January 10 saw the passing of Ezra Gorodesky, one of the founders of the Spanish & Portuguese Congregation in Israel and a much-beloved figure in his community. Gorodesky, a strong Zionist from an early age, made aliyah to Israel from Philadelphia in 1960 after only a brief visit. Over the years, he became known for his passionate devotion to collecting everything from rare books to buttons, glassware, and more. The Israel National Library was the fortunate recipient of many of these items and organized several exhibits. To learn more about his colorful life and contributions, please see these articles of appreciation:

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/ezra-gorodesky-collector-zionist-historian-philanthropist-620760

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/jerusalem-loses-a-colorful-character-with-the-passing-of-ezra-gorodesky-655091 https://blog.nli.org.il/en/ezra-gorodesky/ https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/ezra-gorodeskys-very-rare-disease-was-a-blessing/ https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-a-book-collector-a-community-leader-and-a-doctor-three-of-covid-s-latest-victims-1.9465365