Holocaust Institute to Offer 6th Annual Virtual Summer Book Series
The Raritan Valley Community College Institute of Holocaust and Genocide Studies will present its 6th annual virtual Summer Book Series beginning in June. The series, which is free of charge and open to the public, will begin June 12. The segments will be held via Zoom webinars and registration is required.
The following programs will feature three, new, historical fiction novels that explore the past:
June 12, 10-11 a.m.: The Sisters of Book Row by Shelley Noble
The Sisters of Book Row (2026) by Shelley Noble, set in 1915 Manhattan, focuses on three sisters who run a rare bookshop on “Book Row” and their fight against censorship by American anti-vice activist Anthony Comstock. The story follows Olivia, Daphne, and Celia Applebaum, who, inspired by real historical events and figures like Margaret Sanger, protect literature and secretly distribute women's health information. It’s a story of family, loyalty, and the fight for the freedom to read.
To register for the June 12 session on The Sisters of Book Row, visit https://tinyurl.com/37ff6yaa.
July 17, 10-11 a.m., The Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson
The Keeper of Lost Children (2026) by Sadeqa Johnson follows three characters in postwar Germany (1950s) and 1965 Maryland. It focuses on the “Brown Babies”—mixed-race children who were left behind after WWII. Ethel Gathers, a character based on the real-life Mabel Grammer, works to save these children. In the course of Mrs. Gather’s mission to help, her life intersects with soldier Ozzie Phillips and teen Sophia Clark. It’s an inspirational novel about how one person can make a difference in the lives of so many.
To register for the July 17 session on The Keeper of Lost Children, visit https://tinyurl.com/f4m8d37x.
August 21, 10-11 a.m., The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion
The Last Woman of Warsaw (2026) by Judy Batalion follows two young Jewish women—social activist Zosia and aspiring artist Fanny—in 1938 Warsaw. As antisemitism rises, they unite to find their missing photography professor, bridging their different worlds while navigating personal crises and the vibrant, doomed culture of pre-war Poland.
To register for the August 21 session on The Last Woman of Warsaw, visit https://tinyurl.com/v8juz2e7.
For additional information about the Summer Book Series, contact Program Specialist Michelle Edgar at michelle.edgar@raritanval.edu. The Summer Book Series is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of West-Central New Jersey.
RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2026
PR #109
