Association of Jewish Libraries Publishing

Kimmel, Eric A.

Carmi, Giora

Sydney Taylor Book Award Acceptance Speeches: Picture Book Award Winners

Isaac Goldberg, a graduate of Yeshiva Col­lege and its Teachers Institute, holds an M.S. degree in Library Science from Pratt Institute in New York. He worked for many years in Judaica and other types of librar­ies: as a cataloger at Yeshiva University, the United States Geological Survey, the Library of Congress (LC), and the Univer­sity of California at Los Angeles (UCLA); as Administrative Secretary of the Hebrew Union College Library in Cincinnati; as Ac­quisitions Librarian in the Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Library at UCLA; and as Director of Libraries of Bar llan Uni­versity (Ramat Gan, Israel)

Pearlstein, Peggy K.

English

An Interview With Isaac Goldberg, the First Hebraic Cataloger at the Library of Congress

Kutnick, Donna

SCATTER OF THE LITERATURE 
Please send articles of interest to Judaica 
librarians that are found in other journals-
both Jewish and general-to: 
Donna Kutnick 
Library Director 
Neumann College 
Concord Road 
Aston, PA 19014 
Aliprand, Joan M. "Nonroman Scripts in 
the Bibliographic Environment," Infor-
mation Technology and Libraries, vol. 
11, no. 2 (June 1992), pp. 105-119. 
In the past, readers of nonroman alpha-
bets had to resort to romanization as a 
substitute method of inputting nonroman 
scripts in machine-readable form. Aside 
from being an unnatural presentation of 
the language, romanization can misrepre-
sent information and, in many cases, dis-
tort and change meaning. 
The author describes some of these 
problems and discusses some of the cur-
rent approaches to solving them. Eight-
bit USMARC character sets can accom-
modate most nonroman scripts, but the 
goal of having a single global standard for 
all scripts has not yet been achieved. 
The author regards the eventual adoption 
of a global character set "for all the data in 
a machine-readable bibliographic record, 
not just for the alternate graphic represen-
tation" (p. 117), as the ultimate solution to 
the problems of romanization. There would 
be no need for romanization, as all non-
roman alphabets would appear on a bib-
liographic record in the vernacular. The 
alternate graphic representation would be-
come the only bibliographic description 
and would facilitate access to the growing 
collections of nonroman scripts by librar-
ians and scholars. · 
[ Cf the final entry in this column.-Ed.] 
Donna Kutnick 
Neumann College 
Aston, PA 
Baker, Zachary. "History of the Jewish 
Collections at the Vernadsky Library in 
Kiev," Shofar, vol. 10, no. 4 (Summer 
1992), pp. 31-48. * 
One result of the breakup of the former 
Soviet Union has been renewed access 
to previously unknown and uncataloged 
Judaica collections. Among the most sig-
nificant is the V. I. Vernadsky Central 
Scientific Library in Kiev, Ukraine. The Ver-
nadsky collection rivals the Judaica collec-
tion in the Central State Historical Archives 
of St. Petersburg and offers a look at an 
aspect of Eastern European Jewish cul-
tural life in the 20th century which no 
longer exists. 
Among its treasures are the collections of 
the Society for the Spread of Enlighten-
ment among the Jews (f:levrah mefitse 
haskalah, or OPE), which includes 60,000 
printed book and periodical volumes and 
1,000 Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts dat-
ing back to the 13th century. These were 
originally gathered by Yosef Liberberg for 
the Institute for Jewish Proletarian Culture. 
Another "find" is the Press Archives dating 
from 1927 to 1935, which include hundreds 
of newspapers and journals iri Hebrew and 
Yiddish and other languages. The collec-
tion of documents in Vernadsky illustrates 
the thriving and rich cultural life of the Jews 
in Russia during the 20th century. 
The author notes that the final irony of this 
discovery is the fact that Jewish culture is 
now being so painstakingly preserved in 
the Ukraine, an area not known for its af-
finity for the Jews. Ukrainians' need to pro-
mote their country as an enclave for ethnic 
diversity has resulted in one of the largest 
Jewish research collections in the world 
being restored in Kiev. The reasons for this 
unlikely alliance may be explored in an-
other forum. For the time being, we can 
only encourage their study. 
*Portions of this paper were presented by 
the author at the AJL Convention in June 
1992. 
Bergen, Robert D. "The Computer as Bib-
lical Exegete: Present Realities and Fu-
ture Prospects." Journal of Religious & 
Theological Information, vol. 1 (1 ), 1993, 
pp. 69-80. 
The computer has enabled scholars to 
have instantaneous access to lexical and 
grammatical concordances, Biblical texts, 
lexicons, and commentaries. Software is 
now being developed which will not only 
identify, but will also analyze and interpret 
Biblical texts; some of these programs ex-
ist now. 
The attempt to have computers perform 
exegetical processes involves capturing 
an element of human intelligence and 
using it to analyze information. A computer 
will be able to analyze and identify textual 
organization, metrical patterns, parallel 
plots, as well as explain why certain refer-
ences were utilized in a text. The author 
argues that rather than dehumanize the 
living experience, the thought processes 
that build these new software packages 
will enable man to truly understand and 
teach the Bible. 
Davis, Enid. "Jewish Materials and Pro-
grams," in Venture Into Cultures: A 
Resource book of Multicultural materials 
and programs, edited by Carla D. Hay-
den (Chicago: American Library Asso-
ciation, 1992), pp. 1 07-127. 
The chapter on Jewish resources in this 
book on multicultural materials and pro-
grams for children is divided into books 
and programming ideas. 
The primary section, on children's liter-
ature, includes annotated bibliographies 
on a wide range of Jewish subjects: from 
books on Jewish holidays to fictionalized 
accounts of the Holocaust; from favorite 
old Jewish. folktales to books about Israel 
and its history. The bibliography is divided 
into fiction and nonfiction; grade level is 
indicated for each title. 
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 7 No. 1-2 Spring 1992-Winter 1993 135 
There is also a small section which in-
cludes programming ideas and resources 
for Jewish holidays (Passover, Hanukkah, 
and Purim). A wide range of games, crafts, 
recipes, filmstrips, and movies are sug-
gested. 
The author also lists selected publishers 
and producers of Jewish books and media. 
What is obvious from this chapter and from 
current literature on the subject is that 
there is a new interest in juvenile Judaica 
resources and that there is something out 
there for practically everyone, i.e., all 
shades of the religious spectrum. 
Gold, Sarah. "Reaching a New Jewish 
Readership: Some Core Books in Juda-
ica Are Being Freshened for a Lay 
Audience That Seeks Authenticity," 
Publishers Weekly, (February 8, 1993), 
pp. 34-36. 
There is an increasing demand for tradi-
tional Jewish texts in English. Previously, 
anyone not educated in Hebrew or tradi-
tional Jewish sources was unable to study 
these basic texts. 
With the translation of The Steinsaltz Tal-
