Association of Jewish Libraries Publishing

Greenblatt, Judy

Association of Jewish Libraries Book Awards for Children's Literature Jewish Children's Books Too Good to Miss: List of 1985 Contenders

Association of Jewish Libraries

Vol. 3:1–2 Cover

Frischer, Rita Berman

library materials. When the exhibit is all fin­
ished, hold an open house.
Since the group of cards or boats will fall 
into obvious time periods, you have some 
interesting history lessons ready-made. Per­
haps you can involve one of the religious 
school classes in researching the events, 
both worldwide and in Jewish history, that 
caused emigration.
You could stop here or go on to a more 
elaborate project, for instance, a history of 
the synagogue or of the library. For such 
projects, you would need considerable 
space to hang copies of documents and 
photographs.
By involving the patron directly and per-, 
sonally, you are not only focusing on the li­
brary, but are also promoting the concept 
of the congregation as a family with shared 
experiences. The librarian should provide 
the idea, the magnet if you wish, to attract 
the patron to the collection. Then reinforce 
each visit. Plan to give every participant a 
book mark, a card listing the library’s hours, 
a copy of your recent acquisitions list, and 
a book-reserve card which can be mailed 
back to you.
All the time and effort you will have spent 
on any of these three projects will have been 
worthwhile if the goals attracting the atten­
tion of the members of the congregation to 
the library, increasing circulation, and serv­
ing the community’s information needs are 
achieved.
References
Berman, Margot S. How To Organize A Jewish 
Library: A Source Book and Guide for Syna­
gogue, School and Center Libraries. New York: 
JWB Jewish Book Council, 1982.
Tuchman, Helene L. Large Type Books of Jewish 
Interest. New York: JWB Jewish Book Coun­
ci I, 1983.
Margot S. Berman is the Librarian of Tern- 
pie Beth Am in Miami, Florida, and is also 
in charge of the Resource Center in its Day 
School. She is a former President of the As­
sociation of Jewish Libraries and represents 
the AJL on the Council of National Library 
and Information Associations.
Writing for Newsletters: Positive Publicity for Libraries
Rita Berman Frischer 
Sinai Temple Library 
Los Angeles, California
A vital part of every Judaica librarian’s job 
is to engage in public relations (PR) out­
reach efforts in order to present his or her 
library and its many activities in a positive 
way and attract various “audiences.” The 
librarian should give high priority to mak­
ing his/her library known to current and
LIBRARY LINES 
by Rita C . Frischer
In  late  A ugust, I  joined A viva Lebovitz and several teachers from  Sinai’s school 
in attend ing  the A nnual CAJE Conference o f the  Coalition for  A lternatives in 
Jew ish  Education, held th is year on the  cam pus of S tanford University. W e had 
lots of company. More than  1600 educators, adm in istra to rs and specialists — some 
in sandals and cut-off shorts, others in black suits and full beards —■ m et in w ork­
shops, m odules and rikkuzim  to share inform ation, insights and knowledge. From  
all over N orth  America, from  as fa r  aw ay as South A frica and A rgentina, they 
came. Many brought fam ilies. They lived in the dorm s and took advantage of the  
excellent child care offered so the adults could learn  together. The questioner in 
one topic proved the  m aven in another; the  instruc to r today becam e the novice 
student tom orrow . Giving and attending workshops, I was constantly im pressed 
by the depth of caring m ost of these people dem onstrated and the som etim es fa l­
tering, bu t constantly  renewable, sense of dedication to Jew ish education. May it 
alw ays be so.
W hile a t CAJE, and earlie r in the  sum m er when I  attended the  Association of 
Jew ish L ibraries convention in A tlanta, I discovered m any new  m aterials which 
will soon be on our lib rary  shelves and available to our teachers, students and 
adult learners. I also had a chance to preview the  exciting HERITAGE: CIVILIZ­
ATION A N D  THE JEW S series now being shown on public broadcasting. I hope 
you are  all w atching it and following M uriel M oster’s coverage of the suppiemen- 
ta ry  reading m a tte r  available here in the Blum enthal Library.
However, M uriel is dealing w ith adult books, and before I end th is column I 
w ant to m ention to  you an excellent work for young readers, 8 to  12, which can 
be a m arvelous ad junct to th is program , as well as to any fam ily visit to THE  
PRECIOUS LEGACY: JUDAIC TREATURES FROM  THE CZECHOSLOVAK 
STATE COLLECTIONS now in San Diego.
JOSEPH A N D  A N N A ’S TIME CAPSULE, w ritten  by aw ard w inning Chaya  
Burstein, is an absolutely lovely book pu t out by Simon & S huster Sum m it Books 
in cooperation w ith  the Sm ithsonian Institu tion  ,Traveling Exhibition Service and 
based loosely on the  adu lt book docum enting THE PRECIOUS LEGACY exhibit. 
I t  recreates the  lives of two children, 12 and 10, in 19th century  P rague. Joseph  
and Anna speak fo r them selves as they describe the ir daily lives in the  f irs t half 
of the  book. Then, the  second half suggests to  the m odern reader th a t he or she 
assem ble a personal tim e capsule representing  the life of a  20th century Jew ish  
child. G ently the  book encourages exam ination of values and assignm ent of 
priorities, as the child of today chooses w hat is im portant enough to carry  the 
m essage of today to generations yet to  come. Continuity and responsibility to 
the  fu tu re  are  im plicit but not preached about; and th e  blend of w atercolor illus­
tra tions by N ancy Edwards Calder w ith actual photographs of item s from  THE 
PRECIOUS LEGACY helps to blend past and present, representational and real.
Incidentally, to find a  full-color, beautifully  illustra ted  book a t the  low price of 
$8.95 curren tly  m arked on JO SEPH  & A N N A ’S TIME CAPSULE is extraord inary  
in th is day of $14.95 p icture books. I  can com fortably recom m end th is book to 
you as a  gift fo r your own children or anyone else’s. Come look a t the  lib ra ry ’s 
copy and see if you don’t agree.
potential patrons. In-house publications are 
usually an outstanding avenue for com­
municating what the library does, and the 
newsletter editor will view a lively, interest­
ing librarian’s column as an asset. There­
fore, this introductory guide to PR articles 
is offered.
Figure 1. Report on new books seen at professional meetings (Sinai Speaks, 
October 1984).
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 139
Why Write? I’m Too Busy Cataloging
To this rhetorical question, one could re­
spond: Why catalog, if the books sit on the 
shelf because no one knows they (or you) 
are there? Judaica librarians are selling the 
written word, the inscribed law, the captured 
fable, the hard bound bobe-mayseh. Printed 
material is the most natural form of public­
ity for us. By using words to sell words, we 
can easily and conveniently reach out to all 
our audiences, writing one month for the 
scholarly, another for young parents, next 
for the politically alert, and then for the 
romantic novel set. By identifying target 
groups and goals, and varying articles ac­
cordingly, we benefit both our patrons and 
our libraries, while projecting to decision­
makers an excellent image of a library which 
is thoughtfully administered, progressively 
comprehensive, efficient, and friendly.
But I Can’t Write
There is no magic to writing competently; 
it requires clarity of thought and confidence. 
If you don’t know what you want to say, you 
will have trouble saying it. Your ideas should 
be kept simple at first, focusing on a single 
theme or central point, with the language 
straightforward and accessible. To keep 
your prose lively, vary your sentence length 
and avoid passive verbs. Don’t say, “This 
book will be long remembered,” but instead 
“You will remember this book.” By using ac­
tive verbs and keeping your thoughts un­
cluttered, you will hold your reader’s interest.
As for the second requirement, confidence: 
if you concentrate on the good you are do­
ing your library, you will manage to get the 
first article written, however painfully. Then, 
when you see your words in print and get 
positive feedback, your confidence will 
grow.
What If You Have No Newsletter— 
Or the Editor Won’t Give You a Column?
In the face of these deterrents, the librarian 
should simply write with other means of dis­
tribution in mind. Submit a regular column 
to the Sisterhood bulletin or the school’s 
publications that are mailed to parents, al­
ways remembering to gear content to your 
audience. In the first instance, you might 
concentrate on novels, current events, 
books on Israel or women’s issues; in the 
second, Jewish parenting, guides to home 
holiday celebrations, general child-rearing 
aids, or recommended children’s books to 
read aloud.
You might also consider mailing out a 
single-page “Library Lines” publication of 
your own three or four times a year, enclos­
ing it in a regular organizational mailing and 
filling it with capsule reviews of new books,
LIBRARY LINES 
by Rita C. Frischer
In the U.S. Conservative Movement, the status of women has been an issue 
absorbing perhaps a disproportionate amount of attention and energy during the 
past couple of years. And, according to a U.J. sponsored lecture I attended last 
night, this situation may not be resolved satisfactorily for some time to come.
It seems to me that this month’s festival of Purim is the perfect occasion on 
