Judaica Librarianship Volume 11 Issue 1–2 67-75 1-1-2003 Some Notable Bibliographers I Have Known Jacob Kabakoff Lehman College of City University Follow this and additional works at: http://ajlpublishing.org/jl Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Information Literacy Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, and the Reading and Language Commons Recommended Citation Kabakoff, Jacob. 2003. "Some Notable Bibliographers I Have Known." Judaica Librarianship 11: 67-75. doi:10.14263/2330-2976.1126. Some Notable Bibliographers I Have Known* Jacob Kabakoff Lehman College of City University New York, NY Excerpts from the Introduction by degree in 1958. Dr. Kabakoff is also a as Editor for almost 20 years, from 1977 to Zachary M. Baker graduate of Yeshiva University and its 1996. Having been a contributor to the Teachers’ Institute. He holds honorary Jewish Book Annual throughout Dr. Since 1996, Judaica librarians have had degrees from the JTSA (1972) and Kabakoff’s tenure, I can personally testify the honor of hearing one of their distin- Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of to the close attention that he paid to all of guished colleagues speak at a plenary Religion (1988). the articles and bibliographies that were gathering of the Association of Jewish published there under his editorial supervi- Libraries. Jacob Kabakoff is now the fourth The Festschrift Migvan [Spectrum]: Stud- sion, and to the thoroughness with which Feinstein Lecturer, succeeding Herbert ies in Hebrew Literature in Honor of Jacob he proofread these contributions. Zafren, Menahem Schmelzer, and Dina Kabakoff, edited by Stanley Nash (Lod: Abramowicz. It is a special honor for me to Habermann Institute for Literary Stanley Nash has written: “[Jacob] introduce Professor Jacob Kabakoff as the Research, 1988), includes a selected bibli- Kabakoff is one of the principal 1999 Myer and Rosaline Feinstein Lectur- ography of Dr. Kabakoff’s own writings. As researchers in the field of American er. The Feinstein Lecture is a program of of 1988, these numbered six books, four Hebrew literature .... Many of those who the Council of Archives and Research pamphlets, and no fewer than 221 articles devoted themselves to the neglected sub- Libraries in Jewish Studies and is spon- - in Hebrew, Yiddish and English. Among ject of Hebrew literary creativity in America sored by the National Foundation for Jew- his books are: Master of Hope: Selected received assistance and encouragement ish Culture’s Jewish Endowment for the Writings of Naphtali Herz Imber (Cranbury, from him. Often our friend Kabakoff would Arts and Humanities.... NJ: Associated University Presses, 1985), contact those working in this arena, either and the Hebrew volumes Pioneers of by letter or by telephone, bringing to their Jacob Kabakoff is an American Hebraist American Hebrew Literature (Tel-Aviv: attention new materials, a remote archive, par excellence and a well-rounded Judaic Yavneh; Cleveland: Cleveland College of or an obscure manuscript known only to scholar. Literary and bio-bibliographical Jewish Studies Press, 1967), Stalwarts ‘initiates’” (Migvan, introduction, p. 9). We studies have been hallmarks of his long and Seekers: Essays on American are grateful to Jacob Kabakoff for his gen- and productive scholarly career. Jacob Hebrew Literature and Culture (Jerusalem: erosity in sharing with us a modest quo- Kabakoff himself is an important link to a Rubin Mass, 1978), Naphtali Herz Imber: tient of his vast storehouse of knowledge, generation of Hebrew bibliographers that “Ba’al ha-Tikvah” (Lod: Habermann Insti- in this latest in the ongoing series of Fein- has passed from the scene in recent tute for Literary Research, 1991). Dr. stein Lectures. years, and his lecture constitutes a rich Kabakoff has been a regular and devoted contribution to our knowledge of Judaica contributor to Ha-Do’ar - he served as edi- bibliography and Hebrew letters. tor of the Sefer ha-Do’ar (1982), published on that eminent American Hebrew jour- Until his retirement, Jacob Kabakoff nal’s 60th anniversary - and has also writ- Zachary M. Baker is the Reinhard Family served as Professor of Hebrew and Jew- ten for the Congress Weekly/ Curator of Judaica and Hebrew Collec- ish Studies at Lehman College of the City Biweekly/Monthly, Jewish Social Studies, tions at Stanford University, and is the University of New York; before that, he was Judaism, and The Reconstructionist. President of the Council of Archives and Dean of the Cleveland College of Jewish Research Libraries in Jewish Studies Studies. A graduate of The Jewish Theo- To many Judaica librarians, Dr. Kabakoff’s (CARLJS). logical Seminary of America, he was name is associated above all with the awarded the Doctor of Hebrew Letters Jewish Book Annual, which he ably served *Originally presented at the 34th Annual Convention