A book, a manuscript, and an object: the life of Jewish texts on both sides

Dr. Michael D. Paul Rare Books Initiative

A book, a manuscript, and an object: the life of Jewish texts on both sides of the glass

A rare books workshop collaboration between the Center for Jewish Art (Jerusalem) and the Jewish Public Library.

The JPL’s rare book workshop initiative is predicated on the idea that the life of antiquarian Jewish texts transcend the status of an artefact. While most 15th-19th century books would most likely see their existence behind glass cases in museums or rare book rooms, Jewish books were meant to be read, studied, and used as an integral part of Jewish life in the communities of Europe during the medieval and early modern period.

The Center for Jewish Art (CJA) is a research institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, devoted to the documentation and research of Jewish visual culture. Established in 1979, it documented and researched objects of Jewish art in ca. 800 museums, libraries, private collections and synagogues in 41 countries. Today, the Center's archives and collections constitute the largest and most comprehensive body of information on Jewish art in existence. It was established in 1979 with an aim to document objects of Jewish art and produce a comprehensive iconographical index of Jewish subjects.

Together, the CJA and JPL will show books and artefacts from their respective collections that focus on the Jewish text both as object and book as integral components of Jewish life. William Gross, whose collection is one of many included in the CJA’s vast index, will share some of the kabbalistic ilanot and amulets, and librarians from the JPL will feature books and objects used for study, pedagogy, and meditation.

Sunday, June 26, 2022

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

The event will be recorded for those who cannot attend but we ask that you register to make it simpler to distribute the recording