Mazal tov to Kathy for this well-deserved recognition! And to Marcie, who wrote this excellent bio about her, thank you for featuring all the many projects she has spearheaded and her genuine hard work for our organization for all these years-- in particular, leading us during the pandemic situation, which was not an easy task, but she got us all through it with her leadership. She was the right person for AJL at the time, and we were lucky to benefit from her abilities to manage all of the committees who helped keep us going. Toda raba, Kathy!
I look forward to seeing everyone in Chicago, Lisa Lisa Silverman Retired director, Sperber Jewish Community Library ________________________________ From: Association of Jewish Libraries <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 3:04 PM To: Lisa Silverman <[email protected]> Subject: AJL Announces 2026 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Winner [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://d15k2d11r6t6rl.cloudfront.net/public/users/Integrators/2fc9bf2c-2bb4-4382-9941-a34fccba072b/fe7da24b-915a-4104-a606-ac9501779d3d/editor_images/AJL*20banner*20hi*20res.png__;JSUl!!KGKeukY!147TxLv_QtAv7bLVHZv9Pm0zQwEPqtjds8R64K3_FE8of-DeIPvaCQT3Cqv3w8Lg1zDtgl4KbqjuDblIfyC_VaXBYGpnjlr39qLyYFhxSFdH$ ]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://u583993.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.9gz9PK4IkoPIXuftrhoDvNf00xrPkIoW9Mqbee1tvEVbYEyN6vXCLamIXIXFKBIV8g11_-2BJjQyRo5yO53eRGtv-2FCrLxIdJH-2FpM4n3rg8AVh-2Bls-2BMEae9eMC1jEo37jd73-2Fsbi42N5bTGDmJ0yP0STFJL4N1a3lxY5c3cIIgyr5heZkH93TAvrZG64sdU5znyMkBYWHTOh5Qpa34zOAw7VdUVm5bxTJhdt7dMkNDJ6b6LDERb-2BvzPiQd1NmR-2FFsZ0gVmXUTv3Zo2X-2F-2BMtTJCVE1ThdRoIBcbyn8msuJftMg3gwJZc-2BpSlQAKyA2unuYghco0ghubnaSucpsu5TXADMhuGTFSfSOZiYztnwJbgY-2BrpKp-2F2c3gkAlwvEt-2B6uw7VGPWMV7w4SufBm24wCMd2tpucCzE5Px3SECpD6lWNeoI2Dq6dD8kXLq8SFFV38iVmJOtw57uvUJFOdfCxXk8EmdH-2F3ETbDZfrwlzgJDwQl1amLClGWXu1nRQDCJVL7Tlmi5kvswqVohqyIu7AQwDc0Eytu4RuiD3D5F0foyg3qMLE8e9A-3D__;!!KGKeukY!147TxLv_QtAv7bLVHZv9Pm0zQwEPqtjds8R64K3_FE8of-DeIPvaCQT3Cqv3w8Lg1zDtgl4KbqjuDblIfyC_VaXBYGpnjlr39qLyYL023XIV$ > AJL Announces 2026 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Winner The Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) is proud to announce that longtime member Kathleen Bloomfield has been named the 2026 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award winner. The 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. Kathy Bloomfield’s involvement with the Association of Jewish Libraries began when she attended the 1995 conference in Chicago as a bookseller. Over the past 30 years, she has served on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee and several conference committees; held board positions as president and vice president of AJL’s Synagogues, Schools, Centers, and Public Libraries division; and served as vice president/president elect and president (2020–2022) of AJL. As AJL president, her proudest accomplishment was working with the board to establish an endowment that will support AJL well into the future. The Merit Award Committee