TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Organization and Arrangement

Restrictions

Related Material

Administrative Information

Series A: Correspondence. 1925-1961.

Series B: Writings and Activities. 1933-1956; n.d.

A Finding Aid to the 

Fanny Goldstein Papers 

1933-1998

Manuscript Collection No. 205

Biographical Sketch

Fanny Goldstein was born 15 May 1895 in Kaments-Pdolsk, Russia. In 1900, she emigrated with her family to the North End in Boston, Massachusetts, where she was to remain for the rest of her life.

After taking classes at Simmons College, Boston University and Harvard University, Goldstein became a librarian at the Boston Public Library North End branch in 1913. As an immigrant, Goldstein worked in branch libraries with large immigrant audiences by choice. She felt that understanding ethnicity of oneself and one's neighbors was critical to acculturating to America. At her branch library, Goldstein held an annual Hanukah-Christmas party. She also organized the Saturday Evening Girls Club in 1914. This club allowed members to learn about other's ethnic backgrounds as well as job skills. In 1922, Goldstein became the branch librarian at the West End, where she was to remain until her retirement in 1957.

Goldstein was best known as the founder of Jewish Book Week which evolved into National Jewish Book Month. In 1925, she created an exhibit of Jewish books which gave her the idea to further encourage Jewish literature. This expanded not only to Jewish Book Week, but also was the start of Goldstein's collection of Judaica within her branch. Goldstein also had close ties with and encouraged several young authors including, Reba Paeff Mirsky and Charles Angoff, in literary careers.

Fanny Goldstein died December 26, 1961 after a long illness. Her Judaica collection became a separate section of the main branch of the Boston Public Library.

Return to the Table of Contents

Scope and Content Note

The Fanny Goldstein Papers are the record of the professional activities of Fanny Goldstein, the first female Judaica librarian and the founder of National Jewish Book Week. Goldstein was also the first Jewish woman to direct a branch library in Massachusetts. The collection does not directly contain materials about the start of Jewish Book Week, but activities, speakers, and publicity relating to this topic can be found in the correspondence files. The correspondence also contains numerous references to outreach and collecting activities relating to her position as a branch librarian at the Boston Public Library. The collection spans the dates 1921-1961 but the bulk of the materials cover 1937-1957.

Fanny Goldstein was an author as well as a librarian of Judaica and the collection contains correspondence about articles she wrote for various publications. It also contains one manuscript of a bibliography entitled The Jew in Literature and Contemporary Life and material relating to Nazi book burnings in Germany.

Return to the Table of Contents

Organization and Arrangement

The Fanny Goldstein Papers consist of the professional record of Goldstein's career. The papers are arranged into two (2) series:

A. Correspondence

B. Writings and Activities.

Return to the Table of Contents

Restrictions

Access Information

The papers are open to all users and available in the reading room of the American Jewish Archives.

Return to the Table of Contents

Related Material

Goldstein, Fanny. Nearprint Biographies File.

Return to the Table of Contents

Administrative Information

Citations

Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Fanny Goldstein Papers and the American Jewish Archives.

Provenance

The Fanny Goldstein Papers were donated ot the American Jewish Archives by Fanny Goldstein, Boston, Massachusetts in August, 1961. The correspondence between Goldstein and Joshua Bloch was donated by Rose Brenner, Brookline, Massachusetts, in October, 1962.

Return to the Table of Contents

Box and Folder Listing

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents