Who Are We?

Susan Kusel is a librarian, professional researcher and author. She has worked as a synagogue librarian, a public librarian, and a children’s bookstore buyer and bookseller. She was a member of the 2015 Caldecott Medal committee, and a former chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee. She won the Sydney Taylor Book Award in 2022 for her debut picture book The Passover Guest. She co-founded the Jewish Kidlit Mavens group on Facebook with Heidi. She loves to cross stitch, ride her bike, and bake challah. 

 

Chava (Kathe) Pinchuck has worked as a synagogue librarian, a public librarian, a cataloger of legal documents, and a cybrarian for a long-distance learning program. She is a former chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, former co-editor of the Children’s and YA Book Reviews for AJL News and Reviews, and edited The Sydney Taylor Book Award Guide for the Award’s 50th anniversary. She is the current editor of the Jewish Values Finder. She made Aliyah in 2012 and enjoys knitting, baking, and exploring Israel.

Heidi Rabinowitz is a synagogue librarian, host of The Book of Life: A Podcast About Jewish Kidlit (Mostly), and Past President of the Association of Jewish Libraries. She is a former chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, and co-founded the Jewish Kidlit Mavens group on Facebook with Susan. She loves to go birding and to watch Doctor Who.