also recognized the strategic planning process and website improvements initiated under her direction as well as her work fostering partnerships. Because of Kathy’s determination, AJL became an Ethnic Affiliate of the American Library Association, and the Sydney Taylor Book Awards are now included as part of ALA’s announcements of its annual Youth Media Award winners. Kathy was the creator of forwordsbooks, a national Jewish book fair and catalog sales business and was also the book club editor for BabagaNewz magazine, community development director at InterfaithFamily.com, mikveh center director at Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh, and the assistant regional director for the Union for Reform Judaism Northeast Council. Her other volunteer roles have included temple president, mikveh guide, and URJ Outreach Fellow. She is currently “retired,” but uses her time for a variety of activities like book reviewing, managing her personal library of over 2,000 books, reading, cross stitching, taking care of her one-year-old grandson, and of course, volunteering for AJL. “With her honesty, wit, and careful attention to detail, Kathy brought AJL into the 21st century,” says AJL Past President Michelle Margolis. “It is because of Kathy's hard work and incredible leadership that we now have financial solvency through endowments. It was under Kathy's leadership that we managed the upheavals of COVID by pivoting to the ‘best virtual conference’ with only six weeks of planning. And she is not afraid to stand up and take action when needed, as we've seen multiple times. Her energy and passion for books, librarianship (even though she constantly reminds people that she's not a librarian) and AJL is infectious, and has transformed the organization.” Kathy will receive her award on June 23, 2026, during this year’s AJL conference<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://u583993.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.9gz9PK4IkoPIXuftrhoDvNf00xrPkIoW9Mqbee1tvEX9rPkzrv2oVUt7cJONdgQvaHtN-2BTbsIrua6n-2FpZZuHhg-3D-3Di8qP_-2BJjQyRo5yO53eRGtv-2FCrLxIdJH-2FpM4n3rg8AVh-2Bls-2BMEae9eMC1jEo37jd73-2Fsbi42N5bTGDmJ0yP0STFJL4N1a3lxY5c3cIIgyr5heZkH93TAvrZG64sdU5znyMkBYWHTOh5Qpa34zOAw7VdUVm5bxTJhdt7dMkNDJ6b6LDERb-2BvzPiQd1NmR-2FFsZ0gVmXUTv3Zo2X-2F-2BMtTJCVE1ThdRoIBcbyn8msuJftMg3gwJZc-2BpSlQAKyA2unuYghco0ghubnaSucpsu5TXADMhuGTFSfSOZiYztnwJbgY-2BrpKp-2F2c3gkAlwvEt-2B6uw7VGPWMV7w4SufBm24wCMd2tpucCzE5Px3SECpD6lWNeoI2Dq6fWy172oyT-2FVH13pe28N-2F0lHUpga3BFXu0MZpHncd89ojGsmzxweeJWMGO4zcMIO49RWrDr3i9TUrWue4Dri-2BBTHmCMqfrpnfFRff4hHOtom-2FDX4ZE435y8lo-2BglTP0kU8-3D__;!!KGKeukY!147TxLv_QtAv7bLVHZv9Pm0zQwEPqtjds8R64K3_FE8of-DeIPvaCQT3Cqv3w8Lg1zDtgl4KbqjuDblIfyC_VaXBYGpnjlr39qLyYHVsqEoZ$ >. Join us in paying tribute to Kathy by considering making a gift to AJL<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://u583993.