This is a copy of my most recent posting to the HUC Librarians' Blog, Needle in the Bookstacks...
A "Reference Desk" Experience in Phoenix International Airport The subject of the Eleventh Rosalind and Meyer Feinstein Lecture I delivered on June 18, 2007 at the Forty-Second Convention of the Association of Jewish Libraries (Scottsdale, Arizona) was "The Art and Science of Reference Work." While it was a pleasure putting this lecture together, and a greater pleasure presenting it, the greatest pleasure came in the reaction and conversation the lecture produced, especially the anecdotes I adduced. Yet little did I know or expect that a highly unusual "reference desk" experience awaiting me at the airport as I was departing. As I passed through the airport's security on the way to the gate, my carry-on tote was singled out for closer examination. An agent of the T.S.A., an older African-American gentleman with a finely shaped moustache and who carried himself with pride took my tote off the belt and asked me to accompany him to a table close by. As he lifted it to the table, he noticed what was printed on the bag's side: "New York 2006" and "26th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy." [I apologize I was not carrying the AJL 2007 tote, but the one I was carry was more commodious.] He studied these words for a moment before setting the bad down. "Do you study this?" he asked me. "Yes," I replied. "Is it true that the Jews financed the American War of Independence?" My first reaction was "Huh?!" But his tone was even and respectful, and years of reference work has taught me that people often need further questioning in order to get to the root of their query. "Why," I asked, "What do you mean?" "Well," the gentleman continued, "I learned that the Founding Fathers acknowledged their thanks to the Jews for financing the Revolution by placing a menorah [Yes. That was the very word he used!] on the dollar bill." Completely puzzled by this, I reached for my billfold and took out a dollar bill. As I was examining the front, he indicated I should turn it over. Then he gently took it from me and inverted it. He folded the bill in half and indicated the inverted tail-feathers of the spread eagle. "There. Isn't that a menorah?" I was not eager to get into a discussion over whether this was a menorah or not, figuring the subtleties of iconography might be excessive, given the context. Then it dawned upon me. I told him plainly that I had never heard this story about the menorah before and that I was grateful to him for pointing this out. Then I hastened to add that Jews as a collective did not finance the War of Independence, and told him of Haym Salomon and his singular role. I also told him that one could visit Salomon's grave near Independence Hall in historical Philadelphia, where his contribution to the founding of America was mentioned on a marker. As for the dollar bill, this was news to me. The gentleman listened respectfully, shook my hand and told me how grateful he was that I took the time to explain this to him. He then indicated the direction of my gate and said good-bye. (Yes, he did examine my bag while I was talking, and confiscated an unopened can of V-8 juice.) I admit, I had never heard this "menorah mayseh" before, so I instinctively looked it up on the Web. Yes, it is there! On Jewish and Christian web-sites: http://www.konig.org/wc129.htm http://www.factsofisrael.com/blog/archives/000467.html http://www.ttt.org.il/2000/jokes/2.shtml http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b2a7f5b44e5.htm At first blush one might wonder if this gentleman were innocently repeating some calumny he had picked up. Uncritically one might even jump to the conclusion that this person was anti-Semitic. Yet his way was gentle, displaying curiosity. Hence I had to conduct an impromptu "reference interview" in order to find out what it was he really wanted to know. 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: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html History: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/history.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
