“New” old books at CUL

While Columbia’s collection of Jewish Studies materials in its Rare Book and Manuscript Library is already extensive, we are still actively collecting "new" materials for our collection. Two recent purchases were made with the help of the Rabbi Nathan Stern fund for Semitic Studies: 1) A manuscript "Commonplace book" from America, c.1825, which includes  "the […]

Read More…

Hebrew mss @ CUL: Pardes Rimonim

Kabbalah, the subject of Jewish mysticism, is one discussed by many but understood by few.  One of the important Kabbalists of the 16th century was Moses Cordovero.  Moses Cordovero was a student of Joseph Caro, and one of the teachers of the famed Isaac Luria in Safed.  His first work, written at the age of […]

Read More…

Hebrew mss @ CUL: Notes on Incunabula

The word manuscript comes from a combination of two Latin words (manu, meaning "hand"; and script, meaning "writing").  In the literal definition of the word, a manuscript is anything written by hand (as opposed to printed).  The manuscript you see in this post would not be found as part of our "Hebrew manuscript collection," but […]

Read More…

‘Ot Ha-berit

In 1824, a mohel and doctor named Yeḥezḳel Trish living in Lipník nad Bečvo (in the Czech Republic) received a gift from a man named Yonah Ḳaṿo.  It was a small manuscript book, which contained prayers and exquisitely detailed illustrations relating to his craft, that of circumcision.  Two of the spreads are shown here.  The […]

Read More…

Sefer ‘Evronot

This manuscript is one of many Hebrew calendar books that we hold in Columbia’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library.  This particular copy (call number: MS X893 Se36), was most likely produced in the 17th century, probably somewhere in Germany.  From the CLIO Record: "The Ms. is done in magnificent fashion and contains a large number […]

Read More…

New “Series”: Hebrew Manuscripts at CUL

In recognition of the amazing work being done by Yoram Bitton, our Hebrew manuscript cataloger, and to let our users know about the wonderful treasures that we have hidden in our collection, Jewish Studies at CUL will be periodically posting an image and/or some information about a manuscript or rare book that we have in […]

Read More…