Association of Jewish Libraries Publishing

Dassa, Rebecca

English

Subject Headings of Interest to Judaica Librarians

Hart, Merrily F.

l . 
I 
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 
AJL!s Sydney Taylor Awards for Children's Literature* 
Merrily F. Hart 
It is a special pleasure to present the Syd-
ney Taylor Book Awards tonight. We are 
honored to have with us members of the late 
Sydney Taylor's family, Ralph Taylor-the 
author's husband-who sponsors the 
awards, and their daughter, Jo Marshall. We 
also have two of the "characters" from Syd-
ney's memorable All-of-a-Kind-Family-two 
of Sydney's sisters-Henrietta, the mischie-
vous Henny, and Gertrude, known as "baby 
Gertie" till little Charlie came along. Wel-
come! We feel we know you from these 
books that were a part of our childhood and 
are a part of our children's childhood! 
A little eight-year-old girl came rushing into 
our library one afternoon two weeks ago as 
I was preparing to close. She was clutch-
ing Ella of All Of A Kind Family and said "I 
want to return this, but I need the next one 
in the series:' We walked over to the shelf 
and went over the titles, but she had read 
them all. The girl was extremely disap-
pointed. She didn't want to try any of the 
other books or authors I suggested, but 
picking up All Of A Kind Family said "I'll just 
have to start at the beginning again!" 
Another anecdote: my library page, who 
happens to be a senior in high school, was 
supposed to be checking in and reshelving 
books. She seemed to have gotten bogged 
down in her task, and the books were pil-
ing up, so I went to see if she had a prob-
lem. There she was with her nose buried 
in More All-of-a-Kind Family. She looked up 
and said, "I loved these books when I was 
a kid" and checked it out to reread at home. 
Sydney Taylor's books embody the virtues 
the Committee looks for in its honored 
books-strong Jewish values, a lively liter-
ate style, and a good story. 
(Continued on p. 47, col. 1) 
* Remarks at the banquet of the 22nd annual 
Convention of the Association of Jewish 
Libraries, held in Livingston, New Jersey, 
June 23, 19BZ 
Fairmount Temple 
Cleveland, Ohio 
Jewish Children's Books Too Good to Miss: Selected List of 1986 Contenders 
Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee 
I. Picture Books For the Youngest (Early 
Elementary Grades) 
*Hirsh, Marilyn. Joseph Who Loved the Sabbath. 
Illustrated by Devis Grebu. Viking Kestrel. 
A lovingly retold Talmudic tale, with finely detailed, 
full-color drawings. 
Hutton, Warwick. Moses in the Bulrushes. A Mar-
garet K. McElderry Book. 
Retold in simple, dignified, unemotional language 
with exquisite pastel pictures. 
Portnoy, Mindy Avra. Ima on the Bima: My 
Mommy is a Rabbi. Kar-Ben Copies. 
A simple story of daily life with Rebecca and her 
mother the rabbi. 
Schramm, Peninnah. The Big Sukkah. Illustrated 
by Jacqueline Kahane. Kar-Ben Copies. 
A welcome addition to holiday literature, this story 
deals with a man who has a tiny house, but a 
big backyard. 
Schwartz, Amy. Yossel Zissel and the Wisdom of 
Chelm. Jewish Publication Society. 
The littlest listeners will love the whimsical pic-
tures and the obvious foolishness of Yossel Zis-
sel, while slightly older listeners and readers will 
laugh at the elaborate, but increasingly worth-
less exchanges Yossel arranges for his gold. 
II. Books for Young Readers (Grades 
3-6) 
Bacon, Josephine. Cooking the Israeli Way. Lerner 
Publications. 
A delightful and clear cookbook for children and 
parents. 
Chaikin. Miriam. Aviva's Piano. Clarion Books. 
This little story, with its pleasant, whimsical draw-
