Working in a research library has its advantages. I've met lots of interesting people, encountered fascinating objects serendipitously, and wandered around the deep crevices of a landmark building.

But an unusual condition can occur when you've worked in a library for a long time. You run the risk of becoming jaded.

First Folio of Shakespeare? Been there, done that.

Gutenberg Bible? Please. I walk by it every day.

But when you do stumble upon something new --  something exciting and revelatory and unexpected -- you have a tendency to appreciate it all the more.

Such as delicatessen trade journals.

I was introduced to these periodicals by Roberta Saltzman, the librarian in the Dorot Jewish Division, who has cultivated a world-class collection of Jewish cookery materials. Among the fascinating items in her collection is the Mogen Dovid Delicatessen Magazine, published in New York from 1930 until 1939.

Firmly union ("Live and Let Live" and "In Union there is Strength" are prominently featured on each issue), and printed in both English and Yiddish, Mogen Dovid covers the world of New York delicatessen culture and features articles related to racketeering, Brooklyn elections, trade overhead and union matters.

One of the most interesting parts of each issue is their Fair Price List which lists "at which the following food should be sold in all delicatessen stores." The March, 1931 issue, for example, proposes that roast chicken (depending on its size) should cost between $1.50 and $2.50;  the Temptation Sandwich (tongue, sliced tomato, and India relish) should cost 30 cents; cream cheese and olive sandwich, 20 cents, and a sardine sandwich, 15 cents.



And needless to say the ads are priceless. From Dr. Dick's True Fruit Drinks to Dr. Brown's Celery Tonic (when did it start being called Cel-ray?), these periodicals document local purveyors, distributors, and restaurants that have all but disappeared from view. With the exception of old business directories, these publications are some of the only reminders we have left of these institutions.

So while David Sax writes about the demise of the physical deli in his book Save the Deli, at least he can be reassured that we've saved the deli periodicals.

Manischewitz, Hebrew National, Wolff's Kasha, Empire Kosher Poultry--it's no surprise that these companies have produced Jewish cookbooks over the years. But advertising booklets have been around since the nineteenth century, and lots of (non-Jewish) companies have tried to attract Jewish customers with recipe booklets, a wide array of which can be rediscovered in NYPL's Dorot Jewish Division.

The Rumford Baking Powder Company of Rumford, R.I. issued Famous recipes for Jewish housewivesin 1940. Other examples include Betty Crocker kosher desserts, Knott's Berry Farm kosher cookbook, Crisco recipes for the Jewish housewife(in English and Yiddish), and the Jewish holiday cookbook from Planters Peanut Oil. 

Food companies also attracted Jewish consumers with Jewish calendars that emphasized the kashrut ("kosherness") of the product. The National Sugar Refining Company published a calendar with recipes in 1956, while Drake's Hebrew-English calendar and reference book, 1946-1947 urged us to "Get in the habit and buy all Drake's cake" because "pound cake, Yankee Doodles, sponge cake, coffee cake, cookies, donuts, and all other varieties of cakes sold in your neighborhood retail stores-- Drake's Cake is kosher."

It wasn't just food manufacturers that published recipe booklets. The Waring Company included a special section on Jewish dishes, with standards like kishke, gefilte fish, and potato pancakes, in its 1953 Modern magic in food preparation with the Waring blendor(yes, that's how the company spelled "blender" in those days).

Other kinds of companies, including public utilities, catered to their Jewish customers. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power published Holiday recipes for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkoth, and the Southern California Gas Company issued Kosher recipes for the holiday and everyday, both in the 1960s. Radiation Limited, an English stove maker, offered Some traditional Jewish recipesin the 1930s. The booklet promoted a newfangled contraption: a stove that allowed you to easily change the oven's temperature.

Here in the Dorot Jewish Division, we have over 400 cookbooks that were published outside the United States: from Canada and Mexico, South America, Asia (including Israel, of course), Oceania, and Africa (including a cookbook from Melilla, the city on the north coast of Morocco that's actually part of Spain).

Some of the more unusual locales represented are the Bahamas (The Bah-Haimisha cookbook), Philippines (So eat a little), Panama (Anniversary cook book), and Curaçao (Recipes from the Jewish kitchens of Curaçao). These cookbooks give ample evidence of how Jewish cookery has been adapted to local ingredients. The Philippines cookbook, for example, has a recipe for "stuffed bangus;" it turns out that bangus (also known as milkfish) is an abundant fish in the Philippines, and the recipe is essentially a kind of gefilte fish.

