Annual Report 2014-15
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report of the oxford centre for hebrew and jewish studies 2014–2015 Report of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies 2014–2015 OXFORD CENTRE FOR HEBREW AND JEWISH STUDIES A Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford Contents OXFORD CENTRE FOR HEBREW AND JEWISH STUDIES President’s Preface 5 Clarendon Institute Highlights of the 2014–2015 Academic Year 8 Walton Street Oxford Seminar in Advanced Jewish Studies Oxford Jewish Books in Amsterdam, 1600–1850: Authors, OX1 2HG Producers, Readers and the Construction of Jewish Worlds Tel: 01865 610422 Email: [email protected] The Work of the Seminar Dr César Merchán-Hamann 20 Website: www.ochjs.ac.uk Yiddish Publishing The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies is a company, limited by guarantee, The Historical Significance of the Amsterdam incorporated in England, Registered No. 1109384 (Registered Charity No. 309720). The Yiddish Book Industry Professor Shlomo Berger 21 Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies is a tax-deductible organization within The Mayse ha-Shem: A Collection of Tales Printed the United States under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Employer in Amsterdam, 1708 and 1723 Professor Jean Baumgarten 23 Identification number 13–2943469). Yiddish Ephemera and Little Books from Amsterdam Professor Marion Aptroot 26 The Role of Amsterdam in the Dissemination of the Minhogim Iconography Dr Lucia Raspe 27 Sephardi Books and Book-Collecting Early Spanish and Portuguese Jewish Books in Amsterdam and their Readers Dr Javier Castaño 28 Two Projects: A Library and a Translation Dr Benjamin Fisher 29 The Book Leket Hakemah as a Reflection of the Cultural and Intellectual History of the Jewish Communities of Copyright © Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, 2015 Amsterdam and Livorno Dr Yaacov Shapira 31 All rights reserved Exploring Manuscripts of Orobio de Castro’s ‘Response’ ISSN 1368 9096 to Lullian Philosophy Professor Myriam Silvera 33 Front and back cover illustrations: Clarendon Institute Edited by Dr Jeremy Schonfield Sephardi-Ashkenazi Relations Designed by Tony Kitzinger Sephardi-Ashkenazi Relations in Amsterdam Print Houses in Printed and bound at the Dorset Press, Dorchester the Second Quarter of the Eighteenth Century Dr David Sclar 35 3 4 Contents Dutch Jewry The Creation of a Dutch Jewish Book Shelf: The Amsterdam Jewish Book Market, 1795–1850 Dr Bart Wallet 37 President’s Message Jewish-Christian Relations Willem Surenhuis’ Edition of the Mishnah Dr Piet van Boxel 39 The Centre has settled so securely into its new home in the Clarendon Institute that it is already becoming difficult to recall that we moved here only in Amsterdam Jewish Books in Oxford September last year, just in time for the start of the academic year. The Centre Amsterdam Jewish Books in the Bodleian Dr César Merchán-Hamann 41 had a full programme through Michaelmas Term despite the disruption of building works, and celebrated the move, and the opening of the new Catherine The Academic Year Lewis Lecture Room, with a party at the end of term, preceded by a special lecture by Professor Judith Olszowy-Schlanger. In the last weeks of Trinity Courses, Lectures, Conferences, Publications and Term, building work began again with repair to the windows, the cleaning of Other Activities of Fellows of the Centre 44 the brickwork on the façade and renovation of the stonework. The Centre can Seminars, Conferences and Special Lectures be very grateful to University Estates and to the contractors for carrying out all Involving Centre Fellows 62 this work with so little disruption to our activities. Reports by Visiting Fellows and Scholars 75 These activities included the first Oxford Seminar in the Clarendon Institute, Journal of Jewish Studies 82 putting to the test our hope that housing the Centre’s research projects in the centre of Oxford would greatly enhance the integration of the Visiting Fellows The Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies 83 into the University. The Seminar, led by the Centre’s Fellow Librarian (Dr Looted Art Research Unit 87 Cesar Merchán-Hamann) and Professor Shlomo Berger of the University of The Leopold Muller Memorial Library 96 Amsterdam, amply fulfilled expectations. I shall have more to say below about Listings Shlomo, who died suddenly in Amsterdam in August, less than two months after leaving the Centre. Academic Staff 108 The Visiting Fellows were housed in rental accommodation and worked Journal of Jewish Studies 109 in a suite of offices in the Clarendon Institute set aside for the purpose for the Members of the Hebrew and Jewish Studies Unit 110 duration of the Seminar. The Institute has become the hub of scholarship in The Leopold Muller Memorial Library Committee 111 Hebrew and Jewish Studies for the whole University, with vastly increased use of the Leopold Muller Memorial Library in its