ings, includes plenty of illustrations, details, and 
incidents to provide a feel of children's life at Kib-
butz Kfar Giladi on the Lebanese border. 
Chaikin, Miriam. SoundtheShofar: The Story and 
Meaning of Rosh Hashanah and Yorn Kippur. 
Clarion Books. 
The final volume in Chaikin's holiday series. 
Cowan, Paul. A Torah is Written. Photographed 
by Rachel Cowan. Jewish Publication Society. 
A beautifully written, photographed, and de-
signed book that communicates the love, spirit, 
care, and work that go into making a Torah scroll. 
Livingston, Myra Cohn, ed. Poems For Jewish 
Holidays. Illustrated by Lloyd Bloom. Holiday 
1 
House. 
A small, but delightful collection of poems, with 
handsome substantial illustrations. This book will 
be enjoyed by children and parents together. 
Schnur, Steven. The Narrowest Bar Mitzvah. Il-
lustrated by Victor Lazzaro. Union of American 
Hebrew Congregations. 
In this easy-to-read account of Alex's big day, a 
broken water main floods the Temple, but 
Grandpa's narrow old house becomes the ark that 
brings Alex's parasha, the story of Noah, to com-
pletion. 
Schur, Maxine. Hannah Szenes: A Song of Light. 
Illustrated by Donna Ruff. Jewish Publication So-
ciety. 
A biography for the young reader. 
Spector, Barbara. The Great Jewish Quiz Book. 
Jewish Publication Society. 
A fun-filled, fact-filled quiz book that will enter-
tain children and adults. 
Ill. For Young Adults (Grade 5 and 
Above) 
Kushner, Donn. Uncle Jacob's Ghost Story. Holt, 
Rinehart and Winston. 
A story replete with wonder, mysterious misdeeds, 
love, Polish-Jewish ghosts, and the Jewish im-
migration experience. 
Lager, Marilyn. Sigmund Freud: Doctor of the 
Mind. Enslow Publishing. 
A useful introduction to the life, studies, and the-
ories of Freud. 
46 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 4 No. 1 Fall 1987-Winter 1988 
Levinson, Nancy Smiler. I Lift My Lamp: Emma 
Lazarus and the Statue of Liberty. 
Lodestar/Dutton. 
A parallel story of the life of Emma Lazarus and 
the development of the statue. 
Neimark, Anne E. One Man's Valor: Leo Baeck 
and the Holocaust. Lodestar/Dutton. 
Includes the outline of Leo Baeck's life, actions, 
and philosophy, with the focus on his heroic role 
in savin~ Jews during the Holocaust. 
*Pitt, Nancy. Beyond the High White Wall. Charles 
Scribner's Sons. 
An exciting story, told by 13-year-old Libby, of life 
and the pressures on Jews in "the old country:' 
Sherman, Eileen Bluestone. Monday in Odessa. 
Jewish Publication Society. 
A story of a modern "refusenik" family. 
Zakon, Miriam Stark. The Floating Minyan of 
Pirate's Cove. Judaica Press. 
On the way to the solution of this fast-paced mys-
tery, young readers will learn about Jewish prac-
tice, events in the Bible, and modern Jewish 
history. 
*Award Winners. 
HART 
(Continued from p. 46, col. 1) 
The Committee read and reviewed numer-
ous children's books published in 1986. 
Each member wrote at least 40 reviews. I 
thank the following librarians-Leni All-
baugh, Aileen Grosberg, Geraldine Powers, 
Edie Salzman, and Jan Sherman-for their 
excellent evaluations, their well-written 
reviews, and their promptness! The best of 
the books we read are listed in •~ewish Chil-
dren's Books Too Good To Miss: Selected 
List of 1986 Contenders:' 
We thank our winners for their contribution 
to Jewish children's literature, and to the life 
and education of Jewish children. 
Merrily F. Hart is the Librarian at The Arthur 
J. Lelyveld Center For Jewish Learning, Fair-
mount Temple, in Cleveland, Ohio, and Chair-
man of the AJL Sydney Taylor Book Award 
