APRIL 29 • 2021 | 39

F

or most people, the mention of 
Albert Einstein conjures up the 
scientist with wild white hair who 
developed the theory of relativity. But not 
many know that during his early years in 
America as a refugee from Nazi Germany, 
he befriended Marian Anderson, a Black 
vocalist who, despite her fame, was denied 
a hotel stay after her 1937 performance 
to an all-white audience at Princeton’s 
McCarter Theatre.
This little-known encounter between 
Einstein and Anderson is the subject of 
The Singer and the Scientist (Kar-Ben 
Publishing, 2021), a picture book written 
by teacher and children’s picture book 
author Lisa Rose of West Bloomfield. 
Though Kar-Ben releases books on 
the lighter, younger side, Rose said she 
appreciates that the publisher also recog-
nizes the value of picture books that take 
on more serious topics. While her other 
books — like Shmulik Paints the Town
(Kar-Ben Publishing, 2016) and A Zombie 
Vacation (Apples and Honey Press 2020) 
— are “read to a child in your lap” books 
and distributed through PJ Library, The 
Singer and the Scientist is meant to be read 

in an upper elementary school classroom 
setting. Accompanied with a teacher’s 
guide, it can be used as an entry point to 
discuss racism and antisemitism, Rose 
added. 
Rose, a writing coach at Waterford 
Montessori Academy, was inspired to 
write this book after discovering this 
“untold gem” of a story from Einstein’s life. 

“I have always been fascinated by 
Einstein, and this book looks at a side of 
his life that few people know about,” said 
Rose. “Many people did not know that the 
town of Princeton was segregated and that 
as a recent Jewish immigrant who escaped 
Nazi Germany, Einstein felt more comfort-
able living among his Black neighbors and 

tutored many of their children in math.”
Rose’s latest book at press time is cur-
rently not part of the PJ Library and is 
available for purchase online through 
Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Bookshop. 
She is also hoping to take the book to 
more audiences through a virtual book 
tour. 
During her college years at the 
University of Michigan, Rose set out to 
be a playwright but switched her focus 
to education. Rose said, as a Jew, she 
has always been interested in African 
American culture, history and literature, 
taking many courses that delved into the 
topic. She had previous teaching positions 
in Highland Park and Pontiac, where most 
of her students were Black. 
“We [as Jews and Blacks] share common 
experiences of hurt and struggle for equal-
ity and acceptance,” Rose said. “With this 
book, I wanted to show how Black and 
Jewish communities can come together as 
allies and work for equality. In my person-
al life, I have seen too many instances of 
confrontation between our two commu-
nities, and I wrote this book asking people 
to take a step back and realize that, histori-
cally, we are on the same side.”
At home, Rose said her daughter 
Victoria, 12, has cherished her collection 
of PJ Library books. 
An initiative of the Harold Grinspoon 
Foundation, PJ Library began in 2005, 
and each month sends free Jewish books 
(and music) to children between the ages 
of 6 months and 9 years old. A newer PJ 
Library program called PJ Our Way allows 
older readers, between ages 9-11, to select 
an age-appropriate Jewish book or graphic 
novel each month, also at no cost.
As one of Michigan’s only PJ Library 
authors, Rose said she has gotten to know 
others who live across the country through 
a Jewish children’s literary group called 
Meshuggenahs. 
“PJ Library has created a positive, sup-
portive community not only for the fam-
ilies who enjoy these books but also for 
the authors who write them,” said Rose, 
a lifelong member of Temple Kol Ami in 
West Bloomfield. 
“Nothing beats the experience of shar-
ing a book with your child in your lap 
at home. It’s even more exciting to meet 
online and connect with the authors of 
these books and share that instant connec-
tion as authors and colleagues.” 

ARTS&LIFE
BOOKS

Local children’s author tackles 
Black-Jewish relationships in 
new book.

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Lisa 
Rose

“EINSTEIN FELT
MORE COMFORTABLE 
LIVING AMONG HIS 
BLACK NEIGHBORS.”

— LISA ROSE

The Singer
and the 
Scientist

