Dear colleagues,
Nettie Frishman, a past AJL member, passed away on July 4, 2005 she was 92
years old.
Barbara Leff a past president of AJL just informed me of Nettie Frishman's
death.
Below is a summary which Barbara wrote from the obituary which was in the
Los Angeles Times on Thursday July 7th.
Ronda Rose
President
Association of Jewish Libraries
----------------------------------------------------
The Obituary Announcement cites a beautiful description of Nettie as a
premier children's librarian within the Los Angeles Public Library and her
work in the national library community, including serving on the
Newbery/Caldecott Award Committee. I urge you to read it so you can
appreciate the enormous influence Nettie has had on our profession.
I asked Rita to share with us Nettie's effect specifically on the Jewish
library community -- locally and nationally:
While the LA Times obit describes Nettie's many contributions to
children's librarianship in the public sector, less well known was her
generous participation in and impact upon Judaica library service to young
readers.
Nettie was a long-time member of both national AJL and AJLSC. In
the late 70's, she served as co-chair when Rita Frischer chaired an AJLSC
city-wide, grass-roots Jewish Book Month Project. Involved were L.A.
Central Library and many LAPL branch libraries, along with the County
system, book stores, schools and other venues. Because of Nettie, LA
Central Library agreed to underwrite the printing and distribution of an
extensive bound Jewish bibliography, prepared by their bibliographer based
on their holdings. Because of Nettie, we were able to take over all the
display spaces in LA Central for a full month of Jewish books, ceremonial
objects and other appropriate exhibits. Because of Nettie, our group got
VIP treatment during a field trip to Central before their devastating fire,
and because of Nettie's warm participation in AJLSC, many AJLSC members
were quick to volunteer their help after the fire.
That's not all. In the late 70's, Nettie served on our national
AJL book award committee; it was Nettie who recruited Rita, during the
first San Francisco convention, as new chair of that committee. When Rita
suggested she would prefer the judges to have more open communication
during their considerations, it was Nettie who, drawing on her own
experiences as judge, helped Rita devise a workable system in those days
before e-mail. And when Sydney Taylor died, it was Nettie's idea that the
Award be named posthumously after this important writer who was also her
dear personal friend. Nettie made a shidduch for Rita with Ralph Taylor,
Sydney's widower; the first gold seals were printed; the endowment came
later; the rest is history. Nettie left all of us the legacy of the AJL
Sydney Taylor Award designation.
For AJLSC and for AJL, for everyone who loves children and their
books, may Nettie Frishman's memory be for a blessing.
A "Nettie Frishman Fund" has been established by LAPL Children's Services
Department, 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angles CA 90071. Donations might also be
made in her name toward the Children's Collection in your shul or school,
or to AJL Scholarship Fund (c/o Debbie Stern, Scholarship Award Chair,
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Library, 1299 Church Road, Wyncote, PA
19095).
Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL
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