But a New York Times article about Gloversville, N.Y. got me thinking about some "exotic" places right here in the U.S.A., and the small but vibrant Jewish communities that took part in a time-honored American tradition of producing charity cookbooks.

The Williamson Temple of Williamson, WV produced The road to good food in 1946; the Salt Lake City Section of the National Council of Jewish Women published Sharing cooking secrets in 1949; the Hebrew Ladies' Aid Society of Joplin, MO compiled the Joplin cook book in 1912; and Temple Anshe Hesed of Erie, PA created Temple's tempting tasties around 1930. The aforementioned Gloversville, a town in upstate New York, had a large enough Jewish population to support a Jewish Community Center, which published at least two editions of its Cook book of prized recipes.

And Temple Anshe Emeth of Pine Bluff, Arkansas produced my all-time favorite cookbook title, Snappy eats of 1932.

Other "unexpected" cities whose Jewish institutions produced cookbooks include Oklahama City, OK; Concord, NH; Bangor, ME; Kailua Kona, HI; Wichita, KS; and Coraopolis, PA.

When we think of the great waves of Jewish immigration to the U.S., we often think of families crammed into tenements in the big cities. Our cookbooks document another side of the American Jewish experience: Jews persevering and prospering in the wide-open spaces of places like Wichita, Bangor, and Pine Bluff.

Why does the Dorot Jewish Division have in its cookbook collection a booklet of pectin recipes? After all, pectin—a gelling agent used in making jams, pie fillings, and jellybeans, among other things—may be very useful in confectionery, but it's hardly a staple ingredient in Jewish cookery. Yet one particular manufacturer of pectin played a fateful role in the life of a certain Jewish family during World War II.

"Opekta," a name derived from the German "Obstpektin aus dem Apfel [Fruit pectin from apples]" was trademarked in 1928, with the company's headquarters in Cologne. The firm produced many editions of a recipe booklet in German ("Ready with Opekta in 10 minutes") as well as in Dutch ("Jams and jellies in 10 minutes"). In 1933 the company decided to expand and sent one of its directors, a German Jew named Otto Frank, to set up a branch in Amsterdam. By 1934, Otto had brought his entire family to live in Amsterdam: his wife Edith and two daughters, Margot and Anne. The firm's Amsterdam address was 400 Singel, and the staff included Miep Gies (who appeared in a 1938 promotional film for the product).

After Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, Opekta was renamed Gies & Co. (after Jan Gies, a bookkeeper at the firm and Miep's husband) to avoid being confiscated as a Jewish business. In December 1940, the company moved to 263 Prinsengracht. It was in a "secret annex" within the Prinsengracht building that Otto Frank and his family hid during the war, and where Anne Frank composed her famous diary. After the war, Otto Frank, the sole survivor of his family, returned to Amsterdam to manage Opekta until 1953, when he retired. He died in 1980.

If you visit your local stationery store in September, you may well find a small selection of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) cards. The cards will probably have the standard Hebrew greeting for the new year, Le-shanah tovah tikatevu (literally, "May you be inscribed for a good year"). They may be serious, as befits a greeting card for the "Days of Awe," or light-hearted. (I saw one recently that showed a man asking his neighbor, "How's your New Year going?" Answer: "Shofar, so good").  It's a safe bet, though, that you won't find anything as elaborate, charming and, yes, kitschy as the Rosh Hashanah cards in the Dorot Jewish Division.

These cards, originally housed in the Library's Picture Collection, were created about a century ago. Although intended for an English-speaking audience, the cards were actually printed in Germany. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the finest postcards, greeting cards and movable books were made in Germany, where artisans had perfected the craft of color printing.

The cards offer an idyllic view of late-Victorian Jewish life. For example, this scene...

