This year, the holiday of Shavuot falls adjacent to Mother’s Day, a fitting tribute to Naomi and Ruth, matriarchs of the lineage of King David. A century ago, in the United States, Jewish educators emphasized the connection of mothers and children in the cycle of Jewish continuity. The Bureau of Jewish Education established the Jewish [...]
Archive for the ‘Of Historical Interest’ Category
Shavuot Pedagogy
Thursday, May 9th, 2013Passover in Germany, 1940
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013“Last year’s matzo may be used, as long as it is free of mites.” “If food is scarce, legumes (if they are available), such as peas, beans, and lentils, may be used this year. After thorough inspection, they should be put in boiling water and cooked. Sick people and children may have rice, which must [...]
Pennsylvania Journal and the Weekly Advertiser
Thursday, March 14th, 2013History comes to life in the pages of newspapers. The December 26, 1781, issue of the Pennsylvania Journal and the Weekly Advertiser, a recent gift to the Library by Prof. Ronald Rubin, is a prime example. An advertisement placed by Haym Salomon, the well-known Jewish Revolutionary War patriot, promotes Salomon’s financial services and identifies his [...]
The Jerusalem Post
Thursday, January 3rd, 2013The Library is now subscribed to the full online run of The Jerusalem Post (1932-present). The Jerusalem Post has been, and still is, a leading Israeli daily newspaper. Keyword-searchable access to its complete run provides important research on the history, culture, and political life of the Yishuv and the State of Israel in particular, and [...]
New Library Website
Friday, November 9th, 2012The past comes to life in sound and sight at the Library’s new digital website. Experience musar (moral instruction) as it was delivered by a traditional Eastern European maggid (preacher) by tuning in to the Bialystoker Maggid’s impassioned wedding speech. Even if you don’t understand Yiddish you will feel the force and spirit of his [...]
Sukkah in a Box
Thursday, October 4th, 2012The ubiquitous canvas Sukkot which appear in Jewish neighborhoods the world over were probably first introduced and produced by the Orthodox Union in 1925, in an effort to encourage families to erect their own personal Sukkot and not rely merely on making Kiddush in the synagogue Sukkah. This project was reported by Rabbi Dr. Herbert [...]
Leaves of Talmud
Tuesday, July 31st, 2012The concept of Daf Yomi, the daily study by Jews all over the world of the same daf or blatt [2 pages] of Talmud, was instituted at the suggestion of R’ Meir Shapira, founder of Yeshivas Chachme Lublin, at the Agudath Israel Kenesiyah Gedolah (Great Congress) in Vienna in 1923. Yeshiva University Archives holds materials [...]
Compact Memory : Database of the Month
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012Compact Memory is a German language database that provides PDF’s of articles from Jewish German periodicals from the 18th and 19th centuries. There are two ways to navigate the database. You can use the “Bibliothek” which lists all the periodical titles in alphabetical order. Click on a title, publication year and then the desired volume. [...]
Rubin Renewal
Monday, May 21st, 2012Rubin Hall is molting, shedding its skin for a new, 21st century, energy efficient upgrade. The cornerstone laying for the seven-story dormitory took place fifty-six years ago on June 10, 1956. YU’s Public Relations Department, headed by Sam Hartstein, issued a steady stream of communications on the progress of the construction. On February 21, 1957, [...]
Purim Unmasked
Monday, March 5th, 2012Books and manuscripts in the library hide images of Purim, the holiday of Queen Esther, who had to mask her identity. In honor of Purim, the library reveals buried pictures to the reveler. Happy Purim! Posted by Shulamith Z. Berger