mud by Random House, we are now 
seeing major publishers entering the Juda-
ica market and finding it quite lucrative. 
Mesorah Publications has understood the 
potential market for some time now, and its 
Artscro/1 series is becoming very popular 
among traditional and nontraditional Jews. 
Other significant translations include The 
Book of Legends, which Schocken editor 
Bonnie Fetterman has prepared, and a 
Passover Haggadah with commentary by 
Elie Wiesel and illustrations by Mark Pod-
wal, which Simon & Schuster is publishing. 
The popularity of these sources demon-
strates the renewed interest in traditional 
Judaism. 
Musleah, Rahel. "New Challenges in Chil-
dren's Judaica: Increased Competition 
from General Trade Houses is Trans-
forming Quality, Content and Selling 
Strategies," Publishers Weekly, (Sept. 6, 
1991 ), pp. 22-26. 
The renewed interest in publications of 
Jewish content and value has also ex-
tended into the children's book market. As 
with their counterparts in adult publishing, 
non-Jewish publishers are entering the 
"Jewish" market with a big bang. 
Within the past few years, a book with a 
Jewish theme-Number the Stars, by Lois 
Lowry-published by Houghton Mifflin/ 
Dell, won the prestigious Newbery Award. 
Marcia Posner, children's literature spe-
cialist for the Jewish Book Council, sees 
the surge in Judaica books partly resulting 
from the baby-boomers who have now be-
come parents themselves and want their 
children to grow up with books that 
they had cherished. Undoubtedly, several 
factors have contributed to this new 
phenomenon and, as always, traditional 
holiday books on Hanukkah and Passover 
are popular. Regardless of the reasons for 
the new interest, we are now seeing an 
exciting new market of quality Jewish re-
sources for children. 
Musleah. Rahel. "Rediscovering the Jew-
ish Folktale: Publishers of Judaica Find 
That the Stories, Largely for Children, 
Combine Faith and Tradition in Salable 
Proportions," Publishers Weekly, (Sep-
tember 21 , 1992), pp. 42-43. 
For many, "Jewishness" is not the result of 
adherence to religious laws and cere-
monies, but is more abstract: a feeling, a 
tradition, a shared past. Folktales are sto-
ries retold many times which contain cer-
tain elements: a Jewish place, a Jewish 
character, Jewish time (some holiday, per-
haps), and most significantly, a Jewish 
message. For many nonreligious Jews, 
these folktales are a genre through which 
their children can experience traditional 
Jewish values. 
The new appeal of folktales is not only a 
Jewish phenomenon. Publishers are wit-
nessing a new curiosity about roots through-
out society. Both the growth of the 
multicultural movement and the revival of 
the art of oral storytelling have contributed 
to this appeal. 
The Jewish folktales that are being pub-
lished now are not only of the "shtetl" and 
the East European Jewish experience, but 
also tell of Jewish life in Yemen and Mo-
rocco. They include unusual combinations 
of ethnic traditions. Publishers hope that 
these books will speak to a larger and 
more universal audience than has been 
the case traditionally. 
Arthur Kurzweil, editor-in-chief of Jason 
Aronson's Judaica division, expressed the 
function of these books best when he said 
that he was tired of hearing how Jews died. 
He wants to know how we lived, and folk-
tales, more than any form of literature, let 
us keep in touch with our roots. 
136 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 7 No. 1-2 Spring 1992-Winter 1993 
Musleah, Rahel. "Reverence for Earth: A 
Jewish Experience," Publishers Weekly, 
(September 21 , 1992), p. 36. 
It is not surprising that in a period in which 
ecology is a major social issue that the 
Jewish angle has been explored. The 
Shomrei Adamah movement, founded in 
1988 by Ellen Bernstein and currently 
based at The Reconstructionist Rabbinical 
College (Wyncote, PA), attempts to show 
that environmentalism is an integral part of 
Judaism. 
Two new books on this subject have re-
cently come out: Let the Earth Teach You 
Torah, by Ellen Bernstein and Dan Fink, 
and A Garden of Choice Fruit, by Rabbi 
David Stein. Shomrei Adamah also pub-
lishes booklets for children on Jewish holi-
days. Tu Bi-Shevat has become a more 
popular holiday, and some Jews have even 
renewed an old mystical custom of holding 
a Tu Bi-Shevat seder. 
This reexamination of Judaism and ecol-
ogy is not merely a counterculture phe-
nomenon. Major Jewish publishing houses 
like Behrman House have joined in, as has 
the more traditional Mesorah Publications, 
in Brooklyn, NY. Tikun olam [repairing the 
world] is not a theoretical concept, but a 
way of tying in Jewish values and practices 
with constructive ways to improve the 
world in which we live. 
Vernon, Elizabeth. "Hebrew and Arabic 
Script Materials in the Automated Li-
brary: The United States Scene," Cata-
loging & Classification Quarterly, vol. 14 
(1) 1991, pp. 49-67. 
As the technological options improve, Ju-
daica librarians have choices to make in 
cataloging a Judaica/Hebraica collection. 
Despite the problems of romanization, the 
author of this article, after consulting with 
several prominent Judaica librarians in the 
United States, feels that there are still 
worthy reasons for continuing romaniza-
tion even as we add text in the vernacular 
to machine-readable bibliographic records. 
Rule 1.0E1 of AACR2 states that the title 
and statement of responsibility, the edition, 
and the publisher should appear in the lan-
guage and script of the item wherever 
practicable. While acknowledging the diffi-
culties with romanization, the author still 
finds merit in its use in automated sys-
tems. The benefits include increased ac-
cessibility of bibliographic records to the 
patron and reduced cataloging time, result-
ing from the use of available copy. 
, 
Dr. Charles Berlin, Head of the Judaica Di-
vision of Harvard College Library, which 
has a computerized catalog of its Hebraica 
collection, points out that "the decision was 
not romanization per se," but "the goal was 
automation and romanization was the 
means then available to achieve that goal" 
(p. 57). 
In its Hebrew records, the Research Librar-
ies Information Network (RUN) combines 
romanization and vernacular script. This 
meets the goal of accessibility while pre-
serving the author's meaning. Another 
product with Hebrew capability which has 
attracted attention is the Israeli ALEPH 
system; however, as ALEPH requires 
adapted hardware and software to run, if is 
used in only a few American libraries at 
this stage. For the time being we must be 
content with a mixture of romanization and 
vernacular in bibliographic records. 
Donna Kutnick is the Director of Library 
and Media Services at Neumann College 
(Aston, PA) and is the immediate Past 
President of the Philadelphia Area Chapter 
of the Association of Jewish Libraries. Ms. 
Kutnick has previously worked as a Juda-
ica librarian at The Reconstructionist Rab-
binical College, The Balch Institute for 
Ethnic Studies, Gratz College, Brandeis 
University, and the Jewish National and 
University Library in Jerusalem. 
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Judaica Librarianship Vol. 7 No. 1-2 Spring 1992-Winter 1993 137 


