio episode given the contemporary nature of the radio medium, especially the attempts that are underway today to staunch free speech on talk radio Hopefully, history will not repeat itself here on these blessed shores. V’hameivin yavin.

It is David Adler whom I have to thank for the opportunity to learn so much about this precious chapter and personality in Jewish history. And, there is more.

Recently, I learned that Adler was to be presented with the coveted Knickerbocker Award by the New York Library Association in recognition of his many years as an author who has demonstrated through a body of literary work a consistently superior quality which supports the curriculum and the educational goals of New York State schools.

This award should bring both pride and joy to every book lover in our community (which is everyone I know) for Adler is “one of us," a lifelong resident of the Five Towns.

Bringing this closer to home, Adler is a graduate of Queens College who did his graduate work at NYU and received his MBA in marketing. It was while studying for his Ph.D in marketing that the writing bug hit, penetrated, and as they say, the rest is history.

Specializing in literature for the younger set - perhaps best known for his Cam Jansen series - Adler writes both fiction and non-fiction, including novels of high interest, biographies of prominent historical personalities, and especially American figures of renown.

Adler also wrote many books on the Holocaust including the classic, “We Remember The Holocaust." “The Number On My Father’s Arm," “Hiding From The Nazis” and “One Yellow Daffodil." In addition, Adler’s prolific pen produced numerous books dealing with Jewish holidays, books on math, science, economics, in all more than 200 published works, to date.

Adler is a long-time member of the Young Israel of Woodmere, and served for many years on various boards of HAFTR, one year as chair of the board of education as well as numerous boards of the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem. He was also a trustee of the Hewlett-Woodmere Library for many years.

Since 1973 he has been married to Renee Hamada, a psychologist.

One of Adler’s latest books, “Don’t Talk To Me About The War,” historical fiction for older readers, takes place in the Bronx from May to July of 1940 and brings to life the atmospherics of that time and era through the eyes of 13-year old Tommy Duncan.

What I found interesting, as a history teacher, was the intense research Adler conducted in terms of ascertaining the journalistic headlines and personalities and musical big band era sound that was popular in that time. These as well are referenced to old time radio programs such as “Fibber McGee and Molly” that Adler personally vetted in his research. This gives the book an authenticity rarely found today in books for young adults.

It is with personal pride that I extend to our neighbor and friend, David A. Adler, a hearty Mazal Tov. We as a community share with you and your family the pride that this award represents as a recognition by your peers of the value your life’s work has come to mean to all of us, including this ever so humble Kosher Bookworm.