Lampert Library: Tribute to Its Friends

5 20 HermanThe Lampert Library has lost two staunch supporters in the last few months: Herman Gollob and Jerry Weiss.

Herman Gollob’s recent passing leaves a real void in the Lampert Library’s friends. Herman was a well-known editor who began his career as a theatrical  and  literary agent. He moved over to publishers such as Little  Brown, Harpers Magazine, the Literary Guild, Atheneum and Doubleday where he was editor-in-chief.

Shomrei’s Herman was, indeed, a big shot in the publishing world. But to Shomrei members he was the guy who had his bar mitzvah at the age of 53, the participant in Torah study who wasn’t shy about voicing his opinions, the person who encouraged Shomrei’s nascent writers, and the man whose southern manners could charm anyone when he wished to.

At Shomrei, Herman served as chair of the library committee for several years. But more importantly, Herman used his contacts in the literary world to bring outstanding  authors to Shomrei as part of the Lampert Library Lecture series.

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Hail to Helen, Humor Heroine

Have you heard the one about the Rosh Hashanah taiglach? Ask a member of the Weiss family on Friday evening, November 6 for the details.

At the oneg after Shabbat evening services. we will be celebrating Helen Weiss and her wonderful sense of humor by dedicating the Helen S. Weiss Humor Collection in the Alan Lampert Memorial Library.

The Weiss family thought that supporting the library’s collection with an emphasis on Jewish humor would be a fitting memorial at Shomrei for Helen who was important in every facet of Shomrei’s life for many, many years. The Lampert Library is now the repository of much of Helen’s personal collection of books on humor. Continue reading