Committee for Children's Literature. 
Sydney Taylor Book Award Acceptance Speeches 
Joseph Who Loved the Sabbath 
Marilyn Hirsh, Author 
Devis Grebu, Artist 
Picture Book Award Winners 
Introduction by 
Merrily F. Hart 
The award for the best picture book for 1986 
goes to Joseph Who Loved The Sabbath, 
written by Marilyn Hirsh, illustrated by Devis 
Grebu, and published by Viking-Kestrel. 
Marilyn Hirsh is well known to the members 
of our Association. Her more than 30 books 
for children have encompassed many cul-
tures. She began illustrating children's books 
when she was a Peace Corps volunteer in 
India. When she returned to the U.S., she be-
gan to write, as well as illustrate, books. The 
inspiration for her early books came from the 
stories her grandmother used to tell about 
Marilyn's father's boyhood. Her books in-
clude the perennial favorites: The Rabbi and 
the 29 Witches (1976), Ben Goes Into Busi-
ness (1973), Potato Pancakes All Around 
(1978), and Could Anything Be Worse (1974). 
Her more recent holiday books, I Love 
Hanukkah (1984) and I Love Passover 
(1985), are perfect introductions to the holi-
days for the little ones. Marilyn Hirsh was 
honored for her contributions to Jewish chil-
dren's literature when the AJL gave her the 
second Sydney Taylor Body-Of-Work Award 
in 1979. That turned out to be just the begin-
ning, however, and this latest book was just 
too good to pass over for the 1986 Picture 
Book Award. 
The Sydney Taylor Awards for children's 
literature were established in 1984 
through an endowment fund to the As-
sociation of Jewish Libraries. This has 
enabled AJL to make cash awards in 
three categories: Best Picture Book, 
Best Children's Book, and Body-of-
Work. The award-winning books will 
bear a seal embossed with the names 
of the Association and Sydney Taylor. 
The awards have been established to 
perpetuate the memory of Sydney Tay-
lor by encouraging the publication of 
quality literature for Jewish children. 
Joseph Who Loved the Sabbath retells the 
familiar midrash of the poor farmer, Joseph, 
who toiled ceaselessly all week for a greedy 
and selfish landlord. He spent his little bit 
of money on the finest foods and objects to 
celebrate Shabbat. Reward for his piety 
came- as it often does in folktales-in the 
belly of a fine fish, purchased for Shabbat. 
The reward, a ruby-swallowed by the fish 
from the turban of the evil landlord who per-
ished in a storm at sea - allowed Joseph to 
purchase the land and animals that his la-
bor had nurtured. 
Half of the joy of Joseph Who Loved the Sab-
bath comes from the intricate lines and beau-
tiful colors of the illustrations by Devis Grebu. 
Mr. Grebu, born in Rumania, is an interna-
tionally known artist, who has lived in many 
places: Israel, Paris, and currently-
Ossining, New York. He studied at the 
Academy of Fine Arts in Bucharest. His 
paintings have been exhibited in Europe, Is-
rael, Japan, and the U.S., and his illustra-
tions have appeared in many major 
magazines- Time, Forbes, Harper's, and 
Business Week to name a few. You may have 
seen his depiction of Passover gracing the 
cover of the Spring 1987 issue of Reform 
Judaism. Our award-winning artist has illus-
trated over thirty books and has received 
awards in France and Austria for children's 
book illustration. He currently has numerous 
projects underway, and one of them is the 
Jewish Book Council poster for Jewish Book 
Month 1987, which makes its debut this eve-
ning. It is a pleasure to have Mr. Grebu ac-
cept the award for Joseph Who Loved the 
Sabbath. 
Judaica .Librarianship Vol. 4 No .. 1 Fall 1987-Winter 1988 47 


