obituary: Yael
Penkower<https://networks.h-net.org/node/28655/discussions/118976/obituary-yael-penkower>
by Sarah Imhoff
H-Judaic is greatly saddened by the untimely passing of Yael Penkower, age 70,
a reference librarian in New York and Jerusalem, whose sage behind-the-scenes
counsel made possible the work of numerous Judaica scholars during the course
of her career.
Yael's husband, Prof. Monty Penkower, has favored us with the following
necrology:
Yael Penkower passed away at the age of 70 on March 26, 2016. A pioneer in
the field of Judaica reference librarianship, having earned an M.L.S. at
SUNY-Albany, an M.A. in Jewish Studies at Brooklyn College, and pursued
doctoral studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, she put her
many talents to work in the libraries of Stern College, the YIVO Institute for
Jewish Research, the JTS, and the Yeshivah of Flatbush High School. Upon her
husband's making aliya in July 2002 and her return home to Israel, Yael served
for one year as Head Librarian at the Pelech High School for Girls and then for
four years at Beit Morasha. After retirement, she volunteered at the Central
Zionist Archives and the Ben-Yehuda Project.
Yael was a founding member and the Reference Workshop Coordinator
of the Association of Jewish Libraries' New York Metropolitan Area Chapter, and
served as a consultant to Keren Keshet, Am HaSefer, and the Avi-Chai
Foundation. She lectured at the Association of Jewish Studies, the Association
of Jewish Libraries, the European Association of Jewish Studies, and the World
Congress of Jewish Studies, and published in Judaica Librarianship and the AJL
Newsletter. Yael also pioneered in the creation of the Flatbush Women's Tefilla
Group and in the teaching of Mishna and Talmud to its Study Group. Her radiant
smile, her keen intelligence, and her giving nature deeply impressed all with
whom she came into contact. May her memory be for a blessing.
H-Judaic extends deepest condolences to Prof. Penkower and to the entire
bereaved family.
Jonathan D. Sarna
Chair, H-Judaic
Shulamith Z. Berger
Curator of Special Collections and Hebraica-Judaica
Yeshiva University Library
500 W. 185th St.
New York, NY 10033
Phone: 212-960-5451
Fax: 212-960-0066
E-mail: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
__
Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author
and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL)
==================================
Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to:
[email protected]
To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here:
https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected]
Ha-Safran Archives:
Current:
http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html
Earlier Listserver:
http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html
AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
--
Hasafran mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