new, very comfortable location. Visiting Fellows and Scholars 111 The librarians have worked hard all year to organize the collections for the Centre Staff 112 greatest benefit of readers, bearing in mind in particular the special needs of Senior Members 113 the Seminar, whose focus on Jewish books in Amsterdam involved particularly Board of Governors 114 intensive use of the exceptional holdings of the Coppenhagen Collection, alongside the special collections of the Bodleian, which are now available in Donors of Books to the Leopold Muller Memorial Library 116 the magnificent new Weston Library, five minutes’ walk from the Clarendon Books Acquired for the Library through Special Funds Institute. and Endowments 116 Both students and visitors have made good use of the refurbished Common Sources of Funding, 2014–2015 119 Room (enticed, on Mondays and Thursdays during term time, by the provision 5 6 President’s Message President’s Message 7 of cake), and a welcome result of the move is the Centre’s ability to offer shared Professor Philip Alexander, as well as Professor Tessa Rajak, one of the Centre’s research space for visiting scholars and doctoral students from around the most distinguished Senior Associates), but the attention paid by different world who wish to make use of Oxford libraries and to benefit from meetings media to the timely research of Dr Sara Hirschhorn on American settlers in with Oxford faculty. Israel can be expected to continue, as articles in Ha’aretz and the New York I should confess that at times over the past year the role of President has felt Times, and the Jewish Chronicle, as well as radio interviews, amply testify. rather domestic, with decisions to be taken on carpets, curtains and numerous It is undeniable that happiness at the end of such a successful first year in other issues of great importance in establishing an environment conducive to the Clarendon Institute has been dampened by the awful news of the wholly teaching and research, but involving skills beyond my competence. I am all the unexpected death of Professor Shlomo Berger. As joint leader of the Seminar more grateful to Sheila Phillips, Martine Smith-Huvers and Sue Forteath for group from January to June, Shlomo was an overwhelming presence in the their wise counsel as well as their hard work in creating the Centre’s welcoming Centre, motivating and cheering his colleagues, and encouraging them to get atmosphere. the very best out of their time in Oxford and their collaboration with each other. Among the scholarly publications of the past year in which the Centre takes He was a truly remarkable person as well as a superb scholar and a friend much particular pleasure is the special issue of the Journal of Modern Jewish Studies loved by many, and his sudden absence leaves us all bereft. We hope to honour edited by Professor Adam Ferziger and Dr Miri Freud-Kandel, which brings Shlomo’s exceptional talents and commitment to scholarship by dedicating to a wider public the findings of the 2013–14 Oxford Seminar on ‘Orthodoxy, to his memory the volume which he initiated and shaped as a product of the Theological Debate and Contemporary Judaism: A Critical Exploration of Seminar, over which he presided with such infectious enthusiasm. Questions raised in the Thought of Louis Jacobs’. Prompt dissemination We mourn also Derek Roe, who died after a short illness in September 2014; of research findings is viewed by the Centre as a duty to the wider world of David Hyman, who gave invaluable support to the Centre for many years, scholarship, and further volumes from the Seminars are expected in 2016. The beginning already in the early years after its foundation and passed away in Centre’s own Journal of Jewish Studies was published promptly and superbly February 2015; and Lord Moser, whose death was announced in September through the tireless efforts of Margaret Vermes, the Journal’s Executive Editor, 2015. All were distinguished former Governors of the Centre on whose wisdom despite all the distractions of the office move. we were able to rely at crucial stages in the development of the Centre. We The Centre’s Fellows continue to teach intensively at all levels, from remember them with gratitude. undergraduate to doctoral students. Welcome innovations have been the It is a pleasure to be able to end on a more cheerful note with congratulations regular series of seminars, organized by Professor Joanna Weinberg, for to Alison Salvesen on joining the elite band of Oxford scholars whose out- doctoral students in Hebrew and Jewish Studies to discuss their research, and standing achievements were recognized by the University with the title of the provision to the wider public of classes in Biblical Hebrew and Modern Professor in this year’s Recognition of Distinction exercise; to Professor Hugh Hebrew alongside the long-established Yiddish sessions given by Dr Khayke Williamson on being honoured by Her Majesty the Queen with an OBE for Beruriah Wiegand.