27 Sep 89 JUDAIC STUDIES #23 27 Elul 49 BS"D Connecting geographically & otherwise disparate groups with a common interest in the study of Judaica. Edited by Y. Greenbaum CONTENTS 1) Hebraica Resources in Europe 2) Electronic Communications & Hebraica Libraries 1) Hebraica Resources in Europe The following is a highly impressionistic review of the recent colloquium held at the School of Oriental & African Studies of the University of London on three tightly-packed days 11-13 Sep. The proceedings will eventually be published as part of the series of topical colloquia organized by the British Library, the co-sponsors. I wish to make clear that my summary may accent points quite different from those emphasized by the speakers, perhaps noting peripheral observations which might not otherwise be recorded. Prof. John E. Wansbrough (Pro-Director,SOAS) introduced the colloquium, noting some areas conspicuous by their absence. He mentioned Manchester and Eastern Europe. (I add Switzerland, Austria, Provence and others-YG). Mr. Malcolm C. Davis (Brotherton Library, U of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT) is perparing a list of the library's pre-1850 imprints. The library contains the collections of Robert Travis Herford and Cecil Roth, with extensive holdings on e.g. Menasseh ben Israel and David Nieto. A pamphlet describing its activities mentions weekend seminars on Judaeo-Spanish themes, and public lectures in memory of Selig Brodetsky on aspects of the Jewish contribution to culture and scholarship. Mr. David M. Lass (Trinity College Library, U of Dublin, College Street, Dublin 2, Ireland) spoke about 8 Irish libraries and noted that the incunabula formerly owned by Archbishop Narcissus Marsh were not listed in the British Isles census. The Journal of the Friends of the Library (Jun 90) will contain a report on the 55 Hebrew books of Archbishop William King purchased 24 Oct 1712. Mr. Richard Judd (Dept. of Oriental Books, Bodleian Library, Oxford OX1 3BG) dealt with Hebrew in 37 libraries within Oxford. He asserts that, unlike Brisman (vol 1, p37?), the 1488 library probably had Hebrew mss. Steinschneider came only summers, and wrote most of CB by memory in Berlin. Neubauer will soon be reissued, with a supplement by Dr. Beit-Arie, principally on codicology. A Neubauer-Cowley geniza fragment catalog is due within 2 years. In answer to a question from Mr. Lass, the Oxford computer catalog does not yet handle Arabic well, let alone Hebrew. In response to Prof. Loewe, he emphasized that one must ask permission directly from the individual Oxford library in question, when requesting a ms. deposited in the Bodleian. The 82 photos of USSR mss are contained in 16 rolls of microfilm marked Or. film 295. Dr. Nigel Allan (Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 183 Euston Rd., London NW1 2BP) mentioned views of Avicenna in the medical curriculum of Montpelier and in Chaucer. Dr. Diana Rowland-Smith (British Library Oriental Collections, 14 Store St., London WC1E 7DG ...note that the library will soon be moving-YG) spoke on Genizah Collections in the British Library, reviewing the history of the dispersal of the Genizah, and reminding us that certain things so labeled are almost certainly not from the Genizah. The BL has a typewritten handlist of 3000 fragments. (We take the opportunity to gather here previous references to the Genizah-YG: Oxford holds 10% of the known mss, and Leeds has 30 fragments.) Dr. Stefan C. Reif (Genizah Research Unit & Dept. of Oriental Library, Cambridge U Library, West road, Cambridge CB3 9DR) surveyed Hebraica in Cambridge, saying he found it strange not to be speaking of the Genizah. It would be a good idea to survey the scholars of that period which the previous speaker reviewed. Mr. Albert Abecassis (Hebrew Books Division, Bibliotheque Nationale, 58 rue de Richelieu, 75084 Paris, France) spoke about the processing of Hebraica in the BN, which contains 20,000 titles catalogued before 54, and over 22,000since. Dr. Sed-Rajna noted that G. Vajda collected references to the complete collection, and the updated Hebrew is still in handwritten form. Dr. Sonsales