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.9gz9PK4IkoPIXuftrhoDvNf00xrPkIoW9Mqbee1tvEWUbENM399SKd-2FnpLIfs6ACL8Zh_-2BJjQyRo5yO53eRGtv-2FCrLxIdJH-2FpM4n3rg8AVh-2Bls-2BMEae9eMC1jEo37jd73-2Fsbi42N5bTGDmJ0yP0STFJL4N1a3lxY5c3cIIgyr5heZkH93TAvrZG64sdU5znyMkBYWHTOh5Qpa34zOAw7VdUVm5bxTJhdt7dMkNDJ6b6LDERb-2BvzPiQd1NmR-2FFsZ0gVmXUTv3Zo2X-2F-2BMtTJCVE1ThdRoIBcbyn8msuJftMg3gwJZc-2BpSlQAKyA2unuYghco0ghubnaSucpsu5TXADMhuGTFSfSOZiYztnwJbgY-2BrpKp-2F2c3gkAlwvEt-2B6uw7VGPWMV7w4SufBm24wCMd2tpucCzE5Px3SECpD6lWNeoI2Dq6eqlRfz1j1gpZtxZPtTUt4CnJiC4Ld5Q1pie-2F4mNJtAnzTztlJWkdwu94oJkkYwro7yrdlZANFAM18vYdOwV33MnyyDgW-2Bq0HsD2ICPF-2B-2FcqP6KmJfKpD1ADnFuXCIT3FU-3D__;!!KGKeukY!147TxLv_QtAv7bLVHZv9Pm0zQwEPqtjds8R64K3_FE8of-DeIPvaCQT3Cqv3w8Lg1zDtgl4KbqjuDblIfyC_VaXBYGpnjlr39qLyYCpuI_53$ > in her honor, thanking her for her love, friendship, and immense energy on behalf of AJL. Your messages of appreciation will be displayed on a slide show we will be creating for the conference. Members of the 2026 Fanny Goldstein Merit Award Committee are Marcie Eskin (chair), Rachel Kamin, Joy Kingsolver, Gail Shirazi, and Lisa Silverman. The Association of Jewish Libraries<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://u583993.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.9gz9PK4IkoPIXuftrhoDvNf00xrPkIoW9Mqbee1tvEVbYEyN6vXCLamIXIXFKBIVXviN_-2BJjQyRo5yO53eRGtv-2FCrLxIdJH-2FpM4n3rg8AVh-2Bls-2BMEae9eMC1jEo37jd73-2Fsbi42N5bTGDmJ0yP0STFJL4N1a3lxY5c3cIIgyr5heZkH93TAvrZG64sdU5znyMkBYWHTOh5Qpa34zOAw7VdUVm5bxTJhdt7dMkNDJ6b6LDERb-2BvzPiQd1NmR-2FFsZ0gVmXUTv3Zo2X-2F-2BMtTJCVE1ThdRoIBcbyn8msuJftMg3gwJZc-2BpSlQAKyA2unuYghco0ghubnaSucpsu5TXADMhuGTFSfSOZiYztnwJbgY-2BrpKp-2F2c3gkAlwvEt-2B6uw7VGPWMV7w4SufBm24wCMd2tpucCzE5Px3SECpD6lWNeoI2Dq6dcPcr5Akf0AR8LHXY8-2FhRRpwwFzHIuEt31ZRF8EgMhuRhbkwA5iRrDvji9J1oltmBcNyy6JAAPI1kotXOiaH9jmM2Ml2GE0b2KJESCMnEqdIkpYfytHWj2lTULQLEO5co-3D__;!!KGKeukY!147TxLv_QtAv7bLVHZv9Pm0zQwEPqtjds8R64K3_FE8of-DeIPvaCQT3Cqv3w8Lg1zDtgl4KbqjuDblIfyC_VaXBYGpnjlr39qLyYO6q9JHv$ > is an international, professional organization that fosters access to information and research in all forms of media relating to all things Jewish. The Association promotes Jewish literacy and scholarship and provides a community for peer support and professional development. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe here<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://u583993.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.QivyboYRVQKUq-2B3TfxF38NHcedW88vmApFBK-2F7OxpcPm4TGxjMiPng2-2FVWoT9bj163F-2FKAtAtR-2BmYZ-2BKaXXPpHG2IdnVlb7srdTu3rKc-2BJfX5fz9WZrlhjiiOwr2dygRJOGWwOBI6RuVPl-2BZ2fNPliSSRMslLQp7yM2ZHEWsbErd6ges-2FTDSOkPEqOYidQqOBkr9_-2BJjQyRo5yO53eRGtv-2FCrLxIdJH-2FpM4n3rg8AVh-2Bls-2BMEae9eMC1jEo37jd73-2Fsbi42N5bTGDmJ0yP0STFJL4N1a3lxY5c3cIIgyr5heZkH93TAvrZG64sdU5znyMkBYWHTOh5Qpa34zOAw7VdUVm5bxTJhdt7dMkNDJ6b6LDERb-2BvzPiQd1NmR-2FFsZ0gVmXUTv3Zo2X-2F-2BMtTJCVE1ThdRoIBcbyn8msuJftMg3gwJZc-2BpSlQAKyA2unuYghco0ghubnaSucpsu5TXADMhuGTFSfSOZiYztnwJbgY-2BrpKp-2F2c3gkAlwvEt-2B6uw7VGPWMV7w4SufBm24wCMd2tpucCzE5Px3SECpD6lWNeoI2Dq6eMBFPuDHngyxY9KVZkRLU0fd07dmtXppelgzUEEtnQE2ubctAqlrPXrUIUTm4ccEyTaDufzaCiPjUsnuMCYFdosc1SJEKWkE9K8EWqxhMV3qV2EnMgtBozKSStpcjwat4-3D__;!!KGKeukY!147TxLv_QtAv7bLVHZv9Pm0zQwEPqtjds8R64K3_FE8of-DeIPvaCQT3Cqv3w8Lg1zDtgl4KbqjuDblIfyC_VaXBYGpnjlr39qLyYJxZPApd$ >. 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