Mazal tov to Rachel ! I can’t think of a more deserving librarian. I was sure that she has received the award ages ago. When I first met Rachel she was still in Detroit, I imagined her as AJL president, but then she concentrated on her family. Later she turned down the nomination to become SSC president. I turn to her advise often and always get help. I never miss her presentations at the confernces. Rachel, AJL is lucky to have you, Amalia W.
From: Rebecca Levitan via Hasafran Sent: Friday, April 23, 2021 5:25 AM To: hasaf...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu Subject: [ha-Safran] Rachel Kamin Named Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Winner For More Information Contact: Zachary Baker, Chair Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Association of Jewish Libraries https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.Jewishlibraries.org__;!!KGKeukY!h55q37XtX6JuII7MEZsSpmFW5R6kWdglUpI2b4xz93OLh1WOBGwGUxj6gSaB0vnw9icqU5ICMLTQLlw$ zba...@stanford.edu April 22 , 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2021 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Winner Announced In advance of the 2021 Virtual Conference, the Association of Jewish Libraries is pleased to announce that longtime member Rachel Kamin has been named the 2021 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Winner. “On behalf of the Fanny Goldstein Merit Award committee, we are proud to have been given the opportunity to honor Rachel Kamin as this year’s recipient of the Award. Over the years, Rachel has contributed so much to the Association of Jewish Libraries, to the field of Judaica librarianship, and to librarianship as a profession overall. On very short notice and under challenging circumstances, she played a pivotal role in transforming AJL’s 2020 conference from an in-person to a highly successful virtual event. Rachel’s passionate devotion to public service is a model for us all, and she truly personifies the values and legacy of the Award’s namesake, Fanny Goldstein.” said committee chair Zachary Baker. The Fanny Goldstein Merit Award, named for the librarian, social activist and founder of National Jewish Book Month, is bestowed in recognition of loyal and ongoing contributions to the Association Of Jewish Libraries and to the profession of Judaica librarianship. Born on May 15, 1895 [some sources say 1888], Fanny Goldstein devoted her life to books and community. She was the first female Judaica librarian and the first woman to direct a branch library in Massachusetts, where she was head of Boston's West End Branch for many years. A prominent figure in the Boston Jewish community, she is best known as the founder of Jewish Book Week, which began when Goldstein organized a display of Jewish books at the Boston Public Library in 1925. Rachel Kamin has been a synagogue librarian for over 20 years and is currently the Director of the Joseph and Mae Gray Cultural & Learning Center at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, Illinois. She serves on the Association of Jewish Libraries New Jewish Fiction Award Committee and contributes articles and book reviews to BookLinks, School Library Journal, Jewish Book World, Judaica Librarianship, Library Journal, and AJL Reviews. She contributed a chapter on recommended children’s books to The Tot Shabbat Handbook: A Practical Guide for Engaging Young Families in Congregational Life edited by Paula Feldstein (URJ Press, 2010) and co-authored a chapter about Jewish children’s literature for Reading and Teaching with Diverse Nonfiction Children’s Books: Representations and Possibilities, to be published in the summer of 2021 by the National Council for Teachers of English. She facilitates book discussions for five Chicago area synagogues as well as for other organizations and private groups. Rachel holds a BA in history from Grinnell College and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Michigan. In addition, Rachel has been a member of AJL for at least 20 years and has attended the AJL Conference regularly. After the decision was made to not hold the conference live in Chicago in 2020 as planned, Rachel restructured the face-to-face conference that she had planned, into AJL’s first Virtual Conference. This year, Rachel is coordinating all the programming for the 2021 Virtual Conference and working with the planning committee to ensure that the divisions get the program they desire.This year she has also been moderating AJL’s “Serving Students” Virtual Roundtable and facilitated the Purim book discussion. Since the spring of 2020, Rachel has delivered over 20 Zoom presentations on Jewish fiction for Hadassah, the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, American Jewish University, and the Judaica Network of Metropolitan Chicago, as well as for synagogues and Jewish groups across the country. She also facilitates book discussions for five Chicago area synagogues as well as for other organizations and private groups. In addition to all of the above, Rachel has been the chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, continues to provide Bibliography for the AJL Bibliography files, and recently accepted the position as AJL’s representative on ALA’s Sophie Brody Award Committee. Overall, Rachel lends her hand and expertise whenever a volunteer is needed. She is an outstanding representative for AJL. Rachel will receive her award during the Annual Conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries, to be held virtually from June 27 to July 1, 2021. Members of the 2021 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award committee are Chair Zachary Baker, Aileen Grossberg, and Yossi Galron. The Association of Jewish Libraries, the leading authority on Judaic librarianship, promotes Jewish literacy through enhancement of libraries and library resources and through leadership for the profession and practitioners of Judaica librarianship. The Association fosters access to information, learning, teaching and research relating to Jews, Judaism, the Jewish experience, and Israel. ###
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: hasaf...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.osu.edu https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
