Scholars, rabbis and writers rubbed shoulders at a reception tendered this week in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Menahem, who have arrived from Israel for a short visit to this country.
Ben Menahem is head of the Institute of Hebrew Bibliography in Jerusalem. Prior to his coming here, he spent several weeks in Europe, visiting libraries, consulting with local bibliographers and collecting material for some of his forthcoming studies.
He needed no introduction to libraries in Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and other cities in Europe.They all know of him through his many publications in the fields of bibliography and booklore. At the New York reception, too there was no need of a formal introduction. All who were present knew the guest of honor, either personally or through his writings.
Hosts of the reception were Mr. and Mrs. I J. Dienstag, personal friends and professional colleagues of Ben Menahem. Israel Jacob Dienstag is librarian and assistant professor of bibliography at Yeshiva university. He is also president of the Association of Jewish Libraries of the U.S. and Canada. Mrs. Claire Dienstag is a librarian at the Jewish Division of the New York Public Library at 42nd St. in Manhattan.
Fifty-six year old Ben Menahem is a native of Hungary. In his parental home he imbibed two great loves which were to accompany him all his life: Love for Hebrew books and love of Rabbi Ibn Ezra, the great medieval commentator, grammarian and poet
His maternal grandfather, Rabbi Nafali HaKohen Schwartz was a rabbinic author and a great book collector. Part of his library was inherited by Ben Menahem’s mother, and Naftali, as a small child, played with the books. with the passage of time, he learned the real value of his beloved “toys.” His father, Reb Menahem Fried, was a well-to-do merchant and “lamden.” He introduced the boy to Ibn Ezra’s commentaries on the Bible.
In 1928, after completing studies in his hometown, Naftali was sent to the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yaakov Hoffman in Frankfurt. There the youngster attracted the attention of Aaron Freimann, the well known bibliographer, who was then in charge of the Judaic section of the municipal library. Freimann took a liking to the boy, who spent all his free time at the library.
One day, Freimann informed a surprised Naftali, “I have a job for you!’
Freimann had been commissioned to catalogue the Hebrew manuscripts of the Vatican Library and he chose Ben Menahem to assist him in this work. Needless to say that Naftali consented on the spot.
Before long, Freimann and his young protege travelled to Rome. Freimann soon returned to his post in Frankfurt, leaving Naftali to catalogue and describe the manuscripts. Ben Menahem remained in Rome for more than a year.
In 1932 he returned to Frankfort. Subsequently he went back to Hungary to do military service. He was discharged after three months of basic training and accepted a position as teacher of Hebrew in Tamesvar. In 1935 he settled in Palestine.
There he became associated with the Mosad HaRav Kook publishing houses serving as literary advisor and editor.
He was also for many years a senior official of the Jewish Agency. In 1955-1956 he was the Agency’s representative in Europe and North Africa and in this capacity helped organize the mass immigration to Israel from South Africa.
In 1960 when the Hebrew Institute of Bibliography, whose task is the cataloging of all Hebrew books, was established, Ben Menahem was appointed its director.
A prolific author, his publications range from bibliographies of authors and topics to biographical essays and studies in booklore. He has written much on the life, work and commentators of Ibn Ezra, and serves with Dr. Yitzhak Raphael, as editor of “Areshet,” the bibliographic yearbook, published by Mosad Harav Kook. Ben Menahem’s writings excel both by their wealth of knowledge and fine classic Hebrew style.
The Jewish Press, Friday, Nov. 17, 1967