Scatter of the Literature

Association of Jewish Libraries

Vol. 7 Cover

Hass Weinberg, Bella

Review of: Dewey Decimal Classification: 200 Religion Class

Gold, Leonard (Aryeh)

EPISTLE FROM EUROPE 
Hebrew Studies: Papers Presented at a Colloquium on Resources For Hebraica in Europe 
Held at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 11-13 September 
1989/11-13 Elul 5749. Edited by Diana Rowland Smith and Peter Shmuel Salinger. 
[London]: The British Library, 1991. 252 p. (British Library occasional papers, v. 13). 
Some Personal Reflections 
I was one of the few Americans who 
attended the Colloquium on Resources 
for Hebraica in Europe, of which the vol-
ume under review is the printed record. I 
felt privileged to be there. Knowing 
something about Judaica libraries in 
North America and less about facilities 
in Israel, I realized that Europe, the Old 
Country, was for me and, I suspect, for 
many American colleagues in the field, 
terra incognita. My visits to a number of 
European repositories of Hebrew manu-
scripts in 1987 had opened my eyes to 
some of the riches they contained and 
left me with the impression that our col-
leagues there are interested in regular 
exchange of information with Judaica 
librarians in the U.S. 
When contemplating European research 
libraries in general, I am always reminded 
of the bad joke about the Boston matron 
who, when asked where she bought her 
hats, replied, "We have ours." So it may 
seem to American librarians that, while 
we buy our books, the Europeans simply 
have theirs. And yet, this impression is not 
entirely accurate. The grain of truth it con-
tains is its reflection of the antiquity of 
some European collections.The inaccura-
cy lies in the seeming denial that the great 
European collections were also assem-
bled. They did not spring into being whole, 
but are often the result of books changing 
hands through wars, confiscations, 
bequeathals, and commercial transac-
tions. One of the ways in which the devel-
opment of European libraries has differed 
from the growth of their American coun-
terparts has been in the great time span 
over which the building of the European 
collections has taken place. 
Bearing all of this in mind, I was eager to 
attend the Colloquium and was not dis-
appointed. It was different in emphasis, 
Reviewed by: 
Leonard (Aryeh) Gold 
New York Public Library 
New York, NY 
if not in kind, from a convention of the 
Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL). 
Before I elaborate, however, it is impor-
tant to remember that such an event as 
the Colloquium takes place infrequently, 
while AJL conventions are annual 
affairs. Also, participants in the 
Colloquium came from many countries, 
in which different languages are spoken. 
The equivalent of AJL's Synagogue, 
School and Center (SSC) libraries were 
not represented. 
The Colloquium was rich in descriptions 
of collections, about some of which I had 
known nothing, and in reports of original 
research into the history and lore of 
Hebrew books. Such a concentration of 
scholarship has, to my knowledge, only 
been approached once at an AJL con-
vention, in Jerusalem in 1990. But as an 
American, I was struck by the fact that 
beyond describing library collections and 
work in automation - and I do not wish to 
make light of these - there was little 
emphasis on what we would call the 
delivery of library services. 
In the section devoted to automation 
and cooperation, while it was interesting 
to learn of the various endeavors under 
way, I could not help but think that the 
Research Libraries Information Network 
(RLIN) and its Hebrew enhancement - a 
facility provided by a national consor-
tium, but in the development of which 
many American Judaica librarians par-
ticipated - represented a leap beyond 
any of the activities in automation and 
cooperation described at the London 
conference. 
Proceedings of the Colloquium 
The volume in hand is a well-presented 
record of what took place at the 
Colloquium. The two editors, Dr. Diana 
Rowland Smith and Peter Shmuel 
122 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
Salinger, have done as fine a job in 
making the accounts available to the 
interested public as they did in organiz-
ing the event itself. Some of the essays 
deal with topics of lasting importance 
and will, I believe, need to be consulted 
again and again. The book, therefore, 
deserves a place in every Judaica 
research library. 
The papers in the first category describe 
resources for Hebrew studies. These 
are divided into a section on the British 
Isles and one called "Collections in 
Europe." In view of the great number of 
continental participants·, the title of the 
Colloquium itself, and the awareness of 
shared interests which seemed to pre-
vail, this choice of words seems not 
quite of our time. Perhaps "British Isles" 
and "Other Collections in Europe" would 
have been less jarring to the ear. 
Some of the collections are relatively 
well known. But the Judaica and 
Hebraica at such repositories as Leeds 
University Library, which holds, among 
others, the collections of R. Travers 
Herford and Cecil Roth; the libraries of 
Ireland; and the Wellcome Institute for 
the History of Medicine are not generally 
known by American librarians. 
Among essays on continental libraries, 
Giulio Tamani's survey of Hebrew man-
uscript collections in Italian libraries will 
be especially useful for its list of libraries 
and the number of manuscripts in each. 
Tapani Harviainen's description of 
Hebraica in the Helsinki University 
Library comes as something of an eye-
opener, but the existence of this amaz-
ing collection seems logical enough 
when one considers that in 1828 the 
Library became a copyright library within 
the Russian Empire. The conclusion of 
the article points to the dilemma of avail-
ab i I ity versus conservation that all 
research collections face, but here it is 
presented from the odd perspective of a 
European library whose Hebrew and 
Yiddish books have virtually never been 
used: 
What is the most difficult problem 
of Hebraica in Helsinki? It is the 
users. An increase in their num-
bers would expose the collection 
to an unavoidable danger. The 
majority of books have never been 
used and the leaves in them have 
not been cut apart ... While any 
funds to microfilm our Hebraica 
collections are welcome, a boom 
in the number of visitors of 
Hebraica is less welcome. We try 
to help scholars as much as possi-
ble. However, a disappointed visi-
tor is a more temporary tragedy 
than the irreversible loss of an irre-
trievable book. (p. 61) 
The next group of papers deals with 
Hebrew and Yiddish bibliography. 
Among these, it is especially worth men-
tioning A.K. Offenberg's account of his 
work on "A First International Census of 
Hebrew Incunabula in Public 
Collections," which at the time he deliv-
ered the paper had not yet appeared 
(Offenberg, 1990). 
A bibliographic detective story can be 
inferred from the rather succinct account 
of tracking down Hebrew books in 
"Hebrew Books of the Sixteenth Century 
in Italian Libraries," by Giulio Busi, and 
the same can be said of "Yiddish Works 
Rediscovered," by Moshe N. Rosenfeld. 
The related essays, "Early l:labad 
Publications in Their Setting," by Naftali 
Loewenthal, and "Publishing 
Developments off:labad Teachings, 1794-
1989," by Peter Shmuel Salinger, provide 
much useful information that is not, to my 
knowledge, readily available elsewhere. 
The remaining sections embrace 
Hebrew manuscript collections; art and 
illumination in Hebrew manuscripts; a 
special lecture by Malachi Beit-Arie (in 
1989 still Director of The Jewish 
National and University Library) on the 
codicological database of the Hebrew 
palaeography project; automation and 
cooperation; and background notes for 
demonstrations at The British Library, 
including one of RUN by John Eilts. 
In the Hebrew Manuscript category, Italy 
again stands out. I found fascinating the 
account of the way Hebrew manuscript 
fragments were discovered in state 
archives, where they served as covers for 
files of documents stored by notaries, 
particularly during the late sixteenth and 
early seventeenth centuries {p. 127). This 
is found in Pier Francesco Fumagalli's 
paper, "Hebrew Manuscripts and 
Fragments Recently Discovered in Italy." 
Evaluation 
As I have already stated, attendance at 
the Colloquium was eminently worth-
while. By publishing the proceedings in 
an attractive format, the editors and The 
British Library have rendered a great 
service to the field. Every Judaica refer-
ence library should have a copy of the 
volume, if for no other reason than its 
use as a resource in guiding scholars to 
the collections they need. But the book's 
value goes far beyond that. 
In concluding, this thought leaps to 
mind: if the existence of such great and 
sometimes unsuspected wealth has 
been revealed in institutions in the West 
{the only country from the former 
Eastern Bloc represented at the 
Colloquium was Hungary), how much 
more remains to be discovered about 
collections in eastern Europe. Let us 
hope for a future colloquium in which the 
latter resources will be discussed. 
Reference 
Hebrew Incunabula In Public 
Collections: A First International 
Census, compiled by A.K. Offenberg in 
collaboration with C. Moed-van 
Walraven. Nieuwkoop: De Graaf, 1990. 
Leonard (Aryeh) Gold is Dorat Chief 
Librarian of the Jewish Division and 
Bibliographer in Jewish Studies at the 
New York Public Library. 
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Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 123 


Hebrew Studies: Papers Presented at a Colloquium on Resources for Hebraica in Europe

Judaica and Hebraica Cataloging: Anglo-American Traditions

Stern, Rabbi Malcolm H.

Baker, Zachary M.

