Volunteers wanted...by Braille Institute!

Ever wanted to be an actor, recording star or newscaster? The Jewish Braille Institute may be able to help fulfill that aspiration.The institute is opening a recording studio for its Talking Books, and community members may be selected to record some of them.

"We will need volunteers to help at our new recording studio, which is located at the [David] Posnack Jewish Community Center in Davie," said Goldie Witrock, the institute's outreach coordinator.The recording studio will put books on tape for more than 53,000 blind and visually impaired residents in Broward County and more in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

"Our mission is to provide large-print and audio books of Jewish interest to anyone who is visually impaired or physically unable to hold a book for any reason," Witrock said.The organization provides these books free of charge and offers services to people with Parkinson's disease, as well as those who are blind or visually impaired.The institute is looking for volunteers to become readers in Spanish and English for the new studio.

"Not everyone's voice is suitable for recording, but we have other volunteer positions available in the recording studio," Witrock said.The institute will need volunteers to provide technical assistance and serve as directors and narrators. "The JBI collection includes liturgical materials and a cultural arts series, where we collect the best of Jewish poetry, drama and music," she said. "This series is available on a monthly basis. All the participants have to do is sign up for the series, and it is mailed out free."

The institute's collection also includes biographies, fiction, self-help, cultural and history books.Witrock also is in charge of several groups in Broward County visiting retirement homes and condominiums and leading discussions on books.Leo Goldman, 89, of Boca Raton, drives to Coconut Creek every month to participate in the book discussion group."The book club is wonderful," he said. "Goldie picks a book and gives us all copies of it, and then we discuss it."Shirley Schwartz, 86, of Deerfield Beach, attends a book discussion group at The Forum, the retirement home where she lives."

Goldie's book discussion is fabulous," Schwartz said. "I also enjoy my books on tape, which includes news of Jewish interest and Israel. They also send me a tape with Hadassah magazine. I love that magazine but can't read it anymore."For more information, call Witrock at 954-689-0207.Forum Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Sun-Sentinel Co.Phyllis Steinberg can be reached at psteinberg@tribune.com or 954-563-2862.