Rachel has inspired me, taught me, mentored me, and been my cherished friend for the past 15 or more years. Our congregation is one of the lucky 5 to have Rachel leading our book club discussions. I can’t think of a more deserving recipient of this important award. Mazal tov! Kol hakavod! Debbie Colodny
> On Apr 22, 2021, at 10:46 PM, Rebecca Levitan via Hasafran > <[email protected]> wrote: > > For More Information Contact: > > Zachary Baker, Chair > Fanny Goldstein Merit Award > Association of Jewish Libraries > > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.Jewishlibraries.org__;!!KGKeukY!g9ABl85v7mf7Xcz4NJwy2TC4oB5nO3LPV8K040fQNzACVGtvxcNXcwAIbhwJpNsShos$ > > <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.jewishlibraries.org__;!!KGKeukY!k8lXoPkvvrMzD4oeRn8JXZZ1VvKmvuZqR8jQe3_uTu8O-VnMhcbLc2s8GIPmfUVCtRR7QRulu8WpHC8$> > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > April 22 , 2021 > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > 2021 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Winner Announced > > <image.png> > In advance of the 2021 Virtual Conference, the Association of Jewish > Libraries is pleased to announce that longtime member Rachel Kamin has been > named the 2021 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Winner. “On behalf of the Fanny > Goldstein Merit Award committee, we are proud to have been given the > opportunity to honor Rachel Kamin as this year’s recipient of the Award. Over > the years, Rachel has contributed so much to the Association of Jewish > Libraries, to the field of Judaica librarianship, and to librarianship as a > profession overall. On very short notice and under challenging circumstances, > she played a pivotal role in transforming AJL’s 2020 conference from an > in-person to a highly successful virtual event. Rachel’s passionate devotion > to public service is a model for us all, and she truly personifies the values > and legacy of the Award’s namesake, Fanny Goldstein.” said committee chair > Zachary Baker. > The Fanny Goldstein Merit Award, named for the librarian, social activist and > founder of National Jewish Book Month, is bestowed in recognition of loyal > and ongoing contributions to the Association Of Jewish Libraries and to the > profession of Judaica librarianship. > Born on May 15, 1895 [some sources say 1888], Fanny Goldstein devoted her > life to books and community. She was the first female Judaica librarian and > the first woman to direct a branch library in Massachusetts, where she was > head of Boston's West End Branch for many years. A prominent figure in the > Boston Jewish community, she is best known as the founder of Jewish Book > Week, which began when Goldstein organized a display of Jewish books at the > Boston Public Library in 1925. > Rachel Kamin has been a synagogue librarian for over 20 years and is > currently the Director of the Joseph and Mae Gray Cultural & Learning Center > at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, Illinois. She serves > on the Association of Jewish Libraries New Jewish Fiction Award Committee and > contributes articles and book reviews to BookLinks, School Library Journal, > Jewish Book World, Judaica Librarianship, Library Journal, and AJL Reviews. > She contributed a chapter on recommended children’s books to The Tot Shabbat > Handbook: A Practical Guide for Engaging Young Families in Congregational > Life edited by Paula Feldstein (URJ Press, 2010) and co-authored a chapter > about Jewish children’s literature for Reading and Teaching with Diverse > Nonfiction Children’s Books: Representations and Possibilities, to be > published in the summer of 2021 by the National Council for Teachers of > English. She facilitates book discussions for five Chicago area synagogues as > well as for other organizations and private groups. Rachel holds a BA in > history from Grinnell College and a master’s degree in library and > information science from the University of Michigan. > In addition, Rachel has been a member of AJL for at least 20 years and has > attended the AJL Conference regularly. After the decision was made to not > hold the conference live in Chicago in 2020 as planned, Rachel restructured > the face-to-face conference that she had planned, into AJL’s first Virtual > Conference. This year, Rachel is coordinating all the programming for the > 2021 Virtual Conference and working with the planning committee to ensure > that the divisions get the program they desire.This year she has also been > moderating AJL’s “Serving Students” Virtual Roundtable and facilitated the > Purim book discussion. > > Since the spring of 2020, Rachel has delivered over 20 Zoom presentations on > Jewish fiction for Hadassah, the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, > American Jewish University, and the Judaica Network of Metropolitan Chicago, > as well as for synagogues and Jewish groups across the country. She also > facilitates book discussions for five Chicago area synagogues as well as for > other organizations and private groups. > > In addition to all of the above, Rachel has been the chair of the Sydney > Taylor Book Award Committee, continues to provide Bibliography for the AJL > Bibliography files, and recently accepted the position as AJL’s > representative on ALA’s Sophie Brody Award Committee. Overall, Rachel lends > her hand and expertise whenever a volunteer is needed. She is an outstanding > representative for AJL. > Rachel will receive her award during the Annual Conference of the Association > of Jewish Libraries, to be held virtually from June 27 to July 1, 2021. > > Members of the 2021 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award committee are Chair Zachary > Baker, Aileen Grossberg, and Yossi Galron. > > The Association of Jewish Libraries, the leading authority on Judaic > librarianship, promotes Jewish literacy through enhancement of libraries and > library resources and through leadership for the profession and practitioners > of Judaica librarianship. The Association fosters access to information, > learning, teaching and research relating to Jews, Judaism, the Jewish > experience, and Israel. > > ### > > __ > 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: > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran*40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html__;JQ!!KGKeukY!g9ABl85v7mf7Xcz4NJwy2TC4oB5nO3LPV8K040fQNzACVGtvxcNXcwAIbhwJtrLXU7g$ > > Earlier Listserver: > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran*40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html__;JQ!!KGKeukY!g9ABl85v7mf7Xcz4NJwy2TC4oB5nO3LPV8K040fQNzACVGtvxcNXcwAIbhwJHq1Rg7I$ > > AJL HomePage > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.JewishLibraries.org__;!!KGKeukY!g9ABl85v7mf7Xcz4NJwy2TC4oB5nO3LPV8K040fQNzACVGtvxcNXcwAIbhwJNlwAeJs$ > > -- > Hasafran mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
__ 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
