Russian Library

In April of 1986, a Bulgarian journalist in Yafo died and left behind him a rich collection of Russian books. His widow sold some of them and donated about 400 journals and books. To find a suitable recipient, she consulted the Jewish Agency, who referred her to Tal-El.
After the connection was made, Ms. Sufa Kwentzell and Raya Yosfin drove to Yafo to evaluate the collection as a basis for the future library.
Most of the books were very old, but they still formed a solid foundation for a new library in Tal-El. Mr. Roma Sternberg drove to Yafo to pick up the books in his van.
The staff designated a room in a buildng near the settlement's main offices and setup began. The most compelling books were repaired and restored. We asked Tal-El residents to donate more Russian books, and the library has flourished. In the first year, the monies needed to support the library were collected primarily from those who used it and those who understood the libraries importance to communal life. Over the years, the staff began to appreciated this importance, and incorporated the operating costs into the budget. In 1993, a relative of Chaim Yosfin passed away and bequeathed a rich library. The executor of his will sold the collection to Tal-El for 1,800 shekels. Then, books that the library already owned were sold for 5 shekels apiece, raising 1,000 shekels that were used to build a new video library.
Today the library has approximately 5,500 books about art, history, philosophy, mysticism, and literature. The video library includes 1,600 video tapes in Russian, Hebrew, and English. The free library is open on Wednesday from 8 to 9 PM.