...opens up onto this scene:

Within the golden doors, a bride and groom stand under the chuppah, or bridal canopy: 

A young Jewish woman waves a banner heralding the New Year; on her sash are the Hebrew words "Bat-Tsiyon" ("Daughter of Zion"):

Elsewhere, another "Daughter of Zion" celebrates the New Year:

Some cards depict the Jewish life cycle, with the German phrase "Von Stufe zu Stufe" ("Step by step") inscribed over a brilliant sun. Perhaps the German printers forgot to change this label for their English-language cards; or possibly they knew that the givers and receivers of these cards might be prosperous English-speaking Jews of German ancestry who would still know German. Notice that the life cycle--babyhood, bar mitzvah, marriage, fatherhood, old age--is depicted from right to left, like the Hebrew language:

Jews often wish each other a "sweet" year at Rosh Hashanah. What could be sweeter than these New Year cards? 

In December 1938, Mary Löwenkopf, a 13 year old Jewish girl from Nazi-occupied Vienna, left on a Kindertransport and settled in The Netherlands for the next 8 years. After liberation, she emigrated to the United States.

The Mary Löwenkopf Weiss Papers, a small archival collection in the Dorot Jewish Division documenting this World War II refugee, is a great example of how the remnants of everyday lives can open windows into history.

The collection consists of correspondence, documents and photographs from 1938-1946. The correspondence -- complete with envelopes stamped with the censorship stamp by the Nazi authorities “Geoffnet” (i.e. opened), and addressed with the mandatory middle names (Sara for Jewish women and Israel for the men) -- is largely from Mary’s parents. The letters draw a personal picture of life in Vienna, and later Poland, under Nazi rule.

The documents, mostly issued in The Netherlands, include travel and medical passes, as well as regulations from the Westerbork concentration camp, where Mary was kept in 1942-1945. There are also photos of friends and family, and of Mary herself, often with a few words written at the back: confirmation and reassurance to loved ones.

Come to the Dorot Jewish Division to delve further into the Mary Löwenkopf Weiss Papers.

You probably already know that the New York Public Library's flagship building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street will celebrate its centennial on May 23. There will be galas, games, lectures, and all kinds of activities for young and old. But what about opening day in 1911? There was less gaming, probably, and no smartphone apps to help you locate treasures. Nevertheless, according to newspaper accounts, it was a grand event for New York and the entire country, attended not only by Mayor William Jay Gaynor and Governor John Alden Dix, but even by President William Howard Taft.

In his speech to the assembled dignitaries, President Taft said, "This day crowns a work of National Importance. The dedication of this beautiful structure for the spread of knowledge among the people marks not only the consummation of a noteworthy plan for bringing within the grasp of the humblest and poorest citizen the opportunity for acquiring information on every subject of every kind, but it furnishes a model and example for other cities which have been struggling with the same problem, and points for them the true way."

New York's many ethnic communities, which included some of those "humblest and poorest citizens," made note of the event. Here's a look at how opening day was covered by the Yiddish- and English-language Jewish press.

The Forverts (Jewish Daily Forward) was by far the most popular Yiddish newspaper in New York, with over 113,800 readers in 1911. Although it became a weekly in 1983, the Forward is still being published in Yiddish. On May 23, 1911, the Forward printed a brief front-page article headlined "Di greste laybreri in der velt efent zikh haynt (The biggest library in the world opens today)"—a bit of an exaggeration, for although the Library was and is among the world's biggest, it wasn't the biggest. (That honor probably belongs to the Library of Congress). The article notes that the Library already had 373,000 books, and that the Trustees expected the Library to acquire no fewer than four million books in the next 25 years.

Curiously, the Forward made no mention of the part of the Library that would be of particular interest to the paper's readership—the Dorot Jewish Division, or, as it was then called, the Hebrew Department. The Yidishes tageblatt(Jewish Daily News), on the other hand, did devote a paragraph to the Jewish Division. The Division, reported the paper, was under the direction of the energetic and capable librarian A.S. Freidus. In its former home in the Astor Library, the Division was a gathering place for the greatest Jewish scholars and writers in New York. In its new home, the size and usefulness of the collection will be even greater, said the Tageblatt. The paper reported that the new building was beautifully and tastefully built, with care taken to include every modern convenience. The reporter also wrote that the building was two blocks long, from 42nd Street to 44th Street(!). (The building stretches from 40th Street to 42nd Street). Perhaps the reporter was already celebrating too much to notice the difference.

The day after the opening, May 24, 1911, the Varhayt(Truth) featured a large front-page photograph of the Main Reading Room, with an article titled "New library opens with beautiful ceremonies." The Varhayt, like the Forward, let its civic pride show by calling the Library "the biggest in the world." The paper reported that President Taft arrived not in a heavily guarded limousine, but in a decoy limousine that arrived a few minutes later.

