There is something new at Cincinnati Krav Maga: it isn’t new sparring pads or a punching bag; it’s a Hebrew library.
“There isn’t really a place to borrow Hebrew books [in Cincinnati],” said Aaron Binik-Thomas, the owner of Cincinnati Krav Maga. “Whether it’s for your kids or a teenager or an adult who wants to read a novel, that doesn’t really exist in town.”
The library is a new project by AD 120, a Jewish events non-profit that, according to its website, seeks to connect Cincinnati’s American and Israeli communities. A key part of AD 120’s work is to help Israelis who are relocating to the states for work or family have a soft landing.
“A lot of them [Israeli transplants] are coming with kids, here for temporary work assignments, and they don’t want their kids to miss out,” Binik-Thomas said. “It doesn’t make sense to bring a bunch of books with them; they’ve got luggage weight limits. So how do you keep your kids reading Hebrew on a regular basis?”
AD 120 had accumulated a large stock of Hebrew books and needed somewhere central to put them. Binik-Thomas had an empty corner in his studio lobby and volunteered it.
“We got our first borrower yesterday,” said Binik-Thomas, “A student who’s in our kids’ krav program was looking at the library, and she asked, ‘Can I take this one home?’ It was just a little kids’ book, something for a 10-year-old. She checked it out. First checkout was pretty cool.”
The collection now runs to about 200 books, ranging from picture books for beginning readers to novels for adults, and it currently operates on the honor system until they can figure out a better system.
“Right now I’m just kind of writing it down,” he said. “If the worst-case scenario is somebody ends up with a Hebrew book in their house and they’re reading it, that’s not the end of the world.”
The library is open to anyone during the studio’s regular business hours, no krav maga membership required. Binik-Thomas said he’s looking for donations of gently used Hebrew books for readers of any age, and for volunteers who might help set up a more formal checkout system. Anyone interested can reach him directly by text at 513-226-3179.
“I’m a big believer in what they [AD 120] do,” said Binik-Thomas. “A lot of people are looking for that [Jewish] atmosphere outside of the synagogue, and this really falls into that. Hebrew culture is Jewish culture. You don’t have to belong to Krav Maga. You don’t have to belong to a synagogue. You don’t have to belong to a specific organization. If you want to read a Hebrew book, come take a look and see what we’ve got.”