AJL's Sydney Taylor Awards for Children's Literature

Bibliotherapy and the Judaica Children's Librarian

Cutter, Charles

SERIALLY SPEAKING 
Israeli Democracy. v. 1- 1987- Editor: 
Aryeh Carmon. Israel-Diaspora Institute, 
Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Is-
rael. Quarterly. Price not available. 
The main purposes of this bulletin are "to 
increase the awareness among the leaders 
of the Jewish world of the circuitous path 
of Israeli democracy and to deepen their 
commitment to it:' The articles provide an 
analysis of events relevant to Israeli' de-
mocracy. 
Polin: a Journal of Polish-Jewish Studies. 
v. 1- 1986- Editor: Antony Polonsky. 
Basil Blackwell Ltd., 108 Cowley Rd., Ox-
ford OX4 1JF England. Annual. $49.50. 
An annual containing articles "that reflect 
the interaction of Poles, Jews and other na-
tions which inhabited the Polish Lithuanian 
Commonwealth:' Book reviews of related 
works are also included. 
Ten Da'at. v. 1- 1985- Editor: Fayge 
Safran. Torah Education Network, c/o Com-
munal Services Division, Yeshiva University, 
500 West 185th Street, New York City, New 
York 10033. ISSN 0892-7359. 
A publication whose purpose it is to provide 
Jewish educators with an organ through 
which they can exchange ideas, share crea-
tive educational materials, and discuss so-
lutions to problems of mutual concern. The 
authors whose articles appear in the publi-
cation represent a "wide variety of stimulat-
ing and responsible Torah viewpoints:' 
The premiere issue contains such articles 
as: "On Placement:' by Mordechai Schnaid-
man; "Focus on Study in Israel:' by Abraham 
Kupchik; and "The Ethics of Cheating: The 
Jewish View;' by Gershon Fluk. In addition, 
the publication contains brief book reviews 
and a column entitled "On Our Bulletin 
Charles Cutter 
Brandeis University 
Waltham, MA 
Board;' which lists and describes new 
educational publications, national contests, 
positions available, etc. 
Hebrew and Bilingual Serials 
t11!l1n m1:m1, m, :in:, :iD'7 :i.tnN .1 
:liW -f'>J\/.137 ,,1,N -1 37,::nn ,'i'.l)Jil 
o,,\/.ln' ,24273 .1.37 ,1,!lP .\/.I il\/.lm 
.91242 
,37'.l\J -1 1P';,) .,n,'111 iD'71'1 M'TYl!I. .2 
,1P~ 1nn .n,,m .N1 .n ,;,:,,,y -f'>J\/.137 
.'.l''.lN-';,37 .36050 .1.37 
.w;, .4 
1. Ohev Sefer; A Journal on the History 
of Hebrew Printing. no. 1- 1987- Edi-
tor: Menasha S. Caplan. P.O.B. 24273, 
Jerusalem 91242, Israel. 
A journal for the Hebrew bibliophile 
which contains articles in Hebrew and 
English pertaining to the history of He-
brew printing and related subjects. The 
following are among the bilingual articles 
included in the premiere issue: "The Art 
of Printing and Illustrations in the Prague 
Haggadah" by Joseph Tabory, and "He-
brew lncunables-ltaly: Bologna:' by 
Peretz Tishby. In future issues, the edi-
tor expects to include a question-and-
answer column. 
2. Bi-Sedeh Ha-Sefer Ha-Torani. v. 1-
1987-Editors: M. and A. Moriah. Makhon 
Tsiyon, P.O.B. 36050, Tel-Aviv. Monthly. 
Price not available. 
A bulletin which lists new books, reprints, 
and forthcoming books in Rabbinics and 
related subjects, omitting price and im-
98 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 4 No. 1 Fall 1987-Winter 1988 
print information. Also included are brief 
book reviews and articles pertaining to 
the history of printing of Rabbinic liter-
ature. 
3. Jewish History. v. 1-1986- Editor: Ken-
neth R. Stow. Haifa University Press, 
Haifa, Israel. Bi-Annual. $10 Individuals; 
$20 Institutions. 
An international journal with articles and 
summaries, primarily in Hebrew and En-
glish, devoted to the full chronological 
and geographical range of the Jewish 
historical experience. The first issue 
deals with the relationship between Jews 
and external forces. It includes such ar-
ticles as: 'Jews in German Liberal Poli-
tics: Prague, 1880-1914;' by Gary B. Co-
hen; and "The Way We Were: Jewish Life 
in the Middle Ages;' by Elliott Horowitz. 
The second issue examines questions 
of Jewish self-government, and political 
and cultural development. It includes a 
review article by Menahem Mor and Uriel 
Rappaport entitled: "The World of the 
Historical Bibliographer: L. H. Feldman, 
Josephus and Modern Scholarship 
(1937-1980):' 
4. Kesher. 1-1987- Editor: Mordecai Naor. 
Tel-Aviv University, Journalism Studies 
Program. Ramat Aviv, P.O.B. 39040, Tel-
Aviv, Israel. Irregular. No price stated. 
The aim of this periodical is to publish 
articles pertaining to events and per-
sonalities that left their mark on the de-
velopment of written Jewish media. 
Problems that occupy today's Jewish 
press will also be discussed. 
• Dr. Charles Cutter is Head, Judaica Depart-
ment, Brandeis University Libraries, 
Waltham, MA. 


Serially Speaking

Freedman, Florence B.

