The library is alive and well and living at Beyachad

SUZANNE BELLING
PHOTOGRAPH BY SUZANNE BELLING

Pictured: Marcia Parness, Leon Lever and Eric Mathobo in the revamped library at Beyachad.

Slier, a regular user of the library at Beyachad, three years ago wrote a very indignant letter to the paper, bemoaning the “imminent closure” of the facility and castigated the powers-that-be. But of course, the library didn’t close down and is still functioning, albeit in a new guise.

The SA Zionist Federation, custodian of the library, was rather perplexed about Slier’s broadside, “out of the blue”. But so was Slier.

Slier wrote this week: “I was amazed to see a letter written by me to the SAJR about three years ago about the Beyachad Library closing down, in the current paper. It appeared then as a matter of fact.

“I believe that when the letter re-appeared in the paper last week, it caused some disquiet in the library as it had not closed down and, in fact, it is thriving in its new form.

“Now it seems that my antique computer took it upon itself to send off this letter some time in December (when the Jewish Report was closed for the festive season) and it was printed now (in the paper’s first edition of 2015).

“I was amazed and then embarrassed by this and I have no idea how this could have happened. Perhaps some computer geek in our community can explain this. I certainly cannot. In any case I apologise to everyone who was discommoded by this incident.”

Isla Feldman, director of the SAZF, promptly replied to Slier. (Her letter refuting his allegations, appears this week on our letters page).

A visit this week Tuesday to the revamped library, was a pleasant surprise. It has been taken over by the Zionist Fed and is now primarily a reference library, although, according to volunteer Marcia Parness, who single-handedly raised money to contribute towards the ongoing functioning of this important public facility, she would like to see books on loan too. This echoes Feldman’s sentiments.

“There is no budget for reading, but we would welcome ongoing donations, books from book clubs and other contributions – new or from private collections,” Parness said in an appeal to the community.

“There is a perception that the Jewish community can afford to buy books and download Kindles, but people still want to borrow and read books – but there is no budget.”

The library is now open from 08:30 to 16:30 from Monday to Thursday and on Fridays from 08:30 till 14:00.

There is a fulltime librarian, Maxine Fine, the technical fundi, Eric Mathobo and Leon Lever, former principal of King David Victory Park Primary School, who converted videos to DVDs – a mammoth task which he undertook with dedication and purely on a voluntary basis. This exercise was completed by the end of last year.

Said Lever: “There are Jewish and anti-Jewish themes, Christian material, documentaries on the history and lifestyle of Israel and the music of Israel. There are also features on countries where the Jewish people live and the history of Jewish communities around the world.

“Where Jews no longer live in these places, there are stories of the destruction of these communities during the Second World War and what happened to them. It is very important that this information is transferred to both parents and children. You cannot teach children just from paper clips – you need a little more.”

There are also musicals with a Jewish theme, classic films and films featuring the Jewish actors and singers of yesteryear.