which to consider seriously our personal perceptions of the role of women in 
Judaism. The Purim story, which is supposed to be told amidst loud revelry and 
boisterous celebrations, has some far from frivolous implications for those sen­
sitive to the universal human need for autonomy and dignity, a need which knows 
no gender. So besides teaching your children to boo Haman this year, you might 
consider talking with them about Vashti and her angry refusal to be shown off 
to her husband’s drunken guests or about Esther and how tactful and manipula­
tive she needed to be to save her people. You might discuss whether more direct 
action might have put her in as much hot water as her predecessor, and how a 
modern girl might feel in Esther’s place.
Leaving the megillah behind, those of us with daughters may want to become 
sensitized to the image of girls and women in the books our children read. Are 
they passive? Rebellious? Conformist? Goody-goody and idealized? Those of you 
with sons may want to consider how your boys are learning to regard girls and 
women. As enablers whose own talents should always be secondary in impor­
tance? As decorative? As silly but necessary? As friends? As equals?
I am always amazed, when I read children’s literature, at how many hidden 
attitudes are contained in seemingly innocent little stories. Whether we ourselves 
are for the status quo or for change, surely it behooves us, as parents and grand­
parents, to take a personal stand on this vital issue. Only by examining our own 
values and speaking of them openly can we transmit them to our children.
Books about women’s roles:
Slobodkin — Sarah Somebody — At a time when only boys are educated, a 
nine-year-old Polish girl gets to go to school and finally becomes “somebody.” 
(6-10) ‘
Cohen — Bitter Herbs and Honey — During the early 1900’s a young Jewish 
girl in a small town conflicts with her family’s traditions when she expresses a 
strong desire to go to college. (11-14)
Girion — Like Everybody Else —• Though Samantha Gold’s mother, a well- 
known writer of children’s books, is not like any of the other Jewish mothers in 
their New Jersey suburb, Sam finally learns to accept and respect her uniqueness. 
(11-14)
Ruby — Two Truths in My Pocket — Six short stories examine modern prob­
lems such as interracial dating, relationships between the generations, and the 
upheaval in a traditional rabbinic family when the daughter, not the son, wants to 
follow in the father’s footsteps
Figure 2. Column on Jewish women’s issues inspired by Purim (Sinai Speaks, 
March 1985).
annotated lists on timely topics, library 
events and hours, etc. Using a columnar for­
mat and embellishing it with clip art logos, 
cartoons, etc., will make your single or dou­
ble sheet look very professional and call 
much positive attention to your library.
If you are near a campus, mail your reviews 
and other releases to the college paper or 
Hillel publication. Send them an occasional 
brief column about library materials of spe­
cial interest to college-age Jewish students. 
Perhaps some of their students would like 
to write reviews for you to publish.
Finally, as you gain confidence in your writ­
ing, perhaps you’ll want to offer to write 
timely reviews and opinion columns for your 
local general or Anglo-Jewish newspaper. 
As long as your by-line identifies you as 
librarian at “XYZ” synagogue, you will be
garnering exposure and increased respect 
for your library and for your own degree of 
professionalism and competency.
What To Write About
The librarian writer need not limit herself to 
book reviews, although these are always of 
interest. Almost anything can inspire a book- 
related column (see figure 1). Holidays are 
always timely subject matter, and we can 
write on either the primary or secondary 
themes they provide. For example, Purim 
can suggest columns on children’s holiday 
books, shalekh-mones and cookery, anti­
Semitism, Purimspiels through the ages, 
Vashti and feminism, or women’s roles in 
Judaism (see figure 2).
An event in the non-Jewish world can in­
spire a column. I used John Lennon’s death
140 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987
as the springboard for a column on music, 
secular and sacred, and its place in Jew­
ish life. I used the national furor about nu­
clear weapons and our Sisterhood’s special 
program on this topic as the focus for a 
column on books dealing with Jewish atti­
tudes towards nuclear war and war in 
general (see figure 3). The possibilities are 
endless.
You might also invite guest columnists (of 
proven ability) to take turns in the Library 
spotlight, providing reviews of new books 
or a round-up of favorite books on a special 
topic. Poll regular library users on their fa­
vorite book read during the past six months, 
and get them to tell why they liked it so 
much; then run several of these mini­
reviews together with the reviewers’ names.
Don’t forget to occasionally call attention to 
special services of your library: audiovisual 
holdings, listening centers, large-print col­
lections, rare books, and speakers. And if 
you have volunteers, it’s always nice to fea­
ture one of them from time to time.
When you get home from the annual AJL 
conference or attend other in-service meet­
ings, write about the event. Let the congre­
gation know that the librarian is constantly 
striving to do a better job. This generates 
support for the library, possibly even 
financial.
Get Ready, Get Set, Write
The reader will surely come up with dozens 
of other ideas to supplement those sug­
gested here. The members of the Associa­
tion of Jewish Libraries are sincerely in­
terested in having you share, in turn, your 
own most successful PR projects and pro­
grams, through presentations at Conven­
tion, or in the pages of the AJL Newsletter 
or Judaica Ubrarianship.
Accompanying this article are a few exam­
pies of my Library Lines column, a regular 
feature of the Sinai Temple (Los Angeles, 
California) bulletin, Sinai Speaks.
LIBRARY LINES
by Rita C. Frischer
This month, Sinai Temple will confront the most pressing and terrifying issue 
of our time — the threat of nuclear warfare. Sinai’s sisterhood will sponsor a 
program on this topic, one none of us likes to think about but which we cannot 
afford to ignore.
As Jews, we should have particular interest in what our religion tells us about 
warfare in general. Only then can we try to extrapolate a Jewish position on the 
potential destruction of civilization as we know it, through weapons undreamt of 
by the most pessimistic of prophets.
Because we feel that Jews are morally obligated to think deeply about such 
issues, Sinai Library has acquired a basic collection on this subject. Materials in­
elude periodical articles, chapters in collections on Jewish responses to various 
contemporary problems, and whole works dealing with the age of the Mushroom 
Cloud. For your thoughtful consideration, and to supplement Sisterhood’s timely 
program, some of our resources are listed below
BOOKS:
The Disarmament Catalog (c. 1982) — edited by Murray Polner. Addresses and 
essays on arms control.
God, Man and Atomic War (c. 1966) — by Samuel Dresner. Rabbi Dresner, once 
editor of Conservative Judaism, explores the issue of whether man is capable of 
controlling himself and whether he deserves to survive.
Preventing the Nuclear Holocaust: a Jewish Response (c. 1983) — edited by 
Rabbi David Saperstein. Sponsored by UAHC, this manual provides Jewish per­
spectives on war and nuclear weaponry, gives facts on current political and mili­
tary conditions, and suggests various educational and action programs institutions 
may choose to adopt.
Talking to Children About Nuclear War (c. 1984) — by William Van Ornum 
and Mary W. Van Ornum. A sensitive guide to help deal with children’s anxieties 
in this dangerous age.
CHAPTERS IN BOOKS:
 War and Peace” in Generations in Crisis: Judaism’s Answers to the Dilemmas״
of Our Time (c. 1969) — by Gilbert S. Rosenthal. Rabbi Rosenthal marshalls 
evidence from classic Jewish sources to deal with the Atomic Age in a forthright 
manner. ■
Nuclear W״ arfare” in What Does Judaism Say About. . .  ? (c. 1973) — by Rabbi 
Dr. Louis Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs, author of Jewish Values, examines briefly Jewish 
law and its justification of war as defense of life. This is a premise contradicted 
by the extent to which nuclear weaponry threatens all human existence.
PERIODICALS:
"The Age of Auschwitz, the Nuclear Age” in Moment magazine, May, 1982.
“Choose Life,” a special edition of Keeping Posted, vol. XXVIII, no. 1, Oct. 1982. 
Deals with the nuclear peril from a Jewish viewpoint. Especially good for junior 
high and high school readers.
“Confronting the Threat of Nuclear Holocaust” in Jewish Monthly, Nov. 1982, 
by Naron Chalew and David Szonyi.
“The Freeze: Pro and Con” in The Jewish Monthly, Nov. 1982.
Should you be tempted to play ostrich on this vital question, may we recom­
mend you remind yourselves of the true "innocent victims” of war by reading 
Childhood Under Fire; Stories, Poems and Drawings by Children During the Six 
Days War (c. 1968) and Children of War by Roger Rosenblatt (c. 1983). The 
words of besieged children may cast a new, disquieting light on any attitude of 
fatalistic detachment.
Rita Berman Frischer is Director of Library 
Services at Sinai Temple Blumenthal Library 
in Los Angeles, California.
Figure 3. Column noting literature on the Jewish attitude to war (Sinai 
Speaks, February 1985).
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 141


