Of Puppies and Perfume

March 30, 2022 | Klau Library Blog

From the desk of Jordan Finkin, Klau Library, Rare Book and Manuscript Librarian As we enter April, budding trees and flowers make the air redolent of spring. The appreciation of fragrance is of course nothing new to Jewish tradition. Nowhere is … Continued


קול באישה” – פרשנויות נשים לתנ”ך”

March 4, 2022 | Klau Library Blog

יום האישה הבינלאומי מצוין מדי שנה ב-8 במרץ, וזו הזדמנות נהדרת להציג כמה מן היצירות הפרשניות בנות זמננו שנכתבו על ידי של נשים יהודיות. “וַתִּכְתֹּב אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה בַת אֲבִיחַיִל וּמָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי אֶת כָּל תֹּקֶף לְקַיֵּם אֵת אִגֶּרֶת הַפּוּרִים הַזֹּאת הַשֵּׁנִית” (אסתר … Continued


Purim Spiel and Yiddish Theater

February 10, 2022 | Klau Library Blog

Hag Purim is around the corner! The Purim “spiel” (Purim play) is one of the unique artistic customs of this holiday. It is considered to be among the first Yiddish theater productions and is a drama-comedy performance with a plot … Continued


Journey to the Land of Milk and Honey

January 14, 2022 | Klau Library Blog

Until Rabbi Isaac Luria fixed what would later become the Tu Bi-Shevat seder, the day was most likely acknowledged simply according to the Mishnah (tractate Rosh Hashanah), namely as the day designated for calculating the agricultural cycle of trees for … Continued


Then is (almost) Now for Reproductive Rights

January 10, 2022 | Klau Library Blog

Contributed by Chana Wolfson, Assistant Judaica Librarian Where does Reform Judaism stand on the question of reproductive choice, including the legality of abortion? Materials in the Klau Library from the 1970s through today demonstrate that Reform Jewish institutions in America … Continued


ההיסטוריה של אוסף שפינוזה

December 28, 2021 | Klau Library Blog

ספריית היברו יוניון קולג’-המכון למדעי היהודיות מחזיקה באוסף מקיף ביותר של יצירות מודפסות וכתבי יד מאת ועל הפילוסוף ההולנדי-היהודי ברוך שפינוזה. האוסף החל בתקופת כהונתו של אדולף א. אוקו (Adolf A. Oko), ספרן היברו יוניון קולג’ מ-1906 עד 1933. בהדרכתו … Continued


A Wise Thanksgiving Lesson

November 19, 2021 | Klau Library Blog

Contributed by Alice Finkelstein, Head of Technical Services Few of us learned in school that the Thanksgiving celebration has roots in Wampanoag and other indigenous cultures of North America, or how, in 1621, the Wampanoag leader Massasoit formed an alliance … Continued


New Samaritan Manuscripts Added

November 19, 2021 | Announcement

New Samaritan manuscripts were added to the online collection today! Sam. Ms. 22, 23, 24, and 27 can be viewed on the Samaritan page.


ספרי יידיש בנושא גהות ובריאות לקהל הרחב

November 4, 2021 | Klau Library Blog

נכתב על ידי אלחנדרו סוסצ’ין, השאלה, יעץ החל מסוף המאה ה-19 ובעשורים הראשונים של המאה ה-20, מגפות קטלניות פגעו קשות באירופה. בין היתר, הכולרה במשך יותר מעשרים שנה פגעה בעיקר במזרח היבשת, וגם השפעת התרחבה כפי שהזכירו לכולנו בעקבות מגפת … Continued


King Matt the First

October 22, 2021 | Klau Library Blog

Contributed by Margalit Tal, Serials Coordinator It is an unfortunate reality of many who died in the Holocaust that their tragic deaths overshadowed their extraordinary lives, and such is the story of Janusz Korczak. While his death elevated him to … Continued


Historical Jewish Advertisements in the American Israelite

October 8, 2021 | Klau Library Blog

Contributed by Joshua Fischer, Junior Assistant Judaica Librarian in Cincinnati Jewish advertisements have a developed and storied history within the Cincinnati Jewish community. As American Jewish communities grew and developed, it became necessary to find more efficient methods of spreading … Continued


Censorship and Dissent in Early Modern Christendom: Johannes Reuchlin’s defense of Jewish scholarship and the ride of humanism

September 27, 2021 | Klau Library Blog

Contributed by Taylor Dwyer, Assistant Librarian In 1509, a campaign to destroy Jewish literature was launched in Germany, then part of the Roman Empire. The campaign was led by a Jewish convert to Christianity named Johannes Pfefferkorn (1469-1522/3) with support from various … Continued