1 
FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF JUDAICA AND ISRAELI LIBRARIANS 
crucial role that Jewish genealogists 
have played in making these files acces-
sible. (Though their importance to 
genealogists may be apparent, the 
Russian consular records should be of 
considerable value to historians as well.) 
In the age of glasnost, the Russian con-
sular records were returned to the 
Soviet Union, whose authorities always 
claimed them as Soviet state property. 
~ad they been returned before being 
indexed and microfilmed, their utility to 
Western researchers - including geneal-
ogists - would have been lost for a long 
time to come, perhaps forever. 
Looking Ahead 
Glasnost provides the next frontier for the 
majority of Jewish genealogists who 
trace their ancestry to Eastern Europe 
and the former Soviet Union. 
Genealogists have not been slow to per-
~eive the a?yanta_ges of the recently 
improved poht1cal climate. Soviet authori-
ties and their successors have only 
begun to open up vital records to out-
siders, with the prospect of an infusion of 
hard currency providing the prime incen-
tive for making access to archival collec-
tions in that financially exhausted country 
more open. 
Rabbi Malcolm Stern has represented 
the interests of the American genealogi-
cal community in formal discussions 
between American archivists and their 
counterparts in the former Soviet Union, 
regarding enhanced access to Soviet 
archival collections. Jewish genealogical 
societies are poised to play a pivotal role 
in opening up Eastern European 
archives, in cooperation with govern-
ment bodies, librarians and archivists, 
and non.-Jewish genealogical organiza-
tions (including the Genealogical Society 
of Utah, which needs to be encouraged 
to renew its microfilming of Central and 
Eastern European vital records). 
Alongside such traditional media as print 
and microform, genealogical tools that 
make use of the advanced technology of 
our age are now becoming available. 
There is an array of competing software 
packages, which enable genealogists to 
construct family trees on their personal 
computers without constantly having to 
(Continued on p. 48, col. 3) 
Bibliography of Jewish Genealogy* 
Compiled and Annotated by 
Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern 
Updated by Zachary M. Baker 
Manuals and Sourcebooks 
Baxter, Angus. In Search of Your 
European Roots: A Complete Guide to 
Tracing Your Ancestors in Every 
Country in Europe. Baltimore: 
Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1985. 
289 p. 
A country-by-country description of 
resources [now outdated for 
Eastern Europe]. Includes a chap-
ter on Jewish sources in Europe 
and Israel. 
Cohen, Chester G. Shtetl Finder 
Gazetteer. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 
Inc., 1989. 145 p. Paperback. 
Locates with varied spelling many 
of the Jewish communities of 
Eastern Europe, identifying by 
name some prominent citizens of 
each [cf. Mokotoff-Sack, below]. 
Eakle, Arlene; Cerny, Johni, eds. The 
Source: A Guidebook of American 
Genealogy. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 
Ltd., 1984. 786 p. 
Chapters indicate where to find 
every type of record in the U.S. 
Lists LOS [Latter-Day Saints, i.e., 
Mormons'] microfilms of vital 
records for Jewish communities in 
Germany, Poland, and Hungary 
(updated in Avotaynu, see 
Periodicals). 
Gedenkbuch, compiled by the 
Bundesarchiv, Koblenz, and the 
International Tracing Service, Arolsen, 
Germany, with the cooperation of Yad 
Vashem, Jerusalem. Koblenz: 1987. 2 v. 
Lists 128,000 Jewish victims of 
Nazis in Germany, 1933-45, citing 
last place of residence, birth date, 
and circumstances of death, where 
known. 
*Reprinted with the permission of the 
compiler and the editors of Avotaynu. 
First published in Avotaynu, vol. 7, no. 1 
(Spring 1991), pp. 22-23. 
Guzik, Est~lle M., ed. Genealogical 
Resources m the New York Metropolitan 
Area. New York: Jewish Genealogical 
Society, Inc., 1989. 404 p. 
Detailed guide to every agency 
between Albany, New York, and 
Trenton, New Jersey, that could 
provide data of use to Jewish 
genealogical research, including 
many specific records, hours of 
opening, public transportation, 
finding aids, fees, and restrictions. 
Appendices include: bibliography 
and locations of yizkor books, vital 
record application forms, Soundex 
codes, available foreign telephone 
directories, U.S. city directories, 
newspapers, and Jewish cemeter-
ies. Indexes. 
Kranzler, David. My Jewish Roots: A 
Practical Guide to Tracing and 
Recording Your Genealogy and Family 
History. New York: ~epher-Hermon 
Press, 1979. 88 p. Paperback. 
Kurzweil, Arthur. From Generation to 
Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish 
Genealogy and Personal History. New 
York: Schocken Books, 1982. 353 p. 
Paperback. 
A very personal approach to each 
step. 
Kurzweil, Arthur; Weiner, Miriam, eds. 
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy. 
Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., 
1991. Vol. I: Sources in the United 
States and Canada. 
An up-to-date finding aid to 
sources of Jewish genealogical 
information. 
Mokotoff, Gary; Sallyann Amdur Sack. 
Where Once We Walked: A Guide to the 
Jewish Communities Destroyed in the 
Holocaust. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 
1991. xxviii, 514 p. 
46 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
, 
FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF JUDAICA AND ISRAELI LIBRARIANS 
A gazetteer of 21,000 Central and 
Eastern European localities, 
arranged alphabetically and pho-
netically under the Daitch-Mokotoff 
Soundex System, so that various 
spellings can be readily found. 
Rottenberg, Dan. Finding Our Fathers: A 
Guidebook to Jewish Genealogy. 
Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 
Inc., 1986. xiv, 401 p. Paperback reprint 
of 1977 ed. 
The pioneer "how to," with a list of 
every Jewish surname appearing 
in a variety of sources. 
Sack, Sallyann Amdur. A Guide to 
Jewish Genealogical Research in Israel. 
Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 
Inc., 1987. xv, 110 p. 
Detailed guide to the accessibility 
and holdings of each agency. 
Appendices include: yizkor books 
and landsmanshaftn listed at Yad 
Vashem Library; list of towns rep-
resented at 1981 World Gathering 
of Holocaust Survivors. 
Sack, Sallyann Amdur; Wynne, Suzan. 
Russian Consular Records Index and 
Guide. New York: Garland Publishing 
Co., 1987. 
An index to names in the 250,000 
case files from former Czarist con-
s u I ar offices in the U.S., 1860-
1924, on microfilm at the U.S. 
National Archives. 
Zubatsky, David S.; Berent, Irwin M. 
Jewish Genealogy: A Sourcebook of 
Family Histories and Genealogies. New 
York & London: Garland Publishing Co., 
1984-1990. 2 V. 
Finding aids to published and 
manuscript genealogies in many 
Jewish archives and libraries. 
Arranged by surname. 
Collected Genealogies 
Rosenstein, Neil. The Unbroken Chain: 
Biographical Sketches and Genealogy 
of Illustrious Jewish Families from the 
15th-20th Century. (Elizabeth: Computer 
Center for Jewish Genealogy, 654 
Westfield Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ 07208), 
1990 [An enlarged revision of the 1977 
ed.) 
Includes descendants of the 
Katzenellenbogen family - Hasidic 
and other rabbis, Mendelssohn, 
