Mayor Malcolm Brodie, left, and Philip Dayson listen as Shirley Barnett addresses the 50-plus people who attended the Nov. 18 event at Richmond Public Library that honored the Dayson family. (photo from Richmond Public Library)
On Nov. 18, the Richmond Public Library board fêted the Dayson family and the Ben and Esther Dayson Charitable Foundation at a reception attended by more than 50 people, including Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, councilors Chak Au and Alexa Loo, and distinguished guests from the Jewish community.
“It was a wonderful opportunity for people to come and celebrate the Dayson family and their outstanding generosity to the community, while also having a chance to browse the popular and growing Dayson Collection,” said library communications officer Shelley Civkin.
The Ben and Esther Dayson Judaica Collection started in 2003, when the Dayson family donated their personal Judaica collection to the library, and gave $50,000 to the Richmond Public Library Endowment Fund held by the Richmond Community Foundation. In 2004, the Ben and Esther Dayson Judaica Collection was launched to the public and, since then, the Dayson family and their charitable foundation have donated a total of $110,000 to the library. The Dayson Collection has grown to include more than 1,800 books and DVDs for adults and kids.