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Judaism and Jewish Libraries:

An Exploration

Presentation for Jackson Library Staff and Other GuestsDecember 3, 2009

Topics

• Judaism as– Religion– Culture– Jews are also part of a nation. (We won’t

get into this.)

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Religion

Judaism in Less than Five Minutes Rabbi Andy Koren, Reform

Temple Emanuel, Greensboro, NC

Chumash, Tanakh, Mikraot Gedelot

• Chumash (from Chamseh, five) - – printed form of the five books of the Torah - – Divided into 54 parshiyot (one read each week)– has cantillation, vowel points, also Rashi’s commentary.

– The Torah scroll does not.• The Tanakh - acronym for Torah, Neviim (prophets)

and Ketuvim, (writings)– to refer to the Hebrew Bible as the Old Testament is

considered pejorative– same books as Protestant Bible, different order

• Mikraot Gedelot-Rabbinic Bible -– Tanakh plus commentary

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The Bomberg Babylonian Talmud1519-1523Venice, part of the 40 million dollar Valdonna Trust, currently at Sotheby’s waiting for auction. It will not be divided. The collection numbers around 11,000 rare books and manuscripts: Talmud comprises Mishnah and Gemara (which comments on the Mishnah)

Part of what was received at Sinai in addition to Torah (written law).

Oral tradition dealing with (there is one exception) halacha or law. Mishnah is the oral law.

Compare to midrash which deals with Scripture commentary or exegesis (interpretation)

Organized by subject.

Basis of rulings, law for the Jewish people.

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MISHNAH

Religion

• Denominations • Orthodox (See handout for variations)• Modern Orthodox• Conservative• Reform• Reconstruction• Renewal• Humanist

Singer as a Representative of the the Jewish Community

• Complex relationship to Judaism• Orthodox background, Polish• Developed a”private mysticism”• G-d does not respond: how could He inflict

such suffering (Holocaust, illness)• Still only comfortable living in European Jewish

communities in the US• Wrote only in Yiddish, but fluent in English,

Polish and Hebrew

Culture: The Jewish Calendar

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The Year: Add 3760 The Months

Judaica in General (Religious)

• A very broad category. Includes Jewish:– Literature: Torah, Talmud, writings of Luria,

Maimonides, the great rabbis, Modern writers

• Artifacts (a sample): • Cairo Geniza fragments• Various sacred and semi-sacred objects

• Scrolls, • menorah or chanukiah, tallitot, • siddurim (prayer books), • temple artwork,

• illuminated manuscripts• Haggadot• Ketubim• Mahzorim

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Religious and Household Artifacts, Spertus Museum, Chicago

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Secular Jewish Culture

Multi-faceted Judaism is a way of life, not just a religion. Among others, there is/are Jewish

FoodsMusicVisual ArtsDanceLiteratureHumorTheatre

It’s all Judaica…..

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Jewish Libraries: A Wide Variety

• University Special Collections

• Public Libraries

• Synagogue Libraries

• Digital Libraries

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• The University Specialty Library– Yale, – Harvard, – University of Pennsylvania – Worldwide

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Judaica at Yale

Judaica at the Israel Museum

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Judaica at the British Library

One of the World’s Largest Collections Outside of Israel

Jewish Libraries

• The Public/Specialty Library – Library of Congress– New York Public Library

Jewish Libraries

• The Synagogue Library• Promotion of lifelong Jewish learning throughout the

congregation membership.• 2. Reinforcement of all synagogue educational

programs, especially the Religious School.

The Synagogue Library: Selected holdings

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Jewish Libraries

• Digital Libraries

– Jewish Virtual Library– Judaic Scholar Visual Reference Library

(This one is not free).

The Jewish Virtual Library

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Judaica at the NewYork PublicLibrary TheDorotCollection

QUESTIONS???

TODAH RABAH (Thank you!)and Shalom!