Martin Buber, Karl Marx, Helena 
Rubinstein. Index of surnames 
only. 
Sackheim, George I. Scattered Seeds. 
2 v. (R. Sackheim Publishing Co., 9151 
Crawford Ave., Skokie, IL 60076). 
Chronicles 13,000 descendants of 
Rabbi Israel, one of the two mar-
tyrs of'Rozanoi (Ruzhany), 
Byelorussia - executed after a 
blood libel of 1659. Indexed. 
Stern, Malcolm H. First American Jewish 
Families. Baltimore: Ottenheimer 
Publishers, Inc. (300 Reisterstown 
Road, Baltimore, MD 21208), 1991. 441 
p. Reprint of 1978 edition, with added 
update section. 
Contains genealogies of all avail-
able Jewish families settled in 
America prior to 1840, traced 
where possible to the present. 
50,000-name index. 
Periodicals 
Avotaynu: The International Review of 
Jewish Genealogy. 1985- . Sallyann 
Amdur Sack and Gary Mokotoff, eds. 
Quarterly. (P.O. Box 1134, Teaneck, NJ 
07666). 
Articles and data of general Jewish 
genealogical interest written by an 
international group of authors. 
Family Finder, compiled by Gary 
Mokotoff. Updated quarterly and distrib-
uted to each society affiliated with the 
international Association of Jewish 
Genealogical Societies. 
A computerized printout of more 
than 9,000 ancestral surnames 
and 7,000 place names being 
researched by members of Jewish 
Genealogical Societies. Arranged 
alphabetically by surname and by 
town. 
Jildische Familienforschung: 
Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft filr jildis-
che Familienforschung, 1924-1938. 
Arthur Czellitzer, ed. 
Fifty issues, published by a pre-
Holocaust Berlin genealogical 
society. Contains lectures, vital 
records, and queries. Available at 
some research libraries and 
archives. 
Search: The Quarterly Journal of the 
Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois. 
1980-. Alan M. Spencer, ed. (c/o 
Janette Woods, 4823 N. Lawndale, 
Chicago, IL 60625). 
Articles of varied interest, including 
resources for researching Jewish 
genealogy in individual U.S. cities. 
. Toledot: The Journal of Jewish 
Genealogy, 1977-1982. Steven W. 
Siegel and Arthur Kurzweil, eds. (some 
back issues available c/o P.O. Box 
6398, New York, NY 10128). 
Articles on methodology, vital 
records, queries, and book 
reviews. 
Research Archives and Libraries 
American Jewish Archives. 3101 Clifton 
Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220 (on the 
campus of Hebrew Union College). 
Specializes in data on ~ews in the 
Western Hemisphere. 
Many genealogies, vital records, 
biographies, organizational and 
congregational records, and news-
paper indexes. Finding aids: 
Clasper, James W.; Dellenbach, 
M. Carolyn. Guide to the Holdings 
of the American Jewish Archives 
(Cincinnati, 1979. 211 p.). See 
also: Zubatsky and Berent 
(above). 
American Jewish Historical Society. 
2 Thornton Road, Waltham, MA 02154 
(on the campus of Brandeis University). 
All areas of American Jewish his-
tory, including organizational and 
institutional records, as well as 
family documents. Finding aids: 
National Union Catalog of 
Manuscript Collections; handout 
on genealogical holdings. 
LDS [Latter-Day Saints) Family History 
Library. 35 North West Temple, Salt 
Lake City, UT 84150. 
The world's most complete and 
technologically current genealogi-
cal library; open to all. Books and 
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 47 
FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF JUDAICA AND ISRAELI LIBRARIANS 
microfilms include Jewish records 
from many countries, notably 
Poland, Germany, and Hungary. 
Microfilms may be obtained on 
interlibrary loan at local Mormon 
libraries. Computerized and micro-
fiche catalogs available at branch 
libraries. Finding aid: Cerni, John; 
Elliot, Wendy, eds. The Library: A 
Guide to the LOS Family History 
Library (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 
Ltd., c1988). Separate chapters 
are devoted to records for each 
region of the U.S. and countries 
abroad. 
Leo Baeck Institute. 129 East 73rd 
Street, New York, NY 10021. 
Library and archive of surviving 
records of Jews from German-
speaking lands. Finding aids: 
National Union Catalog of 
Manuscript Collections, published 
guides to LBI Library (1970) and 
Archives (1991 ). 
Library of Congress. Jefferson (main) 
Building, housing Genealogy & Local 
History, Independence Avenue between 
1st & 2nd Streets, SW, Washington, DC; 
connected underground with Adams and 
Madison Buildings (Hebraic Section). 
Contains every book submitted for 
U.S. copyright, city directories, 
maps, gazetteers. Finding aid: 
Neagles, James C. The Library of 
Congress: A Guide to 
Genealogical and Historical 
Research (Salt Lake City: 
Ancestry, 1990. xii, 381 p.). 
National Archives & Records 
Administration. 8th & Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408. 
Research room has federal cen-
suses 1790-1910 (1920 will be 
available in 1992), passenger 
arrival indexes, 18th & 19th centu-
ry military records, some natural-
izations, land records. Regional 
branches have microfilm copies 
and regional records. Finding aids: 
Guide to Genealogical Research in 
the National Archives 
(Washington, DC, 1982. 304 p.); 
Szucs, Loretto Dennis; Luebking, 
Sandra Hargreaves. The Archives: 
A Guide to the National Archives 
Field Branches. (Salt Lake City: 
Ancestry, Ltd., c1988. vxii, 340 p.) 
New York Public Library. Fifth Avenue & 
42nd Street, New York, NY 10018. 
Jewish, Map, Microfilm, and Local 
History & Genealogy Divisions 
contain useful materials. Finding 
aid: Guzik, Genealogical 
Resources in the New York 
Metropolitan Area (above). 
YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. 
1048 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 
10028. 
Library and archive of data from 
Yiddish-speaking lands. Finding 
aid: Guzik. Genealogical 
Resources in the New York 
Metropolitan Area (above). 
Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern, a Fellow of the 
American Society of Genealogists, is 
known for his many contributions to 
American Jewish genealogy. He lives in 
New York City, where for many years he 
was on the staff of the Hebrew Union 
College-Jewish Institute of Religion. 
48 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
BAKER 
(Continued from p. 46, col. 1) 
erase and redraw the charts. 
Databases with obvious genealogical 
uses are also being generated. As 
examples, we may cite the passenger 
arrival records that are to be included 
alongside the exhibits at the Ellis Island 
Museum in New York, and Yad 
Vashem's "Pages of Testimony," which 
are currently being entered into a data-
base at the Museum of Jewish Heritage 
(also in New York). None of these data-
bases, however, is as yet available for 
public use. 
We may be encouraged by the prolifera-
tion of Jewish genealogical publications 
and by the promise of further progress 
toward gaining access to records that 
until now were not available. The more 
genealogical reference tools there are, 
the easier it will be for us, as librarians, 
to deal with the persistent inquiries of 
the many researchers who wish to learn 
more about the lives, the times, and, 
above all, the names of their ancestors. 
Zachary M. Baker, Head Librarian of the 
YIVO Institute for Jewish Research 
(New York, NY), is President of the 
Research and Special Libraries Division 
of AJL (1990-1992) and has served as 
contributing editor to Toledot and 
Avotaynu. 


