Event
The topic is Collecting Hebrew Books From the Medieval Period to the Modern Era. This year’s workshop will be led by Professor Joseph R. Hacker, Professor emeritus of Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Fellow of Academia Ambrosiana in Milan, Italy. He has written numerous articles and edited 30 volumes of studies on the social and intellectual history of Iberian and Oriental Jewry and the history of the Hebrew book. Currently he is writing a book on the history of the Jews in the Ottoman Empire (1453-1600).
The six sessions will examine the history of book collecting in Jewish society from its inception to the 20th century, the 2017 Lehmann Workshop will consider changes in ideology, policy and development, explore divergent attitudes toward the preservation of Jewish culture, and analyze text choices, policies and manners of acquisition. Topics include the preservation of works in Hebrew characters in ancient synagogues, academies and genizot; important Hebrew and Judaica collections of medieval Jewish private and semi-public libraries as well as European royal, noble, ecclesiastical, university and public libraries of the Renaissance — based mainly on the collections of Christian Hebraists and Jewish grandees or scholars — several of which became institutions of the city and the nation. The workshop’s conclusion will examine the impact on Jewish book culture and its libraries of modern developments, such as the rise of the national state, Jewish emancipation, and the growth of new Jewish centers in Eastern Europe, America and Israel.
Because the Workshop will involve textual study, participants should be able to read unpointed Hebrew texts. The workshop is open to professors and independent scholars, professional librarians in the field of Jewish and related studies, and graduate students in Jewish Studies. Attendance at previous workshops is not a prerequisite for admission.
For faculty and professionals, tuition is $300. In addition to attendance and all materials for the workshop, the tuition includes two nights in a hotel (double-occupancy) for the nights of May 6 and 7 (with the option of May 5), and all meals and refreshments (all kosher) during the course of the workshop. Graduate students may apply for a full scholarship to the workshop. To apply for the scholarship, a graduate student should write us giving the details of his or her academic program and a brief statement explaining how the workshop will further his or her academic studies. S/he should also ask a faculty advisor to write us a letter of recommendation on the student's behalf.
Attendance is limited. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please notify us immediately. Full payment must be received by March 1, 2017. Make checks payable to Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. A registration form is available at: registrationLW2017.pdf
Please address all correspondence to: Lehmann Workshop, c/o Jewish Studies Program, 711 Williams Hall, 255 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305; E-mail: jsp-info@sas.upenn.edu ; Call 215-898-6654
The Manfred R. Lehmann Memorial Master Workshop in the History of the Jewish Book has been made possible by a generous contribution from the Manfred and Anne Lehmann Foundation along with grants from Albert and Nancy Friedberg.