English

Writing for Newsletters: Positive Publicity for Libraries

Meir, Rachel

Introducing Holocaust Literature to Children*
*Based on a panel discussion held at the 
21st Annual Convention of the Association 
of Jewish Libraries in Montreal, June 17, 
1986.
Rachel Meir
Canadian Zionist Federation 
Montreal, Quebec
Problems of Writing on the Holocaust
Children’s literature about the Holocaust 
seems to represent a contradiction in terms. 
The Holocaust is the term we use in order 
to give a name to the unnameable to de­
scribe that which is indescribable: the mur­
der of a third of the Jewish people by the 
Nazis and their collaborators during World 
War II in Europe.
Very little of what happened during that 
period in Europe would be deemed by any 
of us suitable story material for children. As 
a matter of fact, the mere idea of a work of 
art dealing with the Auschwitz experience 
seems not only impossible, but sacrilegious 
as well.
The ability of any literature to faithfully ren­
der the Holocaust experience has been dis­
cussed by a large number of authors and 
critics. Most agree that any literary attempts 
will either be inadequate or worse, a betrayal 
of the victims; however, the general feeling 
among those who hold these opinions is 
that silence constitutes an even worse 
betrayal.
The question of writing about the Holocaust 
presents another series of problems that are 
beyond the ethical consideration of whether 
one should or should not write about it.
There are difficulties that both author and 
reader have to face when dealing with a 
subject that defeats human imagination and 
vocabulary. Here is where caution is called 
for. Are we carelessly using cliches? Why 
do we say that the Holocaust is beyond hu­
man imagination? Is it not true that it was 
considered by a human’s imagination long 
before it became reality? Was the idea of a 
concentration camp not thought out, planned 
and executed by humans? We all know that 
the reality of the concentration camps was 
created by human beings. It became part 
of our twentieth-century experience, and 
therefore ways have to be found to give it 
proper expression in literature.
However, when this new and unprece­
dented theme is to be included within the 
framework of an existing body of literature, 
standard rules of writing do not apply. When 
an author writes, he builds on and refers to 
what has already been written—a style, a 
genre, a well-known story or author. There
Very little of 
what happened 
during that 
period in 
Europe would 
be deemed 
by any of 
us suitable 
story 
material 
for children.
is a whole background of literature, sym­
bolism and analogy to rely on. Our every­
day language is filled with analogies; we say 
“crystal-clear” and “bright as the sun.” But 
were we asked to describe how clear crys- 
tai is, or how bright the sun is, we would be 
at a loss for an analogy—because they are 
the extremes and thus they are the analogy. 
So, too, with the Holocaust. It is an extreme. 
What analogy can explain it? Auschwitz is 
like what? Auschwitz is only like Auschwitz.
The next problem is one of language. A child 
coming home from school says he is 
“starved.” After a hard day’s work, we might
say we’re “exhausted” or “dead.” If these are 
the words we use to describe these every­
day regular events, what vocabulary is left 
for the author of the Holocaust to use? What 
words will describe hunger or fear or ex­
haustion in the extreme situation of a con­
centration camp? Nothing in the reader’s ex­
perience is comparable to what the author 
will be trying to convey.
The problem of the lack of proper vocabu­
lary is so acute that some of the most fre­
quent expressions one finds in a book about 
the Holocaust are “Words cannot describe” 
and “I cannot tell you. . . .”
In some cases, we even use Nazi terminol­
ogy to describe a phenomenon that has no 
other name; one example would be the 
often-used term “medical experiments.” This 
is a Nazi term for an unthinkable form of 
torture—torture that contributed nothing to 
medicine, that yielded no worthwhile knowl­
edge from its experiments. Yet we deliber­
ately use the above-mentioned term for lack 
of any proper words to describe what really 
happened.
There is an even larger problem—beyond 
those of the lack of analogy and vocabu­
lary. We not only do not have the tools to 
communicate the Holocaust experience, 
but we may not have the capacity to relate 
to it. Other authors have dealt with horrors 
in their literature, but the horrors were some­
thing of the imagination—probable, but not 
real. In the Holocaust experience, on the 
other hand, we are dealing with something 
inconceivable—improbable, but real.
Why should a human being believe such 
a thing? Are we trained, educated, or 
brought up to believe such possibilities? We 
are not. Up until the last moment, the vic­
tims did not believe.
If writing about the Holocaust for adults is 
difficult, it is even more so when writing for 
children. There are certain constraints 
placed upon authors by specialists in chil­
dren’s literature. Authors are cautioned that 
if they want to write about real danger, they 
cannot have children as their main char­
acters (Fisher, 1962). If you want children 
as the central characters, the plot must 
fit them, otherwise you get an awful compro­
mise that suits nobody. Paul Hazard (1960) 
says to be brief, because the capacity of
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 65
children for emotion is considerable, but 
they do not like sad emotions. After some 
vicissitude, a happy ending is important.
Can this general advice apply to Holocaust 
literature for children? Do we have any sit­
uation in the Holocaust when children were 
not in real danger? Do we have happy end­
ings? Very rarely. So here we are, dealing 
with a seemingly impossible situation, yet 
we feel very strongly and advocate: “Well, 
it has to be done!” The story has to be told.
Conveying the Holocaust to Children
What is the message that we want to con­
vey to children? How much should be re­
vealed? How much should be told? At what 
age? At what level? And through what 
method of imagery?
Victor Frankl (1963) tells of an episode in 
Auschwitz in which his inmate neighbor was 
having a nightmare. Automatically, his hand 
moved to grab him by the shoulder to wake 
him up. Then he says: “My hands froze, be­
cause I realized that whatever his nightmare 
is, it cannot be as bad as the reality I wanted 
to bring him back to.”
“Nightmare” is a word we have used for cen­
turies to express something that is worse 
than reality. We are dealing now with a real­
ity that is worse than a nightmare. And we 
are dealing with children. How do we pro­
tect them while informing them? Any book 
that you open, for or about children, will im­
mediately show you that this concern is not 
only ours; it is also the writer’s as well as 
the general public’s.
Why is Anne Frank’s Diary read by so many 
children? I believe one of the reasons might 
be the built-in protection the book has in its 
structure. Anne Frank did not know what 
she was going to write about. In a certain 
awkward, terrible way, a reader of Anne 
Frank’s Diary nowadays, knows more about 
the Holocaust than she did. The most 
quoted paragraph of her beautiful diary— 
where she affirms her belief in human 
goodness—appears in the diary at the mo­
ment when the door opens and she is on 
the way to Bergen-Belsen. But Anne Frank 
did not know what was there, beyond the 
lorry and the door. When she expressed her 
hopes, her fears, her concerns, there was 
something that protected her, as all children 
should be protected from knowing the full 
truth of the Holocaust.
The total experience of Anne’s reality, with 
all the privations and suffering imposed on 
her family, did not include the possibility of 
a Bergen-Belsen. There is a sense of the 
need for such protection in the works of 
most authors who write about the Holocaust 
for children.
. . .  we are 
dealing with 
children.
How do we 
protect 
them while 
informing 
them?
This protection can take different shapes. 
One possibility is to isolate an event that 
deals with a partial aspect of the Holocaust, 
such as escape from Nazi-ruled territory or 
hiding in a sheltered place. Both The Devil 
in Vienna (Orgel, 1978) and When Hitler Stole 
Pink Rabbit (Kerr, 1971) deal with a limited 
experience—that of having to leave one’s 
country when the Nazis come to power. 
There is the notion and the realization that 
once you get beyond the border, it’s O.K.; 
it is not a no-end situation such as a train 
going to Auschwitz, or to Birkenau. The 
trains in these books are going to Paris or 
London or Switzerland. There is a solution, 
and there is a happy ending—albeit not a 
brightly colored or chocolate-coated happy 
ending. It is still problematic. One has to ad­
just to a new place, etc. but there is some­
thing to look forward to. There is hope, and 
the families are together—a basic principle 
of this type of Holocaust book written for 
children. One of the hardest experiences 
to deal with, in children’s literature is the 
