After 30 years at the helm of the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library, Executive Director, Barbara Raznick is retiring; effective May 15, 2015. Raznick’s service to the Jewish community was celebrated on April 13 with a special dinner sponsored by the Library Commission and the annual Friends Thank You Event, attended by over 175 Friends of Library.
As director of one of the largest independent Jewish libraries in the country, Barb enhanced the literary, Judaic and educational enjoyment for much of the St. Louis Jewish community. She personally sourced the latest in Jewish books, periodicals, DVDs, and CDs – a 22,000 plus in-house collection. Renowned for her skills as a story-teller to children, Barb identified, planned, and implemented a full schedule of programs for adults, too. Under Barb’s guidance, the St. Louis Jewish Archives have become a destination for researchers and scholars seeking information on early Jewish life in St. Louis. With over 200 collections, the Archives are a permanent ethnic, social and historical resource for the local Jewish community and the wider community in general.
“With great imagination and energy, Barb poured herself into this place—into the library staff, the library Friends, and this Commission,” said Paul Kravitz, Chair of the Library Commission. “Indeed, the St. Louis Jewish Community is a better place because of Barb Raznick. We thank her and will miss her.”
Raznick is a past recipient of Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Fred A. Goldstein Professional Leadership Award, given annually for outstanding innovative achievement in the field of Jewish communal service. She is also a past president of the St. Louis Regional Library Network.