Bibliography of Jewish Genealogy

Dreyfuss, Ricky

Library of Congress Classification for Judaica: Recent Changes (1990-1991) 
Ricky Dreyfuss 
Introduction 
The additions and changes to LC classi-
fication reported in this column were 
culled from the following lists of LC 
Classification Additions and Changes: 
239 (July-September 1990), 240 
(October-December 1990), 241 
(January-March 1991 ), and 242 (April-
June 1991 ). 
The scope of this column encompasses 
the entire LC classification, with particu-
lar emphasis on the classes of major 
importance to Judaica libraries. 
Changes in LC classification as they 
pertain to Judaica, including additions, 
cancellations, or replacements of class 
numbers are reported. 
We welcome suggestions and com-
ments from our readers. 
Please write: 
Ricky Dreyfuss 
Gottesman Library 
Yeshiva University 
New York, NY 10033 
BL - Religions, Mythology, 
Rationalism 
BL 
65 
H36 
BL 
65 
L52 
BL 
65 
M45 
BL 
65 
P47 
The class number BL65 (Religion 
in relation to other subjects, A-Z) 
has been expanded in Lists 239, 
241, and 242. The following note 
and cutters have been added: 
Freedom, see .L52 
.H36 Happiness 
.L52 Liberty 
.M45 Mental health 
.P47 Persecution 
Yeshiva University 
New York, NY 
BM-Judaism 
BM 
488 
Lists 239 and 242 both deal with 
the class number BM488 
(Individual Dead Sea Scrolls, A-Z). 
List 242 modified the subarrangement 
for translations under BM488. Until now, 
the note under BM488 read: 
Subarranged like BM487. (BM487 is the 
class number for Dead Sea Scroll texts, 
which is subarranged for translations as 
follows: .A6A-Z other languages. By lan-
guage, A-Zand date. With: .A2 Hebrew. 
By date; .A3 English. By date; .A4 
French. By date; .AS German. By date.) 
The Library of Congress now tells us to 
change the wording of the note under 
BM488 to read: 
BM 
488 
R85 
Subarrange like BM487, modified 
Translations: A61-69 other lan-
guages 
BM 
525 
In List 242, the Library of 
Congress added the following 
note under class number 
BM525.A2 (Individual Cabbalistic 
texts, A-Z), between the heading 
Cabala and the cf. note: 
Including ancient and medieval 
mystical works. 
In consonance with this additional note, 
the same list changes the prior note 
under BM723 (Practical Judaism), which 
had read: "For Cabala, see BM525-
BM526" to: 
BM 
670 
A44 
For Cabala, including ancient and 
medieval mystical works, see 
BM525 - BM526. 
In Lists 239, 240, and 241, the 
Library of Congress added the 
following cutters and note under 
class number BM670 (Special 
elements in liturgy, A-Z): 
List 239 added the following cut- BM 
ter under BM488: 670 
K52 
.R85 Rule of the Congregation .A44 Aleinu le-Shabbe'ah 
Amidah, see .S5 
(The Rule of the Congregation, or 
Serekh ha-'Edah, is one of the Qumran (.S5 is for Shemoneh 'esreh.) 
non-Biblical Scrolls found in Cave One.) 
.K52 Kiddush 
BM 
509 BM 
Under class number BM509 675 
(Special topics in Talmudic litera- In List 241, under class number 
BM675 (Special liturgical books, 
A-Z), the Library of Congress 
added the following notes and 
modifications: 
ture not otherwise provided for, 
A-Z), List 239 added the following 
note: 
Plants, see .B6 
(.86 is the cutter for Botany.) 
Perek shirah, see .P6 
(.P6 is for Pirke shirah, which is a short, 
anonymous song of praise taken from 
Biblical verses, especially from Psalms.) 
76 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
, 
}I 
In addition, LC tells us to add the words 
Perek shirah to the already existing cut-
ter .P6 Pirke shirah. These are variant 
titles for a single work, the text of which 
has been preserved in several manu-
scripts. 
The second note change is under .R48 
Tikun (except Pentecost), where the 
parenthetical statement should now read 
(General). (A Tikun is a selection of 
prayers and passages from various 
Biblical texts.) 
Another cutter note to be added to this 
class number is: 
Tikkun leil Hoshana Rabba, see -
.H6 
(.H6 is for Hosha'nah Rabah prayers.) 
BM 
729 
F57 
List 239 added the following cut-
ter to the class number BM729 
(Other special topics in practical 
Judaism, A-Z): 
.F57 Fire 
BM 
Table II 
Two notes have been added to 
Tables II and Ill in class BM in 
Lists 241 and 242, respectively. 
Under Table II (Special Baraitot): 
Baraita de-melekhet ha-mishkan, 
see.E6+ 
(.E6-B is the range of cutter numbers for 
the Baraita on the Erection of the taber-
nacle.) 
number BS649 (Prophecy of spe-
cial future events, A-Z): 
.156 International organization. 
New World Order. 
Middle East, see .N45 
(.N45 is the cutter for Near East.) 
New World Order, see .156 
BS 
680 
A? 
The class number BS680 
(Auxiliary topics about the Bible, 
not otherwise provided for, A-Z) 
has been expanded in Lists 239, 
240, and 242, with the following 
cutters and note: 
BS .A? Arabs 
680 
M53 .M53 Miscegenation 
BS Spiritual healing, see .H4 
680 
V55 
(.H4 is the cutter for healing.) 
. V55 Violence 
BS 
1211 -
1215.6 
List 242 added the decimal divi-
sion .6 to the range of 1211-
1215.5 for the Hexateuch (a col-
lective term for the first six books 
of the Old Testament). 
LC Classification Additions and 
Changes, List 233 (January-March 
1989) had added .6 to the range of num-
bers in Table I for Historical books of the 
Old Testament, to designate Special 
topics, A-Z. This alphabetical range fol-
lows cutters used for class number 
BS 1199, Topics of the Old Testament, 
not provided for elsewhere, A-Z (as 
reported in Judaica Librarianship, vol. 5, 
no.1, 1989-1990). 
BS 
1238 
K56 
The following instruction was 
given in List 241 for class number 
BS1238 (Other special topics in 
the Pentateuch, A-Z): 
Delete e.g.; change indentation of 
cutters 
The e.g. refers to the note· "e.g., Adam, 
BS Cain, etc., see BS580." 
1184 
List 239 established the class The same list added the following cutter 
number BS1184 for Relation of to this class number: 
Assyro-Babylonian literature to 
the Old Testament. .K56 Kinship 
List 240 changed the caption of this new 
class number to: 
BS 
1445 
146 
Relation of Middle Eastern litera-
ture to the Old Testament includ-
ing special literature, e.g. Assyro-
Babylonian. 
The class number BS1445 
(Special groups of Psalms, A-Z) 
has been expanded in List 242, 
with the following new cutter: 
BM 
Table Ill 
Under Table Ill 
Midrashim, BM517): 
BS 
(Special 1199 
L43 
.146 lmprecatory 
(i.e., Psalms that invoke evil or curses.) 
D - History of Eastern Europe 
(General} 
Midrash Proverbs, see .M77-79 
(.Mll-79 is the range of cutters for 
Midrash Mishle.) 
BS - The Bible 
BS 
649 
156 
In List 242, the Library of 
Congress added the following 
cutter and notes to the class 
Under the class number BS1199 
(Topics about, or in, the Old 
Testament not elsewhere provid-
ed for, A-Z), the latter list added 
the following two cutters: 
BS .L43 Lebanon 
1199 
033 .033 Obedience 
D 
804.3 
Lists 239 and 241 both reported 
the addition of the same note 
under class number D804.3 
(Jewish Holocaust): 
For works on the Holocaust in a 
particular locality, see DS135 
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 77 
D 
810 
A67 
In the same Lists, the Library of 
Congress added two new cutters 
under D810 (Special topics of the 
Second World War (1939-1945), 
A-Z): 
D. .A67 Antiquities 
810 
C38 .C38 Chemical warfare 
DS - Jewish History 
DS 
DS 
135 
185 
The same list gives the following 
instruction under OS135.185 
(History of Jews in local areas in 
Italy, A- Z): 
insert "e.g."; change indentation 
of cutters 
The e.g. refers to the note: "e.g. I85E53 
Emilia-Romagna." 
DT - History of Africa 
79.72 DT 
List 240 established the class 72 
number OS79.72 for the timely Y44 
subject Iraq-Kuwait Crisis, 1990- In List 239, under DT72 
(Individual races in Egypt, A-Z), 
the following cutter was added: 
DS 
87.53 
1991. 
The same list added the following 
note under DS87.53 (Israeli inter-
vention, 1982-1984): 
Including the Massacre of 
Palestinian Arabs in Sabra and 
Shatila and the bombing of the 
U.S. Marine headquarters. 
DS 
113.8 
F73 
DS 
119.75 
List 240 also reported the addi-
tion of the following cutter under 
OS113.8 (Other elements in 
Israel's population, A-Z): 
.F73 French Jews 
One of the timeliest decimal 
expansions is found in List 241 
under OS119.7 (Jewish-Arab 
relations): 
.75 Intifada, 1987-
The Intifada (Arabic for uprising), along 
with its associated strikes and boycotts, 
has had a great impact on the Arab-
Israeli conflict. Since December 1987, 