breaking up of families—the children be­
ing left alone, children abandoning their 
mother’s hand, separation at “selectzias,” 
and the like.
Some of the more horrible experiences do 
enter into this literature, but indirectly—by 
way of a story told by somebody, a letter
from Uncle Hans or letters that stop com­
ing. But whenever the children hear about 
it, somehow it is with a curtain in between. 
They hear an adult’s conversation and do 
not exactly understand everything; the par­
ents may be discussing something while a 
child is ill, and she thought she heard, but 
she’s not sure; or Father is having a night­
mare and words escape, not very clearly, 
and there is a prayer for Father to stop hav­
ing nightmares. It is as if the author feels 
the need to leave out as much as possible, 
while still telling the story, relating the diffi­
cult reality. I feel authors should use this 
type of protection, bearing in mind that as 
long as families functioned in the Holocaust, 
parents tried to protect their children from 
knowing, as long as possible. In the Jew­
ish schools of the ghettos, the curriculum 
included biblical passages about the pro­
tection of G-d. To keep hope alive, the 
teachers emphasized that G-d would al­
ways be there to protect the children.
Janusz Korczak kept up the pretense of a 
school outing with his orphans when they 
boarded the train to Treblinka. There is no 
need to disclose everything, since we know 
well that even as adults we cannot and 
many times do not want to be exposed to 
the memories of survivors.
Another way of creating relative protection 
against extreme horror for young readers 
can be found in some of the stories that 
have appeared in recent years in Israel. 
Sarah Gluzman and Irene Libman wrote a 
number of short stories and novels for chil­
dren that have similar structures. The Hol­
ocaust theme is introduced from the van­
tage point of a child now living in Israel who 
finds a picture or an old siddur, he or she 
might wonder at an uncommon name given 
to a neighbor; or, there might be a parent 
who disappears on certain days of the year. 
There is some sort of a mystery that brings 
forth a question and a request to reveal the 
story behind it—the story, of course, has to 
do with the Holocaust. Here, the structure 
is the protection. Since the person is there 
to tell the story, it has to have a relatively 
happy ending, at least for the storyteller. The 
distinctive elements here are that the cen­
tral character is a child who is alive and well, 
and that there is a mystery to be solved. In 
many cases, the story also has to do with 
the coming-of-age, e.g., Bar-Mitzvah—Well, 
I never told you, but now you are old enough 
to hear this story” ; sometimes there is a de­
lay, some sort of ritual, or a ceremony— 
“Wait until Grandpa comes home and then 
he will tell you the story.”
I have found this approach very helpful in 
dealing with the reluctance of children to 
hear about the Holocaust. They know there 
is something there. They are curious, but
66 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987
reluctant. By identifying with the character 
in the story, the children—and I—found it 
easier. Using the books, I could ask—Well, 
what do you think she is going to hear? 
What do you think the story of Grandpa is 
going to be? Do you think it is going to be 
a sad story? It probably will be. It has to be.” 
These questions prepare the ground.
Other authors will choose different ways: 
in Claire Huchet Bishop’s Twenty and Ten, 
the situation is an adventure similar in struc­
ture to that of children’s novels that deal with 
a group of youths solving a detective or spy 
problem. Only this time, the threat is very 
real and cannot be confused with make- 
believe adventures. Children are extending 
help to persecuted Jewish children in a 
world where adults failed the test of hu­
manity.
There are no easy answers to the question 
of how to introduce this painful subject to 
children. Different aspects of it can be 
treated with different age groups. Our 
choice of a book should depend on the mes­
sage we want to convey. If we are to remain 
faithful to the idea of educating towards 
positive values rather than hate and distrust 
of any group of human beings, we have to 
keep looking for the books that have this
message—the ones that remain faithful to 
the event they are describing, yet bear in 
mind the reader’s sensibilities and his abil­
ity to deal with a given experience.
When placing 
a book about 
the Holocaust 
in the hands 
of a young 
reader, we 
have to be 
prepared.
The hardest role is that of the parent, 
teacher or librarian who has to answer the 
difficult questions our young readers often 
put to us after reading the book we recom-
mended. On the subject of the Holocaust 
in particular, an educator cannot trust any 
given work to do the job; the best novels will 
not answer all the questions. When placing 
a book about the Holocaust in the hands 
of a young reader, we have to be prepared.
References
Bishop, Clair Hutchet. Twenty and Ten. New 
York: Viking, 1964.
Fisher, Margery. Intent Upon Reading. A 
Critical Appraisal of Modern Fiction for 
Children. New York: Watts, 1962.
Frankl, Victor. Man’s Search for Meaning. 
New York: Pocket Books, 1963.
Hazard, Paul. Men, Children and Books. 
Boston, MA: Horn Book, 1944.
Kerr, Judith, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. 
London: Collins, 1971.
Orgel, Doris. The Devil in Vienna. New York: 
Dial Press, 1978.
Rachel Meir is National Education Consul­
tant for the Canadian Zionist Federation as 
a Representative of the World Zionist Orga­
nization, Department of Education and Cui- 
ture in the Diaspora.
Appendix: Bibliography of 
Holocaust Literature
for Children
Marcia W. Posner
JWB Jewish Book Council and 
UJA-Federation 
New York, NY
As Mrs. Meir is primarily acquainted with Is­
raeli children’s literature, a list of American 
children’s books on the Holocaust has been 
prepared as a supplement to her article. The 
works listed below comply with the theme 
of Mrs. Meir’s article—that is—to use less 
specific and therefore less frightening books 
about the Holocaust with children. I have 
taken the liberty of including stories of chil­
dren who successfully outwitted Nazis, and 
biographies of heroes and heroines of the 
Holocaust. Many excellent books have been 
omitted, however, because they do not fit 
Mrs. Meir’s criteria. The starred books are 
mentioned in Mrs. Meir’s article. Age levels 
are given in parentheses.
A recently revised list of children’s books 
about the Holocaust is now available from 
the Association of Jewish Libraries.
Fiction
Aaron, Chester, Gideon. New York: Lippincott, 
1982. (10-14)
Firer, Benzion. The Twins. Spring Valley, New
York: Feldheim, 1981. (11 up)
Forman, James. The Survivor. New York: Farrar, 
Straus & Giroux, 1976. (10-14)
Ginsburg, Marvell. The Tattooed Torah. Ulus, by 
Jo Gershman. New York: Union of American 
Hebrew Congregations, 1983. (6-10)
Herman, Erwin and Herman, Agnes. The Yanov 
Torah. Ulus, by Katherine Janus Kahn. Rock­
ville, Md.: Kar-Ben Copies, 1985. (8-12)
*Kerr, Judith. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. New 
York: Coward, 1972; Dell/Yearling pb, 1972. 
(8-12)
Levitin, Sonia. Journey to America. Ulus, by 
Charles Robinson. New York: Atheneum, 1970; 
Aladdin/Macmillan Children’s Book Group, pb, 
1987. (8-12) '
*Orgel, Doris. The Devil in Vienna. New York: Dial, 
1978.
Orlev, Uri. The Island on Bird Street. Translated 
from the Hebrew by Hillel Halkin. Boston, MA: 
Houghton, Mifflin, 1984. (10-14)
*Sachs, Marilyn. A Pocket Full of Seeds. Ulus, by 
Ben Stahl. New York: Doubleday, 1973. (10-14)
Suhl, Yuri. On the Other Side of the Gate. New 
York: Franklin Watts, 1975. (10-14)
Suhl, Yuri. Uncle Misha’s Partisans. New York: 
Four Winds, 1973; Shapolsky, pb, 1987. (10-14)
Non-Fiction
Atkinson, Linda. In Kindling Flame: The Story of 
Hannah Senesh, 1921-1944. New York: 
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1985. (12-16)
Finkelstein, Norman. Remember Not to Forget: 
A Memory of the Holocaust. Ulus, by Lois and 
Lars Hokanson. New York: Franklin Watts, 
1985. (8-12)
*Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young 
Girl, revised ed. Transl. by B.M. Mooyaart. New 
York: Doubleday, 1967. (10-14)
Niemark, Anne. Leo Baeck and the Holocaust. 
New York: Dutton/Lodestar, 1985. (11 up)
Reiss, Johanna. The Upstairs Room. New York: 
G.K. Hall & Co., 1972; Harper Junior Books 
Group, 1987. (10-14)
Schur, Maxine. Hannah Szenes-a song of light. 
Ulus, by Donna Ruff. Phila, PA: Jewish Publi­
cation Society, 1986.
Volavkova, Hana, ed. I Never Saw Another But­
terfly: Drawings and Poems from Terezin Con­
centration Camp, 1942-1944. New York: 
Schocken, 1978. (8 up)
Weissman-Klein, Gerda. Promise of a New 
Spring: The Holocaust and Renewal. Ulus, by 
Vincent Tartaro. Chappaqua, New York: Ros- 
sell, 1981. (7-10)
Zar, Rose and Kimmel, Eric. In the Mouth of the 
Wolf. Phila, PA: Jewish Publication Society, 
1983. (12 up)
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 67


