What is Exile?

Stories of Exile Reading Groups for Public Libraries

Karen Isenberg Jones will introduce us to the concept of exile and displacement, migration trends during the 20th century and present day, and the impact of forced migration on society with a focus on the Jewish diaspora in the 20th century.

About Karen Isenberg Jones

Karen Isenberg Jones is the director of government and political affairs to the Consulate General of Israel where she serves as a political liaison between Israeli diplomats and government officials in the Southeast region. Prior to this position, Isenberg Jones was the director of media affairs and interfaith outreach for the consulate, organizing press conferences and interviews while managing all the consulate’s external communications. Isenberg Jones is known for using her diplomatic finesse to develop and maintain deep and fruitful relationships with religious, political and cultural community leaders throughout the region. Her communication skills stem from her years as a writer, editor and production coordinator at CNN.

This program is part of the "Stories of Exile" series sponsored by the Yiddish Book Center. The Yiddish Book Center’s “Stories of Exile” Reading Groups for Public Libraries is a reading and discussion program to engage teens and adults in thinking about experiences of displacement, migration, and diaspora. Using Yiddish literature as a portal, the program will feature works in translation that explore narratives which grapple with questions of homelands, journeys, identity, and belonging. Accompanying the reading groups will be informational lectures on subjects relating to the reading discussions.

The Yiddish Book Center’s “Stories of Exile” Reading Groups for Public Libraries is made possible by a gift from Sharon Karmazin.

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