The Berkeley Public Library Foundation announced it has selected The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life as its 2023 Fred & Pat Cody Award recipient.
Founded in Berkeley in 1962, The Magnes was one of the first Jewish museums in the U.S.
The library foundation said in a statement the collection is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s most preeminent collections of Jewish art, objects, texts, music, and historical documents about “Jews in the Diaspora” (Jews living outside Israel).
“The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life is a resource of remarkable depth and breadth,” said Karen Bird, president of the Berkeley Public Library Foundation, in the statement.
“In particular, we are excited to recognize the Magnes for its outstanding library collection, which serves as an invaluable resource for Jewish research, scholarship, and teaching.”
The Magnes Collection’s Faculty Director John Efron said in a statement “We are honored to be selected by the Foundation as its 2023 Cody Award winner, and we invite the community to engage with us. Whether browsing our vast online resources, walking through our galleries or attending our programs and events, we hope to deepen our visitors’ knowledge about the rich and highly diverse cultural histories of the Jewish people.”
The Berkeley Public Library Foundation presents the Cody Award to honor outstanding work to shape, broaden, and illuminate Berkeley’s literary landscape. It was first presented in 2004 and is named for Fred and Pat Cody, the founders of Cody’s Books.
The award will be presented to The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the foundation’s 20th annual authors dinner on March 4, 2023.
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life is located at 2121 Allston Way in Berkeley.