the Palestinian uprising on the West 
Bank and Gaza Strip, which is directed 
against Israeli occupation, has been the 
subject of many publications, which 
clearly stimulated the addition of this 
class number. 
.Y44 Yemenites 
E-F - History. America 
F 
2349 
J48 
Under the class number F2349 
(Individual elements in the popu-
lation of Venezuela, A-Z), List 
239 added the following cutter: 
.J48 Jews 
G - Geography, Maps, Anthropology, 
Recreation 
G 
32.5 
GN 
857 
GN 
855 
GN 
865 
List 239 established the class 
number G32.5 for Geographical 
Societies in Israel. 
Under the class number GN857 
(General works in archaeology in 
the Middle East), List 242 added 
the following note: 
For individual countries, see 
GN855; GN865 
GNB55 is the class number for archaeol-
ogy in Asia by region or country, A-Z, and 
GNB65 is the class number for archaeol-
ogy in Africa by region or country, A-Z. 
78 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
GR 
268 
A73 
List 242 added the following note 
before the class number GR270 
(General works on Folklore in the 
Near East): 
For Arab countries collectively, 
see GR268.A73 
GR268 is the class number for Folklore 
in Asia by race or group, not limited to 
one country, A-Z; .A73 is the cutter for 
Arabs. 
GV 
197 
The Library of Congress in List 
241 added the following note 
under GV197 (Special types of 
camps, A-Z): 
Jewish, see BM135 
H - Sociology and Economics 
HV 
6322.7 
Under HV6322.7 (Genocide}, the 
following note was added in List 
241: 
Cf. JX5418, International law 
For genocide in a specific region, 
country, war, or against a specific 
group, see classes D, E, F 
JV - Emigration, Immigration -
United States 
JV 
6484 
This new class number was 
established in List 241 with the 
feature heading: 
E_llis Island Immigration Station. 
Ellis Island Museum. 
The addition of this class number 
reflects the proliferation of works about 
Ellis Island, which was the principal 
immigrant receiving station in the United 
States from 1892-1954 and recently 
restored. 
j 
, 
·1 
L - Education 
LG 
341 
In List 239, the captions under 
LG341 (Individual educational 
institutions in Israel, by place, A-
Z) have been expanded and 
changed from Near East to 
Middle East (Near East) and from 
Israel to Israel. Palestine 
N - Fine Arts 
NK 
4706.4 
J48 
Under class number NK4706.4 
(Ethnic costumes by race or eth-
nic group, A-Z), List 239 added 
the cutter .J48 for Jewish cos-
tumes. 
P - Philology, Linguistics 
p 
96 
K52 
The Library of Congress expand-
ed P96 (Other topics in mass 
media, A-Z) in List 239 with the 
following cutter: 
.K52 Kibbutzim 
PG - Russian Literature 
PG 
3932.5 
J48 
PG 
3933 
List 241 added the following cut-
ter under PG3932.5 (Collections 
of Ukrainian literature, by special 
classes of authors, A-Z): 
.J48 Jews 
In consonance with this addition, 
the same list gave the following 
instructions for the deletion of a 
cutter and the addition of a see 
reference under PG3933 (Special 
topics, A-Z): ' 
* (.J48) Jewish authors, see 
PG3932.5.J48 
(Parenthesize ".J48"; change line 
to reference.) 
[* Asterisk indicates a change.] 
PJ - Oriental Philology and 
Literature 
PJ 
5050 
A26 
PJ 
5050 
S23 
PJ 
5052 
A9 
Class number PJ5050 (Individual 
medieval authors and works 
through 1700, A-Z) was expand-
ed in List 242 with the establish-
ment of the following cutters: 
.A26 Abulafia, Todros, ha-Levi, b. 
1247. 
.S23 Sa'id ben 8abshad, 
1 0th/11 th cent. 
Class number PJ5052 (Hebrew 
literature, individual authors, A-Z, 
1821-1885) was expanded in List 
240, with the following cutter and 
note: 
.A9 Avit)atsira, Jacob, 1808-1880 
PJ 
5053 
S4 
Under the existing cutter .S4, for 
Shimon, David, 1886-1956, we 
are instructed to change the 
author's last name to Shimoni so 
that the heading reads: 
.S4 Shimoni, David, 1886-1956 
Class number PJ5054 (Hebrew litera-
ture, individual authors, A-Z, 1946- ) was 
expanded in Lists 239, 241, and 242. 
The Library of Congress added notes, 
and also added and/or changed the 
headings for the following authors and 
their respective cutters: 
PJ 
5054 
A49755 
Under the existing cutter 
.A49755, for Alon, Yael, 1943- , 
we are instructed to change the 
spelling of the author's first name 
to Ya'el so that it should read: 
.A49755 Alon, Ya'el, 1943-
PJ 
The following note is to be added 5054 
to the schedule: 824 
Abi-Hasira, Jacob ben Masoud, 
1808-1880,see.A9 
Class number PJ5053 (Hebrew litera-
ture, individual authors, A-Z, 1886-1945) 
was expanded in List 242. The Library of 
Congress added notes, and also added 
and/or changed the feature headings for 
the following authors and their respec-
tive cutters, primarily as a result of the 
establishment of new headings accord-
ing to AACR2: 
PJ 
5053 
G25 
PJ 
5053 
S315 
.G25 Gamzu, Judah Leib 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Gamzu, J.L., d.1941, see .G25 
.S315 Salmon, Avraham, 1903 -
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Shalmon, Avraham, see .S315 
PJ 
5054 
C588 
PJ 
5054 
G67 
.824 Banai, Peretz 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Dror-Banay, Perets, see .B24 
.C588 Cohen, Yosef, 1943-
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Cohen, Joseph, 1943- , see 
.C588 
.G67 Granatsztajn, Jechiel 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Granatstein, Yechiel, see .G67 
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 79 
, 
PJ 
5054 
G72 
PJ 
5054 
H226 
PJ 
5054 
M273 
PJ 
5054 
TB 
PJ 
5054 
V484 
.G72 Granoth, Yehoshua 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Geranot, Yosh, see .G72 
.H226 Hakkak, Herzl, 1948-
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Hakak, Herzl, 1948- , see .H226 
.M273 Maller, Amos 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Meller, Amos, see .M273 
.TB Tsivyon, Abraham 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Tsivion, Abraham, 1925- , see .TB 
.V484 Viner, Shelomoh 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Vinner, Shlomo, see. V484 
In class number PJ5129 (Yiddish litera-
ture, individual authors, A-Z), the follow-
ing cutters and notes are to be added to 
the schedule, according to Lists 241 and 
242: 
PJ 
5129 
8563 
Under the existing cutter .8563, 
for Bin Gorion, Michah Joseph, 
1865-1921, we are instructed to 
delete the final "h" in the author's 
first name so that it should read: 
.8563 Bin Gorion, Micha Joseph, 
1865-1921 
PJ 
5129 
85715 
PJ 
5129 
FB 
PJ 
5129 
G576 
PJ 
5129 
K82 
PJ 
5129 
L4448 
PJ 
5159 
M19 
.85715 Birshstein, Yosl, 1920-
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Birstein, Yossel, see .85715 
.FB Fuchs, Abraham Moses, 
1890-
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Fuchs,A.M., see.FB 
.G576 Good, Edward, b. 1885 
The following two notes are to be 
added to the schedule: 
For Good's English works, see 
PR6013.047 
Oyved, Mosheh, b. 1885, see 
.G576 
Under the existing cutter .K82, for 
Kviatkovshi-Pinchasik, Rivka, we 
are instructed to correct the 
spelling of the author's name so 
that it should read: 
. K82 Kviatkovski-Pinchasik, 
Rivka 
.L4448 Levin, Ali, 1893-
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Roden, David, 1893- see .L4448 
.M19 Ma-Yafith, Israel, 1897-
1930 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Mah-Yafit, Yisra'el, 1897-1930, 
see .M19 
80 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
PJ 
5129 
R597 
PJ 
5129 
S4378 
PJ 
5129 
W315 
.R597 Rosenfarb, Eva 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Rosenfarb, Chawa, 1923- see 
.R597 
Under the existing cutter .S4378, 
for Shue/zohn, M., 1871- we are 
instructed to correct the erro-
neous spelling of the author's last 
name so that it should read: 
.S4378 Shmuelzohn, M., 1871-
.W315 Wajc, Abraham 
The following note is to be added 
to the schedule: 
Wietz, A., see .W315 
[Note: The author's name is misspelled 
in LCC Additions and Changes; online it 
appears as Weitz, A.] 
PJ 
7519 
158 
Once again, we find the topic of 
the Palestinian Uprising of 1987 
enumerated in List 241 (cf. DS 
119.75 above) under the class 
number PJ7519 (Special topics in 
Arabic literature, A-Z): 
.I58 Intifada, 1987-
PN - Literature 
PN 
1995.9 
A68 
List 239 added the following cut-
ter to PN1995.9 (Other special 
topics in motion pictures, A-Z): 
.A68 Arabs 
Ricky Dreyfuss is Judaica Cataloger at 
the Mendel Gottesman Library of 
Hebraica-Judaica, Yeshiva University, 
New York, NY. 


