Helga Feder Scholarship
The Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund deeply appreciates the generous bequest from Helga Feder. In recognition of her life and legacy, the Trustees have established a scholarship in her name, which will be awarded annually.
Helga Feder was born in Germany in 1927 and died in 2022. She survived the Holocaust and married another Holocaust survivor in 1946. The couple came to the United States in 1947. Her husband died in 1970.
Helga worked at several jobs before deciding to pursue a college degree. She attended Hunter College, graduating with honors in German Studies in 1967 and earning membership in Phi Beta Kappa.
Already interested in library studies, Helga went on to earn an M.A. in Library Science from Columbia University, followed by a second master’s degree in German literature. In 1975, she published Reference Resources in German Literature: An Annotated Guide.Helga began her CUNY career in 1973 as a librarian at the Graduate Center, where she worked until her retirement in 1993. She joined the Library Association of the City University of New York (LACUNY) in 1977 and served in several leadership positions, including chair of the Programs, Nominations, and Contract Negotiations committees. In 1982–83, she served as president of LACUNY.
Beyond CUNY, Helga was also an active member of the broader library profession. In 1981, she served as Chairwoman of the New York Chapter, Greater Metropolitan Area, of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Throughout her career, she demonstrated a deep commitment to her profession and to the CUNY community.
Helga was a longtime member of the Professional Staff Congress, both during her years of service and after her retirement.
In 2011, Helga described herself simply as: “Love NYC & nature. Travel buff. Retired, single, active, cultured, positive and adventurous.”
Through her generous bequest, Helga Feder’s legacy will continue to support CUNY students for generations to come, helping them pursue their education and, like Helga, lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.