Introducing Holocaust Literature to Children

Letters from Our Readers

Adler, Leah

INDEX TO VOLUME 3
Abramowicz, Dina
“On the Beginnings of Yiddish Children’s 
Literature” 68-70
Review of: Kagan, Berl, Leksikon fun Yidish
Shraybers, 28-30, 34
Acquisition Tools, 71-73
Adler, Elhanan
“The Library Automation Scene in Israel— 
1986” 21-23
ALEF BIT, 5-23
Aliprand, Joan M.
“Hebrew on RLIN” 5-16
Amnon of Mainz, 132, 134
APPROBATIONS, 24-30
ARCHIVES, 31-32
Association of Jewish Libraries
Book Awards for Children’s Literature, 59-63
Selected List of 1985 Contenders, 60
Judaica Reference Book Award, 106-107
Manuscript Competition Award, 64
“Attracting Patrons to the Synagogue 
Library: Information, Interest, and 
Involvement” 138-139
“Audio-visual Media in the Synagogue and 
Religious School Library” 95-96
Automation, of Libraries in Israel, 21-23
Avrin, Leila
“Yedidei HaSefer, the Israel Bibliophiles” 
98-100
Baker, Zachary M.
“RESPONSA” 132-134
“Yiddish Studies Pathfinder” 125-129
Bar Ilan University Library, 73
Berger, Pearl
“Classification" 37-44
“News from Israel” 44
“Yiddish Names” 33-36
Berman, Margot S.
“Attracting Patrons to the Synagogue 
Library: Information, Interest, and 
Involvement” 138-139
Bibliography
Antisemitism, 73
Holocaust Denial Literature, 57
Holocaust Literature for Children, 67
Jewish Medical Ethics, 123-124
Jewish Serials, Secondary Sources, 
25—27, 33
Judaica Reference Works, 1985-1986, 
108-115
Lilith, 81-82
New Reference Books from Israel, 116-120
Traditional Literature, 77-78
Women and Judaism, 84-85
Yiddish Studies, 125-129
“Bibliography and Cabala: a New Perspective” 
130-131
Brainin, Reuven, 31-32
Cahan, Mitchell A.
Jewish Medical Ethics: Issues, Sources, 
and the Librarian’s Role” 120-124
Carlson, Ralph
Letter, 4
Compiled by Leah Adler
Yeshiva University 
New York, NY
Caruso, Naomi
“A Shtetl Feminist: Sources in the Archives 
of the Jewish Public Library in Montreal” 
31-32
CATALOG DEPARTMENT, 33-57
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE, 59-70
THE CHOSEN BOOK, 71-73
Classification, Library of Congress
Local modifications, 45-48
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Library, 37-40
Mendel Gottesman Library of Hebraica- 
Judaica, Yeshiva University, 40-44
“The Classification of Holocaust Denial
Literature by the Library of Congress” 50-55
Cochetti, Maria
“Bibliography and Cabala: a New
Perspective” 130-131
COMMENTARIES, 4
“Controversial Materials in the Jewish Library” 
(Introduction to a Panel Discussion) 49-50
Cutter, Charles
“Recommended Judaica Reference Works,
1985-1986” 108—115
SERIALLY SPEAKING, 136-137
“Cutter J4: Tampering with the Library 
of Congress Classification for Judaica” 
45-48
“Dorothy Schroeder—Judaica Library 
Visionary Extraordinaire” 142
“Education for Synagogue Librarians at the 
Queens College School of General Studies: 
1984-1986” 74-78
EPISTLE FROM ISRAEL, 73
Fleisher, Rosalie
AJL Manuscript Competition Award
Acceptance Speech, 64
Freedman, Florence B.
AJL Picture Book Award Acceptance
Speech, 61-62
Frischer, Rita Berman
“Writing for Newsletters: Positive Publicity
for Libraries” 139-141
Gold, Doris
“Notes of a Jewish Women’s Studies
Publisher” 82-83
Greenbaum, Avraham
EPISTLE FROM ISRAEL, 73
Review of: Preisler, Zvi H., ed. Sefer
Mishneh Torah . . . le-Rabenu Mosheh ben
Maimon, 24
Greenblatt, Judy
“Association of Jewish Libraries Book Awards
for Children’s Literature” 59-62
Grunberger, Michael
“Controversial Materials in the Jewish 
Library” (Introduction to a Panel 
Discussion) 49-50
Haifa University Library, 73
“The Handling of Holocaust Denial Literature
in a Special Library” 55-57
“Hebrew on RLIN” 5-16
“Hebrew Word Processing” 17-21
Heskes, Irene
AJL Judaica Reference Book Award
Acceptance Speech, 107
Holocaust
Children’s Literature, 65-67
, Bibliography, 67
Denial Literature
Bibliography, 57
Classification (Library of Congress) 50-55
Handling of, 55-57
Introduction to a Panel Discussion, 
49-50
IN THE BEGINNING, 3
“Introducing Holocaust Literature to Children” 
65-67
Israel
Cataloging Committee, Reshimat Kotarim 
Ahidim Be-Mada‘e Ha-Yahadut, 44
EPISTLE FROM ISRAEL, 73
Library Automation, 21-23
New Reference Books, 116-120
Yedidei HaSefer, 98-100
Jacoby, Jay
“Lilith in Jewish Literature” 79-82
“The Jewish Book Council Library Citation: 
History and Report of a Follow-up Study” 
90-94, 96
Jewish Children’s Books Too Good to Miss, 60
“Jewish Medical Ethics: Issues, Sources, and 
the Librarian’s Role” 120-124
Jewish National and University Library 
(Jerusalem) 73
Jewish Public Library in Montreal, Archives, 
31-32
Jewish Serials of the World: a Research 
Bibliography of Secondary Sources (Review) 
25—27, 33
Jewish Theological Seminary of America 
Library, Classification Decisions, 37-40
A Jewish Women’s Studies Publisher, 
82-83
“Job Descriptions for a Library Servicing a 
Synagogue and Day School” 85-89
Judaica Reference Works, 1985-1986, 108-115
Israeli, 116-120
Kabakoff, Jacob
Letter, 4
Kagan, Berl
Leksikon fun Yidish Shraybers (Reviewed by
Dina Abramowicz) 28-30, 34
Kahane, Libby
“New Reference Books From Israel”
116-120
Klein, Adaire
“The Handling of Holocaust Denial
Literature in a Special Library” 55-57
Kuperman, Aaron Wolfe
“Hebrew Word Processing” 17-21
