MARVIN DIAMOND
Beth Israel honors Marvin Diamond for library service
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By Jewish Review
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Beth Israel librarian Marvin Diamond was honored at Kabbalat Shabbat services Nov. 2 for his 10 years of service to the congregation.
The evening’s service helped kick off a series of events to celebrate Jewish Book Month. It featured a wine and cheese reception and book display before the service and Rabbi Michael Cahana led a discussion of Michael Chabon’s recent novel “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.”
A retired pharmacist who moved to Portland from Massachusetts, Marvin and his late wife Esther joined Beth Israel in 1995. They quickly became active participants in many areas of Temple’s programming, including the Social Action Committee.
In the decade since then, many changes and updates have made to Beth Israel’s Library, a hub of information and resource materials for many in the community.
In 1999, a bequest from the estate of Ruth Spear saw the creation of the Manton and Ruth Spear Research Library, which included new computers to access genealogical materials, as well as databases and online media.
Later that same year, the Nettie Director Library Book Endowment was created to purchase books, periodicals and reference materials. The Holzman Family funded the audio-visual component, which provides VHS and CD entertainment for adults and children.
Throughout the years, Diamond oversaw the reclassification of the main collection to the Elazar Jewish Catalogue System and the installation of new software for managing the circulation of material.
Students from the preschool and religious school regularly visit the library for story time and to check out books. Faculty members often utilize resource materials in their lesson planning.
The most recent acquisition has been state-of-the-art online research materials, including the new “Encyclopedia Judaica” and the “Encyclopedia of Religion,” accessible on computer in the library and to all Beth Israel members from their home computers, as well as in print form in the library.
CBI board member and Library Committee Chair Lynn Bonner has worked closely with Diamond for several years. Bonner said that Diamond “graciously welcomes adults and children to our lovely library space; his special fans are the pre-school children. Marvin has supported and guided many library volunteers over the years, and some years when there weren’t enough volunteers, he did the volunteer work, too.”
On Nov. 2, congregants had the chance to show their appreciation to Diamond. Senior Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana spoke of Marvin’s contributions to the congregation.
Additional Jewish Book Month events at Beth Israel include a discussion on Sunday, Nov. 18, about alternate Jewish histories in novels. Led by Professor Michael Weingrad, academic director of the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University, the program is entitled “The Shlemiels of Jewish History: Nava Semel and Michael Chabon Imagine a World Without Israel.”
Cahana also will lead a second discussion about “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” on Tuesday, Nov. 27. The library’s annual used book sale will take place Sunday, Dec. 2. All these events are open to the public.
For information about these programs or the Amy R. Goldsmith-Spear Research Library at Congregation Beth Israel, contact Marvin Diamond at 503-281-4784 or Library@bethisrael-pdx.org.