On Sunday night September 5th the Benjamin Children's Library , which is an interactive children's library that got a giant push of help to open as a Pk2000 project, received an award as outstanding volunteer organization of the year. The library has grown from a few books to over 12,000 volumes, half in Hebrew and half in English and serves the children of the entire city of Beit Shemesh. Many Ethiopian and Russian children use the reference and homework center, as well as the new computer lab, for afternoon hours when their parents are at work. There are story hours in various languages, reading clubs, art classes, a music corner and a toddler friendly area of puppets and dress up. The library also serves the community as one of the few meeting places where the children of all the different factions of the community, Anglo, Russian, Ethiopian, Secular and religious come together and interact. Hats off to Tammy Kruger and Karen Feldman who run the library which is manned by volunteers of all ages, and to Pk2000 for their continued support of such an outstanding, winning facility.

September 1999