Association of Jewish Libraries of Southern California



In Memoriam
v  Nettie Frishman (1913-2005)  v

    Nettie Frishman, z"l, a librarian's librarian, died on July 4, 2005.  We knew Nettie as a friend, colleague, and an AJL and AJLSC member.  Her Los Angeles Times obituary (July 7, 2005) described her perfectly:  "Nettie was a distinguished children's librarian working for Los Angeles Public Library for 33 years.  Enormously energetic, enthusiastic, and bursting with creative ideas, she was a charismatic dynamo who filled a room with her warmth, humanity, voice and presence. . . . She was a mentor to parents, librarians, authors and illustrators. Her influence was legion, her legacy to others far reaching.  She was a woman to love, admire and remember."  

    Within the general library community, Nettie served on the Boards of the California Library Association and American Library Association, among others.  Most memorable for her were two events:  Representing Los Angeles at the New York World's Fair Library of the Future in 1966, and years later serving on the prestigious Newbery/Caldecott Committee.
 
    Within the Jewish library community, Nettie's influence is long-lasting.  Rita Frischer shares her stories of Nettie's influence:
         • Jewish Book Month Project:  "In the late 70's, Nettie and I served as co-chair of an AJLSC city-wide, grass-roots Jewish Book Month Project.  Involved were L.A. Central Library and many LAPL branch libraries, along with the County system, book stores, schools and other venues.   Because of Nettie, L.A. Central Library agreed to underwrite the printing and distribution of an extensive bound Jewish bibliography, prepared by their bibliographer based on their holdings.  Because of Nettie, we were able to take over all the display spaces in LA Central for a full month of Jewish books, ceremonial objects and other appropriate exhibits.  Because of Nettie, our group got VIP treatment during a field trip to Central Library before their devastating fire, and because of Nettie's warm participation in AJLSC, many AJLSC members were quick to volunteer their help after the fire."
          • AJL Book Award Committee and initiator of the AJL Sydney Taylor Award for children:  "In the late 70's, Nettie served on our national AJL Book Award Committee.  It was Nettie who recruited me, during the first San Francisco convention, as new chair of that committee.  When I suggested I would prefer the judges to have more open communication during their considerations, it was Nettie who, drawing on her own experiences as judge,  helped me devise a workable system in those days before e-mail.  And when Sydney Taylor died, it was Nettie's idea that the Award be named posthumously after this important children's writer who was also her dear personal friend.  Nettie made a shidduch for me with Ralph Taylor, Sydney's widower; the first gold seals were printed; the endowment came later; the rest is history.  Nettie left all of us the legacy of the AJL Sydney Taylor Award designation." 

    Donations and tributes -- many choices:  A "Nettie Frishman Fund" was established when Nettie retired -- LAPL Children's Services Department, 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angles CA 90071.  Donations might also be made in her name toward the Children's Collection in your own shul or school.  Other choices are:  AJL Scholarship Fund (c/o Debbie Stern, Scholarship Award Chair, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Library, 1299 Church Road, Wyncote, PA 19095) and  AJLSC Dorothy Schroeder Fund (c/o Arna Schwartz, AJLSC Treasurer, Rabbi Jacob Pressman Academy Library, 1039 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035) because Nettie and Dorothy were friends and shared similar visions for children's librarians.  Cards and tributes may be sent directly to Nettie's daughter:  Shirley Morrison, 3040 Calle Rosales, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.

    As Rita states:  "For AJLSC and for AJL, for everyone who loves children and their books, may Nettie Frishman's memory be for a blessing."


v Dorothy Schroeder ( - 1987)   v

Dorothy Schroeder z"l, was an AJLSC Founder and First President.


v Mae Weine  (1912-2004)   v

Mae Weine, z"l, was an AJL and AJLSC Founder.  She worked tirelessly for AJL and many of its chapters; she died on April 5, 2004, at the age of 92.  Mae was a major contributor to the field of Judaica librarianship and AJL.  Besides being a 1962 founder of the Jewish Library Association (the precursor of AJL's Synagogue, School, and Center Division), she created the Weine Classification System, a Judaica variation of the Dewey Decimal System designed for smaller collections.  Mae was passionate about educating Judaica librarians-in-training; she taught workshops and wrote articles and publications to promote library standards.  She also helped found several chapters - Detroit, Philadelphia, and Southern California.

In 1965, Mae visited her sister, librarian Grace Friedman, in Los Angeles.  At that time, as national AJL President, Mae set into motion the formation of AJLSC by encouraging Dorothy Schroeder to contact synagogues for the purpose of starting a regional AJL chapter.  From throughout Southern California -- Los Angeles to San Diego -- twenty-five people attended that first meeting.  Grace became active in AJLSC, served as its President (1971-73), and received the AJLSC Dorothy Schroeder Award (2003).

Mae attended almost every national AJL convention for the past 40 years.  She resigned from her work as a West Bloomfield, Michigan, synagogue librarian when she was 90.  We will all miss her!

Sources:  "An Interview with Mae Weine, President of the Association of Jewish Libraries, 1969-1970" by Judith S. Greenblatt, in Judaica Librarianship, Vol. 5 No. 1 Spring 1990-Winter 1991, pp. 157-158.  "The Shul Librarian" by Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Staff Writer, The Detroit Jewish News, June 18, 2004.