Resources

Library

The combined collections of the University library system, including the library of the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies (Katz Center), comprise a source of exceptional richness for Jewish Studies, in general, and for the thought and literature of Judaism (Judaic Studies) in particular.

The Van Pelt collection is especially strong in modern Hebrew literature. Van Pelt also maintains a Judaica/Ancient Near East Seminar Room (on the fourth floor) for heavily used materials in Judaic Studies, including Biblical Studies, and ancient Near Eastern culture. The Henry Charles Lea Collection (Special Collections on the sixth floor) is a rich source for materials on Jews and the Inquisition.

The Library of the University Museum is the major campus repository for works on the anthropology and archaeology of the ancient Near East and the Biblical world, and the Biddle Law Library has a collection on Talmudic law.

The largest component of the University's collection in Jewish Studies can be found at the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. The general collection at the Katz Center comprises approximately 150,000 volumes, but in addition includes rare books, manuscripts and artifacts. The collection is especially strong in Hebraica and in archival collections of American Judaica.

For questions about the collection, contact Penn's Judaica Collections Curator: Dr. Arthur Kiron.

The Penn library has launched a new website for its Judaica collections, as part of its Area Studies initiative. This website provides an integrated picture of Penn's entire Judaica holdings, services, and resources, both on campus - including the Weigle Judaica and Ancient Near East Seminar Reading Room in Van Pelt - and at the Katz Center library. You will find descriptions of our different print, manuscript and archival collections, links to our multi-media holdings, and information about how to conduct on-line computing in Hebrew and other non-Roman character sets. The new site is located at: https://www.library.upenn.edu/detail/collectionsubject/judaic-studies-collection
 

The Freedman Jewish Sound Archive is located in Penn's Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, Room 453, This musical research library -- international, and multi-lingual in scope -- is a collection of approximately 5,300 Judaic sound recordings, in various formats (78, 45 and 33rpm, reel to reel and cassette tapes, compact discs, videos and DVDs). The website is http://sceti.library.upenn.edu/freedman/
 

Van Pelt Library
3420 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
(215) 898-7555
For the University of Pennsylvania Van Pelt Library, click here. 
 

Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies Library
420 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106-3703
(215) 238-1290
The Library is open to UPenn Faculty, Students, and Employees. General Public Admitted by Appointment Only. Please note that a photo ID is necessary. For additional information, or to make an appointment please call: (215) 238-1290. For the University of Pennsylvania Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies Library, click here. 
 

Museum Library
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6324
(215) 898-4021 
For the University of Pennsylvania Museum Library, click here.
 

Biddle Law Library
3460 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3406
(215) 898-7853 
For the University of Pennsylvania Biddle Law Library, click here.

 

 

Links

CAUTIONARY NOTE: Some Internet websites contain reliable information while others do not, and it is impossible for us to screen them all for quality. Users are therefore advised to be very careful in using information for research purposes, and for quotation in papers and publications it is absolutely essential to verify that the information comes from a competent and reliable source. Before citing websites in papers, students should ask their instructors if they have permission to do so. 

For suggestions on how to evaluate internet resources, see Evaluating Internet Research Sources.   

For further bibliography on the subject, see Evaluation of Information Sources. 

NOTE: Electronic addresses periodically change or become defunct. If you find that to be the case with any of those listed here, kindly inform the Jewish Studies Program office.

Archaeology and Manuscript Discoveries

Holocaust

Library Resources in Jewish Studies

Bible, Ancient Near East, and Related Ancient Websites 

Israel and Zionism 

Periodicals 

Book Dealers and Other Vendors 

  • William H. Allen, Philadelphia (used and out-of-print Bible and Judaica) - E-mail
  • Association of Jewish Book Publishers (lists many publishers) - Website
  • Bala Judaica, Bala Cynwyd PA (general Judaica; not a large stock, but local) Tel. 1-610-664-1303
  • Biblical Archaeology Society, Washington (books, slides, videos) Tel. 1-800-221-4644
  • J. Biegeleisen, Brooklyn (traditional Judaica) Tel. 1-718-436-1165
  • B. Blackwell, Oxford (Bible and ancient Near East) - E-mail
  • E.J. Brill, Leiden - Website  E-mail for Leiden office  E-mail for U.S. office
  • Christian Book Distributors (Bible, Early Judaism, Early Christianity, etc.; discount prices - Website 
  • Dan Wyman Books (We Find Good Homes For Nice Jewish Books) Website
  • ph: 413-846-6357 e-fax: 208-567-8926
  • Davka Corporation (Judaica software on CD-ROMS, etc.) - Website
  • Dove Books (Bible and ancient Near East; discount prices) - Website
  • Eisenbrauns (Bible and ancient Near East; discount prices) - Website
  • O. Harrassowitz, Stuttgart - E-mail
  • Ideal Book Store, New York (Used and New Judaica) -  Website
  • Israel Bookshop, Boston (traditional Judaica, distributors of Soncino and Judaica Press books) Tel: 1-800-323-7723 Fax: 617-566-0006
  • Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem (archaeology of Israel) - E-mail
  • Jerusalem Books, Jerusalem (for Israeli publications) - E-mail
  • JPS (Jewish Publication Society), Philadelphia (discounts for members) 1-800-355-1165
  • JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary) Publications - Website, Tel: 1-212-678-8842
  • KTAV Publishing House, Hoboken (reprints of classic scholarly works) - Website
  • Mosad Harav Kook, Jerusalem (traditional Judaica) POB 642, Jerusalem, Israel Tel: 011-972-2-652-6231 Fax: 011-972-2-652-6968
  • The National Yiddish Book Center Tel: 1-888-4-Bikher
  • J. Robinson and Co. Booksellers, Tel Aviv (current and out-of-print Judaica) - E-mail
  • Rosenberg Hebrew Book Store Jenkintown: tel. 215-884-1728 Northeast Philadelphia: Tel: 215-744-5205
  • Scholars Press, Atlanta (Bible, religion, archaeology, etc.; discounts for members of constituent organizations) - E-mail
  • Stein Books, 52 King George St., Jerusalem (current and out-of- print Judaica) Telephone and fax: 011-972-2-624-7877
  • West Side Judaica and Bookstore, New York 1-212-362-7846

Scholarly Organizations

  • American Academy for Jewish Research 51 Washington Sq. South New York NY 10012-1018 Tel: 212-998-8980
  • American Academy of Religion - Website
  • American Oriental Society
  • American Schools of Oriental Research - E-mail
  • Association for Jewish Studies - Website 
  • Scholarships & Grants for Jewish Students -  Website
  • Society of Biblical Literature -  Website
  • YIVO Institute for Jewish Research - E-mail
  • Academic Jewish Studies Internet Directory - Website

Student Organizations

  • Penn Hillel
  • Jewish Law Students Association
  • Kedma: Penn's Journal on Jewish Thought, Jewish Culture, and Israel

Jewish History

  • Center for Jewish History, New York (American Jewish Historical Society, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institure for Jewish Research)

Miscellaneous

For various other topics of interest, see Internet Resources for the Study of Judaism and Christianity, by Jay C. Treat. The home pages of Religious Studies and History also have many valuable links.