of the Association of Jewish Libraries, Boca Raton, June 21, 1999. Originally published as a pamphlet (New Yo rk: National Foundation for Jewish Cul- ture/Council of Archives and Research Libraries in Jewish Studies), 2000. (NFJC Lecture Series no. 4). Judaica Librarianship Vol. 11 No. 1-2 Winter 2002 - Spring 2003 67 Lecture by Our first bibliographer, Abraham Meir was engaged, so that they offer an insight Jacob Kabakoff Habermann, was born in Zurawno, Gali- into his activities during this period. Haber- cia, in 1901. He received a traditional edu- mann did not fail to favor me with his many Opinions are divided regarding the field of cation, but like many other young men of warmly-inscribed books and reprints as bibliography. For some it is characterized his generation in Galicia he left his home- they appeared. by the Hebrew phrase hokhmat shearim, town for Germany in order to obtain a uni- which may be loosely translated as the skill versity education. He was about 18 years I often benefited from Habermann’s courte- or expertise of dealing with title pages. of age when he moved to Wurzburg. For sies in connection with my research on Those who would invoke this phrase would some months he worked for his uncle who American Hebrew literature. For my mono- seem to imply that the bibliographer’s was in the wine business. However, he graph on the writings of the satirist Gerson knowledge encompasses only the exter- soon abandoned the business world to Rosenzweig he made available to me a nals of the books and does not necessarily continue with his studies. At the age of 21 rare four-page parody that Rosenzweig presuppose a familiarity with their contents. he took up residence in Zwickau where he had published in New York in 1893. On obtained a position as a teacher. another occasion he wrote me that his Others, however, view the bibliographer’s library had acquired a number of issues of skill as having to do with far more than title It was in Zwickau that Habermann met ha-Zofeh ba-Aretz ha-Hadasha, the first pages. The basic meaning of the word Salman Schocken, whose department- American Hebrew weekly, which appeared shaar is gate. When we use the phrase store concern was based there. This meet- in the 1870’s. When I informed him that hokhmat shearim we refer to that skill ing was to have a far-reaching influence on some of these issues were unavailable in which opens the gates to the vast realm of Habermann’s career. Schocken had the United States, he took the trouble to Jewish learning. Bibliography then is already become known as a collector of microfilm them for me. Among the items he viewed from this vantage point as the key Hebrew books and manuscripts. His library was kind enough to send me were rare to the treasures of the past and to the writ- grew when he acquired the collection of printed items by Judah David Eisenstein ings of the scholars and bookmen who Moses Marx; it was then that Schocken and Ephraim Deinard. have mined these treasures. invited Habermann to catalog his books. At first Habermann divided his time between While still in Germany, Habermann began It is my purpose today to deal with four mornings at the library and afternoons at to publish the fruits of his research in the leading bibliographers – two from Israel the school. He acquired his expertise first- history of Hebrew printing and in the field and two who did their work here — and to hand within the confines of the library, and of piyyut and medieval Hebrew poetry. share with you some recollections of their was instrumental in aiding Schocken make Among his early publications were such personalities and activities over many valuable acquisitions of rare books and items as The Soncino Family as Printers years. To each of these notable figures we manuscripts. Among these were manu- (Hebrew, 1933) and Hebrew Women as can apply the phrase be-hokhma poteah scripts of medieval Hebrew poetry, a field Printers, Typesetters and Supporters of shearim. As used in our Maariv service it in which Habermann was to become a pro- Writers (Hebrew, 1933). He devoted him- applies to the Almighty Himself who with ductive worker at the Schocken Institute self to the publishing of Hebrew texts, par- wisdom opens the gates of heaven. In our For Hebrew Poetry, which was established ticularly from the medieval period. In many case it is meant to apply to a few excep- in Berlin in 1930. In his lifework Haber- instances he provided pertinent bibliogra- tional and unique individuals who utilized mann was undoubtedly influenced by his phies. He was diligent in making available their God-given skill to enable us to enter mentor Schocken who took him under his from manuscripts poems and piyyutim, the portals of many fields and branches of wing and employed him as a librarian in which he contributed to scores of volumes learning that might not otherwise have Berlin.