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 143
LEARNING, 74-78
Leff, Barbara
“Dorothy Schroeder—Judaica Library
Visionary Extraordinaire” 142
“Job Descriptions for a Library Servicing a 
Synagogue and Day School” 85-89
Leksikon fun Yidish Shraybers (Review)
28-30, 34
Lerman, Linda P.
“AJL Judaica Reference Book Award” 106
“Pathfinder Series” 125
“The Library Automation Scene in Israel — 
1986” 21-23
Library of Congress
Classification for Judaica, Tampering with, 
45-48
Local modifications, 37-44
Classification of Holocaust Denial Literature, 
50-55
“Lilith in Jewish Literature” 79-82
LITERARY THEMES, 79-85
Lubetski, Edith
“Recently Published Acquisition Tools”
71-73
MANAGEMENT—JEWISH, 85-94, 96
MEDIA JUDAICA, 95-96
Medical ethics, 120-124
Mehlman, Israel
“What Makes a Hebrew Book Rare?”
102-104, 107
Meir, Rachel
“Introducing Holocaust Literature to
Children” 65-67
Mendel Gottesman Library of Hebraica- 
Judaica, Yeshiva University, Classification
Decisions, 40-44
Mishneh Torah . . . le-Rabenu Mosheh
ben Maimon, Zvi H. Preisler, ed.
(Review) 24
“New Reference Books From Israel” 116-120
“Notes of A Jewish Women’s Studies
Publisher” 82-83
“On the Beginnings of Yiddish Children’s 
Literature” 68-70
Oppenheim, Micha F.
“Recommended Judaica Reference Works,
1985-1986” 108-115
“Pathfinder Series” 125
Penkower, Yael
“What Makes a Hebrew Book Rare?”
(Translation) 102-104, 107
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, 98-100
Posner, Marcia W.
“Education for Synagogue Librarians at the 
Queens College School of General 
Studies: 1984-1986” 74-78
IN THE BEGINNING, 3
“The Jewish Book Council Library Citation: 
History and Report of a Follow-up Study” 
90-94, 96
“Women and Judaism: a Selected Annotated 
Bibliography” 84-85
Preisler, Zvi H., ed.
Sefer Mishneh Torah . . . le-Rabenu Mosheh 
ben Maimon (Reviewed by Avraham 
Greenbaum) 24
Queens College, Education for Synagogue 
Librarians, 74-78
RARE BOOKS, 102-104, 107
“Recently Published Acquisition Tools” 71-73
“Recommended Judaica Reference Works, 
1985-1986” 108-115
REFERENCE DEPARTMENT, 106-131
RESPONSA, 132-134
RLIN, Hebrew Capability, 5-16
Romanization of Yiddish Names, 33-36
Schroeder, Dorothy, 142
Schwartz, Lillian
AJL Manuscript Competition Award 
Presentation, 64
Sefer Mishneh Torah . . . le-Rabenu Mosheh 
ben Maimon, Zvi H. Preisler, ed.
(Review) 24
SERIALLY SPEAKING, 136-137
Shapiro, Chava, 31-32
Sholom Aleichem
Kasrilevke, Boiberik, Yehupetz, 133-134
“A Shtetl Feminist: Sources in the Archives of 
the Jewish Public Library in Montreal” 
31-32
Sigal, Goldie
Letter (Romanization of Yiddish Names) 33
Simon, Ralph R.
“Audio-visual Media in the Synagogue and
Religious School Library” 95-96
Singerman, Robert, comp.
Jewish Serials of the World: a Research
Bibliography of Secondary Sources
(Reviewed by Barry Walfish) 25-27, 33
Snyder, Carol
AJL Children’s Book Award Acceptance
Speech, 62-63
Subject Headings
Bar Ilan University Library, 73
Hebrew, 73
SYNAGOGUE LIBRARIES, 138-142
Synagogue, School, and Center Libraries
Attracting Patrons, 138-139
Audio-visual Media, 95-96
Education of Librarians, 74-78
Jewish Book Council Library Citation, 
90-94, 96
Job Descriptions, 85-89
Writing for Newsletters 139-141
Tampering with the Library of Congress 
Classification for Judaica, 45-48
Tel-Aviv University Library, 73
Tucker, Ben R.
Letters (Romanization of Yiddish Names) 
34-35, 36
Unetaneh tokef, 132, 134
Walfish, Barry
Letter (Romanization of Yiddish Names) 
35-36
Review of: Singerman, Robert, comp.
Jewish Serials of the World, 25-27, 33
Weinberg, Bella Hass
“Cutter J4: Tampering with the Library of
Congress Classification for Judaica” 45-48
Weinfeld, Morton
“The Classification of Holocaust Denial
Literature by the Library of Congress” 50-55 
“What Makes a Hebrew Book Rare?”
102-104, 107
“Women and Judaism: a Selected Annotated
Bibliography” 84-85
Word Processing, Hebrew, 17-21
“Writing for Newsletters: Positive Publicity 
for Libraries” 139-141
“Yedidei HaSefer, the Israel Bibliophiles” 
98-100
Yiddish Studies
Children’s Literature, 68-70
Leksikon fun Yidish Shraybers
(Review) 28-30, 34
Pathfinder, 125-129
Romanization of Yiddish Names, 33-36
Leah Adler is Head Librarian of the Mendel Got­
tesman Library of Hebraica-Judaica, Yeshiva 
University.
Index of Advertisers
Name Page
Adama Books.............................................................. 60
Garland Publishing.....................................................  97
Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc...................................58
JWB Jewish Book Council........................................... 96
Jerusalem Books.... ..................................................... 23
Morrison and Kline......................................................101
Saur (K.G.) Inc........................................................... 105
Shapolsky Publishing, Inc....................     70, 72
Theatre Communications Group................................  50
Tikkun Magazine......................................................  135
144
The editors acknowledge the assistance of Rhonda Kleiman, Gradu­
ate Assistant to Dr. Weinberg in the Division of Library and Informa­
tion Science of St. John’s University.
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987


