Michelle, at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Los Angeles, which is just over 100 years old, we had some students and faculty from the UCLA Leve Center for Jewish Studies come over to help us with our archive, which was organized but had outgrown its space. The board chose to gift the archive to UCLA so that items would be properly preserved and available to researchers. A finding aid made the digitized items accessible. The connection we made fit into the Center's Sephardic Archive Initiative <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://levecenter.ucla.edu/ucla-sephardic-initiative/__;!!KGKeukY!we485C00HOe-oFBjjB0p-YmviadHUbqkTbLU7J_RvzLRLiaPyMOiJS23QMF5eQG-sgzGfy2QMLF7rwpQXk3aL7u3cMdf$ > so it worked out for all concerned. Our gift was a major part of the project.
So currently we do not have an active archive since the previous archive space was turned into a much-needed classroom. I am setting aside likely items -- things I come across, especially among donations -- in a few boxes in a corner of the library to form the basis of a future archive. It's not ideal but at least it's a start. Anyway, I second Ari Kinsberg's suggestion to contact local organizations with expertise in Judaica and/or archives. Best, Annette Annette Y Goldsmith, PhD (she/her/hers) Librarian, Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel, Los Angeles Juror, 2025 Kirkus Prize Member, 2024-2025 Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee ALA Carnegie-Whitney grant-funded website (with Marc Aronson and David Jacobson): "Building a Global Youth Literature Collection 101" <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://globalyouthlit.org/__;!!KGKeukY!we485C00HOe-oFBjjB0p-YmviadHUbqkTbLU7J_RvzLRLiaPyMOiJS23QMF5eQG-sgzGfy2QMLF7rwpQXk3aL4QtCGYS$ > *Currently reading: *Lincoln, Beth. *The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues* (The Swifts, Book 2). Illus. by Claire Powell. Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2024. "A book is like a world you can carry around with you." Liniers.* Written and Drawn by Henrietta* (TOON Books, 2015) On Mon, Nov 3, 2025 at 7:55 PM Michelle Sandler via Hasafran < [email protected]> wrote: > I am the Archivist of the Reform synagogue Temple Beth David in > Westminster California. I am in the early stages of building an archive > of our 63 year history. I have a small committee of 3 of us. Another > Reform synagogue in Fountain Valley > I am the Archivist of the Reform synagogue Temple Beth David in > Westminster California. I am in the early stages of building an archive of > our 63 year history. I have a small committee of 3 of us. Another Reform > synagogue in Fountain Valley California wants to merge with us as they are > in financial trouble. Both congregations just had our vote yesterday and > the merger is on July 1st, 2026. We have a very small cupboard in the > choir loft. This is not enough space for our archival materials let alone > their huge archival collection. They have been in business for 50 years. > There is no more room in the two buildings of our synagogue to house much > of anything of theirs let alone all of our stuff. What do we do for > storage? Or do we digitize everything flat and put it on our synagogue > website. If I have to find off site storage can materials be safely > stored in members garages or the large storage shed in the back of our > synagogue? Or do we just toss everything after it is digitized. > Funds are coming out of a Library-Archive endowment fund which is very > limited. I need some of the funds for the library catalog and OPAC > (ResourceMate). Our library is very small, 1,500 volumes in three places. > I eliminated 1,500 volumes three years ago to make room for another > preschool classroom which makes money. The other synagogue also has some > books they want to bring over so finding a place for their books is going > to be hard. > > Michelle Sandler MLS > Librarian and Archivist > Temple Beth David > Westminster, California > __ > 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: > [email protected] > To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: > https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] > Ha-Safran Archives: > Current: > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran*40lists.osu.edu/maillist.html__;JQ!!KGKeukY!we485C00HOe-oFBjjB0p-YmviadHUbqkTbLU7J_RvzLRLiaPyMOiJS23QMF5eQG-sgzGfy2QMLF7rwpQXk3aL3_KqUb5$ > > Earlier Listserver: > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran*40lists.osu.edu/maillist.html__;JQ!!KGKeukY!we485C00HOe-oFBjjB0p-YmviadHUbqkTbLU7J_RvzLRLiaPyMOiJS23QMF5eQG-sgzGfy2QMLF7rwpQXk3aL3_KqUb5$ > > AJL HomePage > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.JewishLibraries.org__;!!KGKeukY!we485C00HOe-oFBjjB0p-YmviadHUbqkTbLU7J_RvzLRLiaPyMOiJS23QMF5eQG-sgzGfy2QMLF7rwpQXk3aL8vyZOFo$ > > -- > Hasafran mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran >
__ 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: [email protected] To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.osu.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.osu.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected] https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