Araguena (Biblical Philology, Judaism, Sephardic Studies & Near East Depts, Instituto de Filologia, CSIC, Madrid, Spain) referred to the fire in Dec 1978, which destroyed half the collection, as well as the implemetation of Aleph. She noted the value of pre-inquisition documents, such as the Hebraica records of the Calahorra Cathedral, and described the collection of R' Mijael Molho, b. Salonica 1898, who was in Greece during the occupation. The library hopes to publish a catalog of its oldest materials. Prof. Giuliano Tamani sent an updated, concise version of his 1973 survey, "Hebrew Manuscripts in Italian Libraries" (excluding the Vatican, and not covering marriage contracts and binding fragments). It contains a short history of Italian collections, followed by a breakdown of libraries by number of mss held. The 70 libraries covered range in size from Parma Palatina (over 1600) to almost 50 libraries with under 6 mss each. The 2 unusual cases (apart from Turin, which has recovered only 40 mss since the fire of 1904 out of the 274 described in 1880) are Mantua and Ferrara. (We shall take the opportunity here to summarize the lectures of Drs. Busi and Fumagalli, which relate to these libraries.-YG) Dr. Giulio Busi (Faculty of Arts & Philosophy, Universita degli Studi, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy) has been working in northern Italy on early printing. He said he has discovered 5 new incunabula and other new items in 16 libraries. He dealt with the community library of Mantua, which has been preserved in the Biblioteca Civica since 1930. Fr. Dr. Pier Francesco Fumagalli (Via Pietro Venturi 61, I-00199 Rome, Italy) is involved in the systematic investigation of medieval binding fragments as outlined by Prof. G. Sermoneta. He pointed out that these are most often entire leaves, used as envelopes, details varying with locale. He was recently shown a miscellany of Greek texts, which proved to contain a 1595 catalog, in Hebrew and Latin, of the Ambrosiana. He also mentioned the opening of a new Jewish Library and Center of the Ebreico Community in Rome. Concerning the library of the Ferrara community, Prof. Tamani quotes his regret that access is impossible as there is no catalog. He has found 98 of their mss microfilmed in Jerusalem, and reference to a further 10. To return to Prof. Tamani, he comes to 2800 mss, 150 not cataloged at all. He ends with the need for international cooperative efforts in cataloging these materials. Dr. Istvan Ormos (Semitics Division, Library of the Hungarian Academy of Science, 1361 Budapest v pf 7, Akademia u 2, Budapest, Hungary) reviewed the history and outstanding holdings of the collection, indicating that a new catalog is a desideratum (although present efforts are directed towards cataloging Dr. Scheiber's collection). A new reproduction of the hagada is in press (its leaves were not rebound), as well as a megilat esther. Mr. Schischa brought up the need to collect Hungarian Jewish periodicals. (A bibliography is being prepared. See JS 22 -YG). Prof. Tapani Harviainen (Dept of Asian and African Studies, U of Hesinki, SF-00100 Helsinki 10, Finland) reviewed the status of their depository collection of 19th c Russian printers. 4000 out of 5000 items have been cataloged. The collection contains much ephemera not otherwise available. (Mr. Schischa notes that the wrappers would prove interesting. I'd be interested in the booksellers' catalogs. -YG) The paper of many items is seriously deteriorating. Dr. Paul Gerhard Dannhauer (Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Ludwig Strasse 16 Postfach 150, D-8000 Munchen, FRG) alluded to the library's strengths, humanities and orientalia, and it's italian imprints, especially Venice. The 1943 fire did not affect orientalia. He mentioned the catalog of the library's 9000 volume Yiddish collection. Prof. Dr. Peter Schaefer (Freie Universitat Berlin, Institut fur Judaistik Schwendenerstr 27, 1000 Berlin 33) spoke of a new edition of Mishna d'Rbi Eliezer, and in his lecture the next evening, spoke of a catalog in preparation of all Hebrew and Aramaic magical texts among the geniza fragments.