AJL Book Award Acceptance Speeches
Florence B. Freedman, Author 
Robert Andrew Parker, Artist 
Picture Book Award Winners
Introduction by 
Judy Greenblatt
Our picture book award winner, Brothers, is 
a story based on a legend which expresses 
and explains a Jewish value, making avail­
able to our children a wonderful pa rt of our 
heritage. The message o f Brothers does not 
apply to Jews alone. In simple but graceful 
language, the joy of a loving sibling relation­
ship is made clear as each brother tries to 
help the other from his own limited reserve. 
It is a message all people can understand 
and heed.
Robert Andrew Parker’s lovely illustrations— 
soft clear washes—reflect the same loving 
and caring feeling. Mr. Parker, born in Nor­
folk, Virginia, received his Bachelor of Arts 
in Education from the A rt Institute of 
Chicago, and now lives in Cornwall, Con­
necticut. He has illustrated many children’s 
books, and has had many one-man art 
shows. In addition to Brothers, he has award­
winning illustrations in Pop Corn and Ma 
Goodness, by Mitchell Preston, which was 
a Caldecott Honor Book and a National Book 
Award finalist in 1970, and  Flight; A Pano­
rama of Aviation, by Melvin Zisfein, which 
was a New York Times Best Illustrated Chil­
dren’s Book of the Year in 1981.
Florence Freedman, the author of Brothers, 
is a native New Yorker who lives in Manhat­
tan. She is a graduate of Adelphi University, 
received her M.A. from New York University, 
a Ph.D. from Columbia University, and holds 
a Bachelor of Jewish Pedagogy from the 
Jewish Theological Seminary. One of the first 
teachers of Hebrew in the public high 
schools, and a Professor Emeritus of Hunter 
College in New York, she is a member of two 
honorary societies in education. Ms. Freed­
man is a member o f the Board of Directors 
of the Women’s Division of the Hebrew Im­
migrant A id  Society (HIAS) and serves as its 
honorary president. Florence Freedman is 
a poet, writer, and scholar.
Brothers, which has also won the 1986 Na­
tional Jewish Book Award for Illustrated Chil­
dren’s Book, is based on a story Ms. Freed­
man first encountered when she was a child 
in Hebrew class. She is also the author of 
another children’s book: Two Tickets to Free­
dom: The True Story of Ellen and William 
Craft, Fugitive Slaves; two adult books; and 
numerous articles about Walt Whitman and
his circle. We hope that she will remember 
many more legends from her Hebrew class, 
and produce many more books of the same 
high quality. It gives me great pleasure to in­
troduce to you the winner of the Sydney Tay­
lor Best Picture Book Award, Florence 
Freedman.
Remarks by Florence B. Freedman
A writer’s rewards come in many styles— 
from the light in the eyes of a young reader, 
the tears of an older reader, a good review 
to —rarest of all, an award.
In acknowledging this award for Brothers, 
I want to express my gratitude to Harper and 
Row for accepting Brothers and for select­
ing Robert Andrew Parker to illustrate it. I 
am especially grateful to Ralph Taylor for 
establishing so appropriate a memorial to 
his talented wife, Sydney Taylor, thereby en­
couraging others to follow her example in 
children’s literature with Jewish themes, and 
to the committee of the Association of Jew­
ish Libraries for honoring Brothers.
Before Brothers, the only prize I received for 
my writing was a still-treasured medal that 
was given to me in 1920 upon my gradua­
tion from elementary school for an essay 
I had written. And now, 66 years later, this 
award! I think you will agree that I am a “late 
bloomer.”
If / had an award to present, I would give 
it to librarians. As with many New Yorkers, 
the 42nd Street Library was my home away 
from home throughout my high school and 
college years. Since then, librarians in many 
university libraries, public libraries and spe­
cial collections throughout the United States 
have enabled me to pursue my research. 
In lieu of an award to librarians, I’d like to 
tell you three true stories of children in 
libraries.
The first is about my husband. When he was 
a child in Cincinnati, he discovered the chil­
dren’s room in the public library, but thought 
he had to read the books in order—the first 
book on the first shelf, then the second, and 
so on until he had gone all around the room. 
He had read through most of the books on 
the first two shelves with varying degrees 
of interest; some were too easy and child­