Library of Congress Classification for Judalca: Recent Changes (1990-1991)

Grossberg, Aileen D.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 
AJL's Sydney Taylor Awards for Children's Literature* 
Aileen D. Grossberg 
When this conference was first planned, 
the date seemed so far away. Now this 
event is a reality and the conference is 
almost over. The Sydney Taylor Awards 
are truly being given in Jerusalem this 
evening. I don't know if Sydney Taylor 
or her husband Ralph ever visited this 
unique country, but I'm sure that they 
would be both proud and approving of 
this evening's events. Unfortunately 
Ralph Taylor was unable to join us as he 
customarily does. However, I know that 
he is with us in spirit, and he will receive 
a full report and a tape-recording of the 
remarks when I return home. 
Before the awards are presented, I'd like 
to thank the hard-working members of 
this year's Sydney Taylor Award 
Committee. As chairperson, I've tried to 
make this committee representative of 
who we are and reflect our common 
interests, as well as our diversities. We 
are, therefore, from the North and the 
South, the East and the West, and in 
between, too. Some of us work in 
schools; others work in synagogues. 
Some of us are volunteers; others make 
our livings by serving as Judaica librari-
ans. Some of us are professionally 
trained; others are self-taught. Some of 
us are religious Jews; others are secular-
ists. But we all share an interest and 
expertise in Jewish children's books. So, 
to Michlean Amir, Rachel Glasser, Laurie 
Herman, Gerry Powers, and Annette 
Ratkin - todah rabah for your hard work 
and dedication during the past year. 
During this year you have evaluated 
scores of books and have written evalu-
ations to share with your fellow commit-
tee members and the books' publishers. 
You are thoughtful and wise and dedi-
cated librarians. 
*Remarks at the 25th Anniversary 
Banquet of the Association of Jewish 
Libraries, held in Jerusalem in conjunc-
tion with the First International 
Conference of Judaica and Israeli 
Librarians, July 5, 1990. 
Congregation Shomrei Emunah 
Montclair, NJ 
How lucky we were to have so many 
books, that at times we were almost 
overwhelmed. It has not always been so. 
In my hometown of Lowell, 
Massachusetts there were few books for 
Jewish children. Several hundred Jewish 
families lived in this city of ninety thou-
sand. In addition, there were two-and-a-
half synagogues - one operated only on 
weekends - but little Jewish influence in 
the public schools or public library. Most 
of us children attended Hebrew School, 
Sunday School, or both. I loved to read, 
and spent many an afternoon at the 
library with the Five Little Peppers, 
Nancy Drew, the March sisters, and 
famous Americans. I don't think our pub-
lic library had ever heard of Sadie Rose 
Weilerstein or Sydney Taylor. 
How I wish that it had. I was fortunate 
that my parents bought Jewish books, 
so I did grow up with K'Tonton and The 
Littlest New Angel, and Good Shabbos, 
Everyone, which featured illustrations by 
a young and very much unknown artist 
whose name is today familiar to almost 
anyone who has an interest in children's 
books - Maurice Sendak. But how I wish 
that we had had Sydney Taylor! Those 
warm stories, those irrepressible girls, 
the loving family, the ability to laugh and 
live were missing from my Jewish read-
ing experience. Only later was I able to 
enjoy them with my own children. 
This brings me to the major point of the 
evening. We have named our award in 
honor of a writer who did not sacrifice 
quality for ethnicity. Sydney Taylor's first 
book received a Charles W. Follett 
award in 1951. And that first title has 
been in print, in both hardcover and soft-
cover, for almost forty years. The values 
that those books stood for in the early 
1950s are still the values that we proud-
ly honor today. 
Among new books that should be noted 
are several from Kar-Ben Copies. Kar-
Ben has bravely and successfully begun 
to deal with today's issues. In Grandma's 
Soup, by Nancy Karkowsky, a young girl 
106 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 6 No. 1-2 Spring 1991-Winter 1992 
confronts her grandmother's growing 
confusion due to Alzheimer's disease 
and is taught that Grandma, though she 
may change, will always be loved. 
Mommy Never Went to Hebrew School, 
by Mindy Portnoy, looks at the issue of 
Jews by choice and suggests how to 
explain conversion to a young child. 
Richard Rosenblum's The Old 
Synagogue shows the evolution of a 
neighborhood through the changes in 
the local synagogue, as it is transformed 
from a beloved place of worship to a fac-
tory to a place of worship again. 
Outstanding for their design and artwork 
are The Story of Hanukkah and The 
Four Questions, illustrated by Ori 
Sherman, and Florene~ Mayers' ABC: 
The A/et-Bet Book, a cooperative effort 
of its publisher and the Israel Museum. 
The Holocaust, as usual, makes an 
impact with David Adler's We 
Remember the Holocaust, which looks 
at that cataclysmic event through the 
words of young people who survived its 
ordeal. This year's award-winning book, 
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, also 
falls into this category. 
Deserving special mention is Does God 
Have a Big Toe?, a collection of modern 
midrashim that are perfect as catalysts 
for discussion. 
The Holocaust is also a definite pres-
ence in books for older readers. To be 
noted are Mark Bernheim's Father of the 
Orphans, a biography of Janusz 
Korczak; Silver Days, an autobiographi-
ca I novel and sequel to Journey to 
America, by previous Sydney Taylor 
Award-winner Sonia Levitin; Lisa's War, 
by Carol Matas, which, like Number the 
Stars, tells the story of the Danish Jews; 
and We Were Not Like Other People, by 
Ephraim Sevela, which recounts the 
odyssey of a 12-year-old Jewish boy in 
the Russia of World War II. 


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