The first Jewish library in Kazakhstan was opened in 1997 in Almaty when some enthusiasts brought their favourite books to the Jewish community centre. The library grew from that time and today its fund counts more than 12,000 books. Library personnel always take part in all Jewish holidays and other events. The director Galina Korobkina supervises the Republican Jewish library. Large load of work such as assisting readers and organising literary and musical evenings is being done by our volunteers.

The Republic Jewish library generates orders for new books and administers the work of thirteen active and two pilot Jewish libraries of our Republic. The total book collection of Jewish Libraries of Kazakhstan comprises of 35,000 books and it is constantly growing.

Nowadays familiarity with the Jewish literature is common in Astana, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kokshetau, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Pavlodar, Petropavlovsk, Semipalatinsk, Taldykorgan, Taraz, Uralsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk and Shymkent. Every year the Community Festival of the Jewish Book (CFJB) is held in the majority of Kazakhstan cities initiated by local Jewish libraries. CFJB is a big job. It is important to find something interesting for both community members and guests and our librarians and volunteers successfully deal with this challenge.

Today a letter from Hesed "Taraz" was delivered to the Republic Jewish library named after Moris Simashko:

Dear Galina!

Many thanks for the financial aid to our library. These funds were used for installing the shelves for book displays during the Community Festival of the Jewish Book and for ordering a theme poster.

          Ida Bukina, Taraz Jewish community centre librarian

This is how the Jewish libraries of Kazakhstan work and each of them is a leader of the Jewish culture in their city.

The libraries are greatly assisted by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund. Many thanks to the sponsors on behalf of the Kazakhstan readers.

Ludmila Starodubova