Building Bridges Through Books - Feb. 10, 2026

Join us in building community together—Now in our second year.

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, JTC Experiences), these gatherings 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 meet at Hudson Valley Books for Humanity from 7 to 8:30 PM—usually on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. The remaining dates in the 2025-26 season will be Feb. 20, March 10, April 14, May 12, and June 9.

Materials: Books are available for purchase (for a 10% discount off the cover price) at Hudson Valley Books for Humanity.

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

About the Book

At our February 10 meeting, we’ll discuss The Silence of the Choir, by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr. Bookshop.org describes The Silence of the Choir as follows:

A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

A polyphonic tale of immigration and community by "the most promising Senegalese writer of his generation" (Le Monde) and winner of the 2021 Prix Goncourt

Seventy-two men arrive in the middle of the Sicilian countryside. They are "immigrants," "refugees" or "migrants." But in Altino, they're called the ragazzi, the "guys" that the Santa Marta Association have taken responsibility for. In this small Sicilian town, their arrival changes life for everybody.

While they wait to know their fate, the ragazzi encounter all kinds of people: a strange vicar who rewrites their pasts, a woman committed to ensuring them asylum, a man determined to fight against it, an older ragazzo who has become an interpreter, and a reclusive poet who no longer writes.

Each character in this moving and important saga is forced to reflect on what it means to encounter people they know nothing about. They watch as a situation unfolds over which they have little control or insight. A story told through a growing symphony of voices that ends only when one final voice brings silence to the choir.

Stop by the bookstore and pick up a copy for 10% off!

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