Index to volume 3

Mehlman, Israel

Penkower, Yael

What Makes a Hebrew Book Rare?

Lubetski, Edith

THE CHOSEN BOOK
Recently Published Acquisition Tools
Edith Lubetski
Stern College, Yeshiva University 
New York, NY
This column lists new and recently pub­
lished materials that may be useful as ac­
quisition tools. If you are aware of anything 
that falls into this category, kindly send a 
brief notice to:
Prof. Edith Lubetski
Hedi Steinberg Library 
Stern College for Women 
245 Lexington Avenue 
New York, NY 10016
Bibliography
Center for Public Libraries in Israel
P.O.B. 242
Jerusalem 91002
Israel
The Center for Public Libraries in Israel has 
been around for awhile. They have recently 
reorganized their distribution services to 
customers abroad, however, and can now 
send their publications directly to customers 
outside of Israel.
The Center prepares Hebrew catalog cards 
on a regular basis for books and records 
produced in Israel. Their list of publications 
includes a number of bibliographies. Of par­
ticular interest to the acquisitions librarian 
are the following: Recent Publications, a 
weekly service in Hebrew, on sheets, giv­
ing short descriptions of new publications 
culled from publisher information and brief 
newspaper notices; and A Collection of 
Book Reviews, a semi-monthly in Hebrew. 
The entries in the latter are reprints of 
reviews appearing in Israeli publications.
Israel Book Bulletin
P.O. Box 1076
Kiryat Shmonah
Israel
Israel Book Bulletin is a recently begun quar­
terly. Vol. I No. 4, September 1986 is the 
latest issue to date. The entries are arranged 
by subject, and some are annotated. Full 
bibliographic information is given for each 
entry, including pagination and price. The 
Israel Book Bulletin is of particular value for 
a comprehensive Judaica library collection, 
since it lists primarily publications of insti-
tutes and organizations, rather than trade 
publications. These publications are gener­
ally not well represented in other biblio­
graphic tools. Books can also be purchased 
through the Bulletin. For the convenience 
of those interested in acquiring these books, 
a list of publishers’ addresses is appended.
Israeli Books in Print, 1986
Book and Printing Center
Israel Export Institute
29 Hamered Street
Tel Aviv 68125
Israel
This is the first compilation of non-Hebrew 
Israeli books published between 1970 and 
1982. It is not an exhaustive listing as not 
all publishers participated, but it can still 
serve as a tool for the acquisitions librar­
ian. Both general and Jewish subjects are 
covered, with a large number of books of 
interest to a Jewish Studies collection. The 
majority of the 1,260 books listed are in En­
glish; about 300 are in other languages.
The book is arranged by subject, and within 
subject, alphabetically by language. There 
is an author index. There are no promises 
that this will be an annual publication, but 
we can hope.
Book Clubs
Sefarim: A Guide to Jewish Books
No. 1 Winter/Spring 5746 (1985/86) 
c/0 The Hebrew Book Club 
78A Shenkin Street
Tel Aviv 65223
Israel
In the last issue of Judaica Librarianship, the 
quarterly publication Sefarim: The Good 
Book Guide was discussed. Since then, the 
Hebrew Book Club has decided to prepare 
a special supplement for Jewish religious 
books. This new guide, which will also be 
issued on a quarterly basis, lists and 
describes a selection of hundreds of books 
on Torah, Halakhah, and Jewish faith. In ad­
dition to the books listed in the catalog, other 
books of this type can be ordered through 
the club. A one-year subscription is $10.00;
members of the Hebrew Book Club pay 
$5.00.
Shalsheles Book Club
1150 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, New Jersey 08701
Founded Hanukkah 1985, this Book Club 
offers Jewish juvenile titles written from a 
religious perspective. The club sends a 
catalog four times a year, each containing 
24 new books and six tapes. A few books 
“Just for Mom” are included in each cata­
log. The books are grouped by age, and are 
aimed primarily at children in day schools 
and yeshivahs.
If a school sponsors the program, its library 
will benefit by receiving books at a discount.
Collection
Yiddish Library Development Program
National Yiddish Book Center 
Old East Street School 
Amherst, Mass. 01004
Libraries can now acquire a pre-packaged 
collection of new and out-of-print Yiddish 
books. The National Yiddish Book Center 
will provide your library with a pre-selected 
collection of 500 to 1,000 volumes of the 
most important works of modern Yiddish 
literature. The Center will also provide 
professional cataloging support to par­
ticipating libraries. A basic collection costs 
$5,000, and a comprehensive collection, 
$10,000.
Media
Genut Audio Visual Productions
Harav Herzog 28 
Givatayim 53587 
Israel
This publisher has produced a number of 
slide-tape presentations. The tapes are 
available in either English or Hebrew, and 
are suitable—according to the catalog—for 
all age groups. Each slide-tape presenta­
tion lasts for an average of 15 minutes. To 
date, Genut has produced programs cover­
ing the major Jewish holidays, and one on
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 71
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SHAPOLSKY PUBLISHERS is a member of The Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), 
and an Exhibitor at the ALA and AJL Conventions.
72 Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987
Psalm 104 (BarkhiNafshi). The prices range 
from $45.00-$85.00.
JWB Jewish Media Round-up
Jewish Media Service
15 East 26th Street
New York, NY 10010-1579
The Jewish Media Round-up, which had 
suspended publication for a while, has 
returned to the scene in a new attractive, 
readable format. It provides information 
about Jewish films and TV, including Israeli 
films and media. Each entry in the “New & 
Noteworthy” section provides full informa­
