Please join us at the 10th annual Norman E. Alexander Lecture in Jewish Studies! All are welcome, but registration is required. […]
Norman E. Alexander Celebration of Collections and Research
The Luzzatto family at Columbia
There were many notable Italian Jewish families throughout history. One of the more famous ones was the Luzzatto family, which included many important scholars and rabbis. According to family lore, the Luzzattos originated in the city of Lausitz in Germany before they migrated to Italy in the mid-15th century. Members of the family settled first […]
Norman E. Alexander Newsletter Fall 2020
To download a PDF version with clickable links, click here: Newsletter 2020-2 […]
Norman E. Alexander Newsletter, Spring 2020
We are pleased to share the Spring Newsletter for the Norman E. Alexander Library for Jewish Studies. Click to download the PDF (with clickable links): Newsletter 2020-1 […]
Manuscript in Printed Books
This essay was written for the Insitute for Israel and Jewish Studies’ Spring 2020 Magazine. The full magazine can be downloaded on the IIJS website. In presenting the rare Judaica to students and other visitors to the libraries, I have learned that sometimes basic terms can be confused. For instance, many people think that a […]
When is a Purim not on Purim?
When is a Purim not on Purim? When it’s a local Purim! The Book of Esther was seen as the “diaspora” book in the Hebrew Bible. There is no mention of God’s name throughout the text, and commentaries discuss the concept of a “hidden” miracle – that is, events orchestrated by God, but within the […]
Yiddish at Columbia – Online!
The Norman E. Alexander Library is proud to announce the digital version of “Yiddish at Columbia,” which appeared in a physical version the Chang Gallery of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library during the Spring of 2018. The exhibit was conceived to celebrate the completion of the digitization of the field notes from the Language […]
Fall Newsletter 2019
Our fall newsletter is live! Click the link below the image for a downloadable PDF with hyperlinks. Newsletter 2019-2 […]
Summer projects, Part II (Marianna Najman-Franks)
It’s been a busy summer in the Judaica collections at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library! Many collections were processed and are now available for use, thanks to the efforts of some fantastic students. This post, by Marianna Najman-Franks, is the second of a series describing some of the work on our collections this summer. […]
Summer projects, Part I (Yoav Varadi)
It’s been a busy summer in the Judaica collections at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library! Many collections were processed and are now available for use, thanks to the efforts of some fantastic students. This post, by Yoav Varadi, is the first of a series describing some of the work on our collections this summer. […]