Levi Yitzchak Library opens

A blustery, sunny Sunday brought throngs of curious parents, grandparents and children to the preliminary opening of the Levi Yitzchak Library on Central Avenue in Cedarhurst.
The idea for the library originated during the shiva of Levi Yitzchak Wolowick, son of Rabbi Zalman and Chanie Wolowik of the Chabad of the Five Towns, who died tragically in his sleep two years ago at the age of nine. The Shabbos before the opening would have been his 11th Hebrew birthday and the library is dedicated in his memory. Chanie Wolowik is the co-director of the library.
“It’s a very bittersweet day,” said library co-director Lisa Hawk. Though even the sad beginning could not dampen the excitement for the opening, Hawk said.
“Everybody was so excited and so happy,” Hawk explained. “They walked in with ‘wow’ and walked out with ‘amazing,’ ‘exciting’ and ‘we can’t wait.’”
The library is intended to be a community center for all facets of the Jewish community. Programs will include activities for children and seniors as well as Jewish movie nights for teenagers. The library will also be a hub of creativity for authors and illustrators and their projects. Over 200 people signed up and paid membership, said program director Bracha Kramer, and the library issued over 600 membership cards. Move than 1,000 people came overall.
The entrance to the library is through a dark blue corridor with colorful lucite arches on the ceiling, one for every day of creation. Each area is painted in a different pastel color and the walls are lined with bookshelves. Tables and chairs increase in size as one moves toward the books geared to adults. The room also holds a puppet theater and a huge Torah-shaped Velcro bulletin board for posting children’s writing and art projects.
“It’s a family center where children can come read,” Hawk noted. “It’s completely Jewish so parents don’t have to worry.”
The library has five programmed Apple desktop computers and a full stock of books for children, teenagers and adults. Several bookshelves are filled with seforim and the library plans on having an additional bookcase organized like a physical manifestation of the mesorah with the Tanach on the top shelf and the descending shelves filled with Mishna, Talmud and the Shulchan Aruch.
The library opens officially on Dec. 2., the first day of Chanuka. Hours weekdays will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. Sunday hours have not been announced yet.
Membership is $54 a year for a family of six to take out books, CDs and DVDs. Visiting the library is free. For more information call (516) 374-BOOK (2665) or go to www.lylibrary.org. The Levi Yitzchak Library is located at 564 Central Ave. in Cedarhurst.