The Sanford and Phyllis Beim Endowed Collection in Jewish Studies

When Sanford and Phyllis Beim received their undergraduate degrees from UCLA, it was just the beginning of their wonderful relationship with the university. They became active alumni, and when Mr. Beim decided to return to school some years later, he enrolled at UCLA and received a master's degree in business administration from the Anderson School of Management. Their deep appreciation for the campus has been reflected in their personal involvement and meaningful support. The Beims first learned of the Jewish studies collection at the UCLA Library when Mrs. Beim was searching for a bibliography of Jewish literature concentrating on authors from parts of the world not typically associated with Jewish culture.

At the suggestion of a professor at UCLA, she enlisted the aid of David Hirsch, the Library's Jewish studies bibliographer, to help her in her quest. In David, Mrs. Beim found much more than a guide to the Library; his knowledge was impressive, and his warmth, enthusiasm and dedication to Judaica were addictive. As he revealed the collection's many wonders, Mrs. Beim learned that David and the Library had an interest similar to hers and that David traveled the world searching for printed materials from little-known Jewish communities. She left the library not with the book she was looking for (unfortunately, one had not yet been published) but with the tools to research her project, a new appreciation for the UCLA Jewish studies collection, and a new friend. Since then, both Mr. and Mrs. Beim have returned to the Library on numerous occasions to visit with David and peruse the multi-faceted collection. By establishing The Sanford and Phyllis Beim Endowed Collection in Jewish Studies, they hope to ensure that the Jewish studies collection continues to grow and serve a diverse group of faculty and students along with the Los Angeles Jewish community who, like them, look to the Library as a rich source of information on international Jewish history, culture and literature.