Building Bridges Through Books: A Social Justice Book Group

Let’s build community together.

Come be a part of something truly special: A monthly gathering to explore race, faith, identity, and community through books and readings selected by the group itself.

Facilitated by Joyce Sharrock-Cole (Ossining Village Historian) and Abbe Marcus (Executive Director, Journeys To Change), these gatherings will begin with light refreshments and informal exchange, followed by an hour of focused discussion. By meeting monthly, the intent is to build understanding, relationships, and community over time.

Schedule: We will meet from 7 to 8:30 PM on the 2nd Tuesday of each month: October 8, November 12, December 10, January 14, February 11, and March 11.

Materials: Books will be available for purchase (for a 10% discount off the cover price) at Hudson Valley Books for Humanity. No time to read the book? No worries! Synopses and cheat sheets will be provided at each gathering.

Cost: There is no fee to participate; we simply ask for your RSVP for planning purposes.

For our inaugural meeting on October 8, we will read The Nation That Never Was, by Kermit Roosevelt, III. “Roosevelt offers a powerful and inspirational rethinking of our country's history and uncovers a shared past that we can be proud to claim and use as a foundation to work toward a country that fully embodies equality for all.” —Bookshop.org

Building Bridges Through Books is sponsored by Congregation Sons of Israel, First Church of Christ, Journeys To Change, and Hudson Valley Books for Humanity.

About Joyce Sharrock-Cole

Award winning Historian and Genealogist Joyce Sharrock Cole is dedicated to helping others know themselves by knowing their family histories. A native of Ossining, where she serves as the Village Historian, Joyce’s groundbreaking work, particularly in the African American community, extends beyond the boundaries of Westchester County.

With a BS from Mercy College and certification as a Genealogical Researcher from Boston University, Joyce brings expertise and passion to her craft. Her engaging, storytelling style makes her a popular speaker. Houses of worship, libraries, municipalities, and schools reach out for her help in uncovering black history and culture, subjects too long overlooked by the gatekeepers of history. She came to this calling when researching her own family history. It extends back to Bertie County, North Carolina, where her ancestors were enslaved on the Sharrock plantation.

In 2021, New York State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick named Joyce one of six people to receive a History & Heritage Award from for her work in creating the Ossining COVID project and curating the revelatory Ossining Black History & Culture Exhibit at Bethany Arts Community. The Ossining Public Library named her 2021 Volunteer of the year for her work as lead researcher for the Little Bertie County Genealogical Society. Her program at Ossining High School promotes self-discovery through genealogical research. “The students learn more about themselves and see their families’ contributions to the world we live in. Knowing who you are and making connections is not only inspiring but empowering.”

Joyce juggles all this with a day job: Confidential Executive Secretary to the Commissioner of Emergency Services of Westchester County, Webmaster and Records Access Officer. Because she’s not busy enough, she just launched a genealogical research business, JSC Research LLC, where anyone can hire her to dig into their family for them.

She also serves on the following Boards: Westchester County Historical Society, Ossining Historic Preservation Commission, Ossining Historic Cemeteries Commission, Bethany Arts Community, and the Jug Tavern.

About Abbe Marcus

Abbe Marcus, has spent decades building relationships with people in communities throughout the country with  lived wisdom and understandings of history and justice.  Her educational and social justice experiences as the Co-Founder and Executive Director at J-Teen Leadership, and in positions at The Workers Circle, the 92nd St. Y, the Jewish Education Project and Westchester Jewish Community Services have shaped her passion for immersive and experiential learning. She has created, developed, and led numerous trips for teens and adults to Cuba, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Washington, DC, Detroit, Charleston, Oklahoma City and Nashville, immersing participants in the sites' civil rights history, exposing them to life-changing narratives from leaders and activists, and creating community service activities. She is curious about people and history and believes every journey is an adventure, every journey can be life changing. 

Abbe servies on the board of Foot Soldiers Park and the Westchester Jewish Coalition for Immigration.   She is active in community.