ish, some not to his liking for other reasons, 
but enough were fascinating to keep him 
go ing—until he found a space on the shelf 
where a book should have been. He ap­
proached the librarian and told her that the 
book he wanted was not there. She asked 
him the name of the book.
“ I don’t know,” he replied, “because it isn’t 
on the shelf.”
The librarian, instead of dismissing this as 
a foolish answer, went to the shelf with him. 
He was delighted to learn that he could read 
any book he wanted—and remembered that 
librarian with gratitude for the rest of his life.
The other two stories were told by writers 
participating in a series called “Tea and Talk” 
at the Hunter College Education Library. 
(With their permission, these talks were later 
assembled in a volume called “Creating 
Books for Children” by Donna Hill and me, 
not yet published.)
Isaac Asimov’s first experience with a library 
did not take place in the public library, which 
later meant so much to him, but in a private 
house. Isaac’s father, who had a store where 
he sold candy, magazines and newspapers, 
often took his young son with him when he 
made deliveries to customers. On one oc­
casion, they were ushered into the library 
of a large house. Isaac was as astonished 
to see shelves of books there as he would 
have been to find Prospect Park in the liv­
ing room. He quietly went over to look at the 
books and took down a volume of The Book 
of Knowledge. Seeing his interest in the 
book, the owner of the house told him that 
he could take it home to read, and when he 
returned it, take out another. Dr. Asimov told 
his audience at Hunter College that if any­
one had told that little boy that someday he 
would write for that book, he wouldn’t have 
believed it!
Ezra Jack Keats, in his talk, told how he had 
come upon the library by chance. In Junior 
High School, he had a “crush” on a beauti­
ful girl in his class named Harriet. Too shy 
to approach her in school for fear of blush­
ing and stammering, he decided to walk
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 61
past her house casually after school (as if 
on an errand), on the chance that she might 
be sitting on the porch. One day she was 
there, and waved to him. He waved in an­
swer, and with thoughts and emotions soar­
ing, he walked on and on. After about an 
hour, he saw an imposing building with 
“Brooklyn Public Library, Arlington Branch” 
on the door. He climbed the stairs to the Ref­
erence Room and found the Art section. He 
took out the first book on the shelf—an over­
sized beautiful tome on ancient Egyptian 
art. It was the first time he had seen a book 
on art. Since he could not take the book out, 
he spent many afternoons in that room, and 
read every book in the collection. He would 
tell his friends in school what he had 
learned. The collection ended with the Im­
pressionists, and he thought that was the 
most recent school of art. Thus Ezra owed 
his earliest knowledge of art history and his 
first acquaintance with many works of art, 
albeit in reproduction, to the books in that 
library. Children who visit the children’s 
room in the Arlington Branch nowadays find 
that it has been named the Ezra Jack Keats 
Room. As for Harriet, the motivating force 
for his visit to the library, she and Ezra went 
through high school together, and several 
years later she married a different class­
mate, who evidently had not been too shy 
to speak to her.
I join the people whom I have written of in 
thinking that I would like to give an award 
to librarians.
To return to my book which received your 
award: I have been asked where the idea 
came from and why I wrote the book at this 
time.
I wonder whether other writers would agree 
that ideas for books are buzzing around 
waiting to catch the future author at a time 
when writing them down is not only possi­
ble, but inescapable. I am reminded of a 
concept in Samuel Butler’s Erewhon, a sat­
ire on utopias written in 1872. In the coun­
try named Erewhon (nowhere spelled back­
wards) no child can answer a parent’s 
criticism by saying, “I didn’t ask to be born.” 
Indeed, in Erewhon children do not only ask 
to be born; each unborn soul selects a pair 
of people whom it would like as parents and 
pesters them without mercy until they reluc­
tantly agree to have the child. So it was with 
me and Brothers, a story which I first read 
in Hebrew when I was about eight years old. 
