Meeting Minutes: January 20, 2004

Minutes of January 20, 2004 meeting, Greenfield Day School, Miami

Present: Heidi Estrin, Inez Feingold, Jackie Fine, Etta Gold, Jean Genuth, Shulamit Gittelson, Esther Hershenhorn, Phyllis Levy, Art Quinn, Barbara Samuels, Alice Shook, Ruth VanderZee, Marci Wiseman, Nancy Zombek

Heidi Estrin called the meeting to order at 12:30pm and thanked Jackie Fine for hosting the meeting. Since Heidi is taking on extra responsibilities with AJL National, as Chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, it was announced that other members will be taking a more active role in chapter business: Alice Shook will find venues for meetings, Andrea Kalish will handle mailings of Headlines and Footnotes, Jackie Fine will handle public relations, and Robin Coller will handle our chapter's submissions to AJL Newsletter.

Pre-certification for national accreditation was performed for Jackie's library at this meeting. Attendees participated in a "scavenger hunt" style exercise before the beginning of the meeting to assess the library and help Jackie complete her required paperwork for the accreditation process. Dr. Binder, principal of Greenfield Day School, spoke of her work at the school and praised Jackie Fine for her work in the media center. Dr. Binder is pleased that the media center is beginning the process of accreditation by AJL. We presented Dr. Binder with a Pre-Certification certificate and a "Love My Library" mug to help her keep the library uppermost in her thoughts.

Etta Gold spoke of the upcoming ALA conference in Orlando this June and encouraged members to attend. Since the convention will be so close, we hope that SFAJL members will carpool and perhaps share hotel rooms in Orlando.

Heidi reminded the members that the CANDLES Museum in Indiana needs donations of books on the Holocaust since it was severely damaged by arson. Heidi asked that members send her books to be shipped or to ship them on their own. The shipping address is listed in the January issue of Headlines & Footnotes in the sidebar on page 2.

A copy of the book Defying the Tide was raffled off, and promotional materials on the book were passed out. These materials and the free book were provided by the author, Reha Sokolow, who was interviewed for the January issue of Headlines & Footnotes. The book is her family's story, about how a Christian family that helped her family survive WWII.

Etta discussed the Sydney Taylor Book Awards and encouraged members to attend the upcoming AJL convention in Brooklyn this June. Heidi discussed the titles that won Sydney Taylor Book Awards for 2003.
In the Younger Reader's category:

The winner is Bagels from Benny by Aubrey Davis

Honor books are The Moses Basket by Jenny Koralek, Chanukah on the Prairie by Burt Schuman, and When the Chickens Went on Strike by Erica Silverman
In the Older Reader's category:

The winner is Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat? by Nancy Patz

Honor books are Tough Questions Jews Ask by Rabbi Edward Feinstein, Birdland by Tracy Mack, and Ancient Israelites and their Neighbors by Marion Broida.

Guest Speakers: Ruth Vander Zee, author of Erika's Story, was present and discussed the inspiration for her book, which has been translated into seven languages. Esther Hershenhorn, author of Chicken Soup by Heart, was also present and spoke of her book and other books she has published. Esther read the beginning of a new book she is writing about a child who loves klezmer music and accepted suggestions by members on how to develop the story further.

Member News:

Etta announced that a panel of childrens authors will be at the next Jewish Book Fair held at the Alper JCC.

JBI (Jewish Books for the Visually Impaired) is underwriting a keynote speaker, Bess Myerson, for the Fourth Annual Senior Health Fair to be held February 18 at the Michael Russell JCC in Miami.

CAJE in Miami is now offering graduate level courses.

The next meeting will be at Temple Emanuel in Palm Beach on March 15. The meeting adjourned at 2:05pm.