tion, including purchase or rental price as 
well as address of the producer or supplier. 
In some cases, there are descriptive anno­
tations.
This publication also provides additional in­
formation concerning media, such as news 
items and articles.
Kabbalah Cassettes
Box 677, Astor Station
Boston, Mass. 02123
A small number of cassettes on the subject 
of Kabbalah are available from this 
company.
Tape Library Catalog
Rabbinic Alumni Office
Yeshiva University
500 West 185th Street
New York, NY 10033
Yeshiva University’s Rabbinic Alumni Office 
has produced a list of its extensive audio­
tape library of shiurim, lectures, and homi­
letic presentations dealing with the broad 
spectrum of Torah learning. The subjects 
include Talmud, Holidays, Halakhah, Por­
tion of the Week, Philosophy, Ethics, and 
Issues of Contemporary Concern. Titles 
and speakers are listed in the catalog. Each 
tape costs $7.00.
Publisher
Women’s Institute for
Continuing Education
4079 54th Street
San Diego, California 92105
This is a small publisher specializing in pub­
lications for and about the Jewish woman.
Edith Lubetski is Assistant Professor of Li­
brary Administration and Head Librarian, 
Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University. 
She is the co-author (with her husband, Prof. 
Meir Lubetski) ofBuild ing a Judaica Library 
Collection (Libraries Unlimited, 1983). Edith 
Lubetski is also President of the Association 
of Jewish Libraries.
EPISTLE FROM ISRAEL
Avraham Greenbaum 
Institute for Advanced Studies 
Hebrew University
Jewish National and University 
Library, Jerusalem
The building on the Givat Ram Campus is 
being remodeled in order to obtain addi­
tional storage space. The Graduate Library 
School has moved to the Levy building, and 
its former quarters in the basement will be 
occupied by the Dept, of Manuscripts. The 
reading rooms on the second floor are at 
present not affected, but closing time is now 
7 p.m., in what seems to this reader to be 
a continuous downward spiral. The previ­
ous closing time was 7:45, and a closing 
time of 9:45 p.m. is in recent memory.
The Library has passed through a financial 
crisis, and was unable to purchase new 
books from the spring to the fall of 1986. 
While formally, the previous level of acqui­
sitions is being maintained, concern has 
been expressed at the 60% of budget which 
Judaica acquisitions has reached. It must 
be remembered that the Library is not only 
a depository library for Israeli imprints, but 
makes every effort to acquire all Judaica, 
broadly defined, published abroad in any 
language—a policy which automatically 
limits purchase of non-Judaic materials 
abroad.
Among new donations is what is described 
as the only Hebrew incunabulum contain­
ing woodcuts (Meshal ha-kadmoni, Brescia 
1491).
Bar-Han University Library
Some very rare imprints, mostly from Rus­
sia and Poland, were included in a collec­
tion of over th irty thousand religious books 
from Rumania, found in unused syna­
gogues and study halls and sent to Bar-llan 
through the good offices of Rumania’s Chief 
Rabbi in 1983.
Bar-llan Library has prepared the first He­
brew subject headings list in actual use by 
an Israeli academic library. The list is largely 
based on LC, and has been used in the 
computer-produced subject catalog of re­
cent Hebraica acquisitions. Formerly Bar- 
Ilan had not cataloged Hebrew books by 
subject; LC subjects were and continue to 
be used for Latin-alphabet imprints (“loazite” 
as I used to call them in my days at the Bran­
deis Library).
Dr. Avraham Greenbaum, Reference Librarian and Senior Lecturer in Jewish History 
at the University of Haifa, is currently in residence at the Institute for Advanced Studies 
of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Susan Lazinger, the former editor of this 
column, is spending the year at Stanford University.
Haifa University Library
The library spent much of 1986 in a pur­
chase freeze similar to the one at the Na­
tional Library and could not order books for 
half a year. Librarians are also making an 
effort to reduce the number of journal sub­
scriptions.
Meir (Manfred) Wasserman, a new im­
migrant from the U.S. who also teaches at 
the library school, has been appointed on 
a half-time basis to tackle the much 
neglected area of book preservation.
Tel-Aviv University Library
In a move similar to the one by the National 
Library at Givat Ram, the Central Library 
has closed its card catalog as of March 1985 
and is continuing by computer. Computer­
ization of other services is planned.
New Publication
A bibliography on anti-Semitism, planned 
as an annual and sponsored by the Vidal 
Sassoon International Center for the Study 
of Anti-Semitism, is nearing completion. 
The first volume, which will be published by 
Garland, will cover books and articles pub­
lished in 1984/85. The editor, Susan 
Cohen—who is also co-editor of Index of Ar- 
tides in Jewish Studies (“RaM Bl”) —reports 
that her biggest problem is deciding when 
anti-Zionism becomes anti-Sem itism . 
“Denial of the Holocaust,” says she in an­
swer to my question, is included automati­
cally. The bibliography covers only “works 
about,” not anti-Semitic literature.
Obituary
On Sept. 9,1986, the bibliographer and liter­
ary historian Getzel Kressel passed away 
at the age of 75. Kressel, who lived in Ho- 
Ion, was an institution; possibly the last of 
the self-employed bibliographers, he sup­
ported himself through his writing. Among 
the innumerable books, articles, reviews 
and bibliographies he published since the 
late th irties—nearly all in Hebrew—his out­
standing work is the first bio-bibliographical 
lexicon of Hebrew literature (Leksikon ha- 
sifrut ha-‘ivrit, Merhavya 1965-1967). His last 
book before his death was a bibliography 
of his own writings.
Judaica Librarianship Vol. 3 No. 1-2 1986-1987 73


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