It stayed with me. In time, it was one of the 
stories I told to my three sons, and later at 
the camp they attended.
Throughout the years, I wrote books con­
nected with my Whitman studies and with 
teaching, and a children’s book which grew 
out of my research— Two Tickets to Free­
dom: The True Story of Ellen and William
Craft, Fugitive Slaves, which was published 
by Simon and Schuster in 1972. Brothers 
was giving me a faint buzz from time to time.
Then the time for it to be written arrived. 
Ezra Jack Keats, my high school student 
and dear friend, accepted my invitation to 
dedicate the library at my grandsons’ He­
brew Day School in Syracuse. On the way 
back to New York City, he said that he would 
like to do a book in the Jewish field.
A writer’s rewards 
come in many 
styles . . .  a good 
review to — rarest 
of all, an award.
“I have a story I want to write,” I said. He liked 
the story, planned some sketches for it, and 
we presented it to Harper and Row. The edi­
tors liked it. I was about to go on a trip to 
Israel, where Keats had never been. He 
thought that this would be a good time to 
go—to get background material for his il­
lustrations. There he photographed and 
sketched a model of the Old City of Jerusa­
lem, old houses in Hebron, boys riding on 
donkeys, and other scenes of fields and 
hills. He loved Jerusalem and took trips 
away from the city only if he could return 
each day by sunset to go to the Western 
Wall. He hoped to return to Jerusalem some 
day.
That dream was never to be realized, nor 
were the sketches completed. Ezra died in 
May, 1983. Harper and Row searched a long 
time for an illustrator, and finally selected 
Robert Andrew Parker. That is how Brothers 
grew from idea to book.
What idea is pestering me now, asking to 
be made into a book? With a friend of Ezra’s, 
Dean Louise Engel, I am planning to write 
a biography of Ezra Jack Keats for young 
readers. The buzzing is very insistent.
Carol Snyder: 
Children’s Book Award Winner
Introduction by 
Judy Greenblatt
I categorized Ike and Mama and the Seven 
Surprises in the coming-of-age group, and 
as a book dealing with Bar-Mitzvah. At first, 
I wasn’t going to count it as an immigrant 
story, because I knew Mama would no 
longer consider herself an immigrant, but 
then I remembered Uncle Jake. It is also a 
book concerned with Jewish values, and 
more than that, it has a universality of ap­
peal that is a quality of all of our winners. 
Jewish values, such as the importance of 
saving a life, visiting the sick, helping others, 
family support, and the real meaning of Bar­
Mitzvah are all part of this fifth in the I ke and 
Mama series. As it opens, Ike is preparing 
for his Bar-Mitzvah, and his father is hospital­
ized with tuberculosis. While Mama remains 
a powerful force in this book, as in previous 
ones, Ike matures, becoming more indepen­
dent and more of a mensch.
Carol Snyder, the author of the Ike-and- 
Mama series, was born and raised in Brook­
lyn. She now lives in New Jersey with her 
husband and two daughters. She was 
graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. 
in education. In addition to writing, she 
teaches in a writers’ workshop, and lectures 
for New Jersey young authors’ conferences 
and elsewhere. Carol and her husband 
Michael Snyder shared the 1973 Hanna G. 
Solomon Award for Service to Children, given 
by the National Council of Jewish Women.
In addition to the earlier Ike and Mama 
books, one of which, Ike and Mama and the 
Block Wedding, won our book award in 
1979, Ms. Snyder is.also the author of Memo: 
To Myself When I Have a Teenage Kid; The 
Great Condominium Rebellion; and the 
forthcoming The Left-Over Kid. It gives me 
great pleasure to present the winner of the 
1985 Sydney Taylor Best Book Award, Carol 
Snyder.
Remarks by Carol Snyder
Sydney Taylor was an inspiration. I loved her 
books and I’m so pleased to meet her hus­
band Ralph today. I never got to speak to 
her. I wish I had.
It’s a great pleasure for me to be here in 
Montreal with all of you. I feel as if I’m 
amongst good friends in this group— 
catching up on the news of the years since 
I last saw you.
A lot has happened to me and my family 
since that banquet in Philadelphia in June 
1980 when my second book, Ike and Mama 
and the Block Wedding won the 1979 AJL 
award. That will always be a special mem­
ory in my life. My whole family was there—
62 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987


AJL Book Award Acceptance Speeches

Posner, Marcia W.

The Jewish Book Council Library Citation: History and Report of a Follow-up Study

Oppenheim, Micha F.

Recommended Judaica Reference Works, 1985-1986

Kahane, Libby

New Reference Books from Israel

Baker, Zachary M.

Responsa

Leff, Barbara

Dorothy Schroeder—Judaica Library Visionary Extraordinaire
Barbara Left
Stephen S. Wise Temple 
Los Angeles, CA
Dorothy Schroeder, a past Treasurer of AJL 
and former Librarian of Wilshire Blvd. Tern- 
pie, died this year in Los Angeles. The fol­
lowing is a tribute to her, delivered at a 
memorial service held on February 1, 1987 
at her Temple. Barbara Left was speaking 
as a representative of the Association of Jew­
ish Libraries of Southern California; how­
ever, because of the significance of Ms. 
Schroeder’s activities for synagogue and 
school librarians nationwide, we are publish­
ing this piece in Judaica Librarianship. 
—Eds.
I’d like to speak about Dorothy Schroeder— 
the Librarian, whom I’d known for almost 
20 years.
Dorothy was as far removed from the stereo­
typical librarian image as one could be. She 
smiled a lot . . . she dressed beautifully 
. . . she was assertive in a quiet way. . .  and 
she even encouraged people to talk out loud 
in her library!
Dorothy was more than a wonderful librar­
ian at Wilshire Boulevard Temple. She 
reached out into the community—and 
changed it so significantly that Los Angeles 
will be forever in her debt. She was known 
as the “Dean of Jewish Librarians in South­
ern California,” and we, her colleagues, are 
so very proud of her.
I’d like to share with you some of Dorothy’s 
accomplishments:
— In her early years, she established an 
elementary school library which became a 
model library for the Los Angeles Unified 
School District.
— More than 25 years ago, she organized 
our local professional organization, the As­
sociation of Jewish Libraries of Southern 
California, and served as its first president. 
Until two months ago, she attended meet­
ings regularly (even while ill) and shepped 
nachas knowing we were the largest, the 
best, and the most active regional group in 
the country.
—She created a Judaica librarianship 
course of study, which Hebrew Union 
College—Los Angeles still sponsors. This 
is the only long-term continuing course of 
study of its kind in the nation, and her stu­
dents were responsible for the development 
of most of the synagogue libraries in this 
area.
—She made a shidduch between Hebrew 
Union College and the Los Angeles Bureau 
of Jewish Education, and with a lot of nudg­
ing, professional know-how and Association 
support, two things happened: The BJE 
began to grant certification to qualified 
Librarian-Teachers, and librarians joined ad­
ministrators and teachers and were written 
into the BJE Code of Personnel Practices. 
Again, this was a “first” in the United States 
and has become a model for other commu­
nities.
—She inspired us to work together and to 
share—on the local and national scenes. 
Several of us have joined Dorothy in hold­
ing Executive Board positions in the Associ­
ation of Jewish Libraries and have made 
significant contributions to our profession 
on the national level.
— Long before computerization, Dorothy 
talked about central cataloging—to elimi­
nate duplication of effort. Last year, one of 
her former students, originally inspired by 
Dorothy, set up a central cataloging pilot pro­
gram, which has the potential to network 
with small Jewish libraries everywhere.
Dorothy Schroeder was a dedicated librar­
ian with vision, and a mission. She believed 
that promoting the use of Jewish books was 
one of the highest priorities within a syna­
gogue or school. She loved matching the 
right book with the right child and reaching 
people who did not know that they needed 
help. She believed in involving people wher­
ever possible; her teaching methods in­
eluded sharing and problem solving, result­
ing in a unique camaraderie among her 
students. She was a positive thinker; when 
we became discouraged because our syn­
agogues would not support our library pro­
grams with adequate time, money, or rec­
ognition, she kept up our spirits while 
helping us develop strategy. She was al­
ways available to anyone in the community 
at any time, as her family well knows. Doro­
thy carried out her mission with love, hon­
esty and dignity; she provided information 
along with inspiration, and she accepted the 
many accolades with modesty. She con­
ducted her professional life in the same 
manner as her personal life—as amensch.
On a personal note, as you have undoubt­
edly guessed, Dorothy Schroeder was my 
mentor—and I was but one of many. She 
turned my life around. She gave me self­
confidence, encouraged me to get my 
master’s degree, and instilled in me a com­
mitment to Judaica librarianship beyond my 
own library. I am a different and better per­
son today, because of her.
Dorothy has been recognized and honored 
often in the Jewish community for her 
professional accomplishments, and today, 
we’d like to add one more—a posthumous 
honor that we know would please her. I am 
proud to announce that the Association of 
Jewish Libraries of Southern California is 
establishing the Dorothy Schroeder Memor­
ial Fund for the Enhancement of Judaica 
Librarianship. Its purpose will be to pro­
mote those ideals that exemplified Dorothy 
Schroeder. Among our goals will be to pro­
vide awards and incentives to those who ex­
cel or make significant contributions to our 
Jewish libraries, and to make available 
funds for interest-free loans or for financial 
assistance for Judaica librarianship courses 
and special programs. The project will be 
administered by the Stephen S. Wise Tern- 
pie Library in West Los Angeles.
In conclusion—Dorothy’s memory is alive 
and well—and will continue to raise profes­
sional standards in our community. Her life 
had great meaning as defined by Albert Ein­
stein:
“The life of the individual has meaning 
only in so far as it aids in making the life 
of every living thing nobler and more 
beautiful. Life is sacred—that is to say, 
it is the supreme value, to which all other 
values are subordinate. The hallowing of 
the supra-individual life brings in its train 
a reverence for everything spiritual—a 
particularly characteristic feature of the 
Jewish tradition.”1
We loved Dorothy and we will miss her— 
and we will carry on. . . .
1Quoted in: The Eternal Light: a heritage album 
mirroring four thousand years of Jewish inspira­
tion and wisdom. New York: Bloch Publishing, 
1966, p. 141.
Barbara Left is Library Director of the 
Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles, CA.
142 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987


Dorothy Schroeder Judaica Library Visionary Extraordinaire

Not a member yet