The weekly American Hebrew was one of the most important English-language Jewish newspapers in the United States. In its May 26, 1911 issue, the paper devoted most of its coverage of opening day to the Hebrew Department, subtitling the article "Mr. Freidus in His New Quarters." The paper lauded Freidus, stating that "Mr. Freidus' untiring interest is responsible for the increase in the collection of periodicals and rare pamphlets and curiosities of Yiddish literature ... As a whole the collection is evenly balanced, no branch of Jewish lore being neglected." Freidus was later affectionately known as "Hippopotamus" because he allegedly had three chins.

When you want to wish someone a happy birthday in Yiddish, you say, "Biz hundert un tsvantsik!" ([May you live to be] a hundred and twenty!). That seems too modest a goal on NYPL's centennial. Instead, let us say, "Biz toyznt un tsvantik"—May you live to be a thousand and twenty!

First published on February 1st, 1963, The New York Review of Books has been hailed to be one of the world's leading intellectual literary magazines. Known for its sharp and critical insights, commentaries and book reviews on culture, literature and current affairs, The NYRB has had much success in gaining attention from and written contributions by eminent scholars, intellectuals and writers such as Margaret Atwood, Noam Chomsky, Harold Bloom, John Updike, Gore Vidal, Joan Didion, (who also recently came to LIVE from the NYPL on November 21, 2011, to talk to Author Sloane Crosley) and Mary Beard (who will also be coming to LIVE from the NYPL on November 30, 2011, to talk about the future of classics). The magazine was published in response to a printing strike in 1963 when The New York Times had ceased publication temporarily. This was a grand opportunity for The NYRB editors to promote new books and run in depth reviews on them.

From the political shockwaves of the Arab Spring in the Middle East to a book review of Nicholson Baker's sinfully delicious novel: House of Holes, The NYRB publishes an array of intellectually engaging essays that will make you think twice about the prerogatives of the human condition and consciousness. 

Just 2 years shy from 50, The NYRB still gracefully rocks the literary runway with a pair of high intellectual heels; on the political and literary discourses of society and culture, the magazine stands out with cutting edge critiques and thought-provoking analyses.Here at NYPL, we have the whole collection of The NYRB — from the first issue in microfilm to the latest issue in hardcopy ready to be read and intellectually devoured in the elegant DeWitt Wallace Periodicals Reading Room in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. You can also view the NYRB online!

We also have many scholarly and literary works reviewed in the periodical as well as other works by the writers and reviewers. If you know the author's, editor's or reviewer's name, you can easily find works by him or her through the Library's catalog under author or title. Once the results come up you can also narrow it down to location on the left hand side; the most extensive literary and historical works as well as the complete run of The NYRB are kept in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The NYRB comes out once every two weeks.  

For other intellectually driven and stimulating magazines/newspapers that review other works, consider the following:

• The New Yorker (access online)
• The Paris Review (access online)
• Book Review under The New York Times (access online)
• Booklist from The American Library Association
• The London Review of Books
• Harper's Magazine (access online)
• Times Literary Supplement (access online)
• The New Republic (access online)
• The Book World from The Washington Post
• Yale Review
• Harvard Review (access online)
• The Atlantic Monthly (access online)
• The Nation (access online, on-site)
• The Commentary Magazine (access online)
• Jewish Review of Books
• The Threepenny Review (access online)

One of my colleagues, Jean Strouse, Director of the Cullman Center at NYPL, best known for her deftly written, award-winning biographies of Alice James and J.P Morgan, describes her entry into literary New York, "My first job out of college was as assistant to Bob Silvers, one of the two editors at The Review (the other being Barbara Epstein). Working there with Bob gave me an extraordinary immersion-education in the world of contemporary literary culture — and in the fine arts of editing and writing." 

On December 7th, Wednesday at 6 PM in The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building: South Court Auditorium, Conversations From The Cullman Center will have a free public program called The James Family. Jean Strouse will talk about the James Family and the re-issue of her first biographical work: Alice James with Lorin Stein, editor of The Paris Review. Reserve your tickets!

We hope to see you there! 

According to the BBC News, "Islam is widely considered Europe's fastest growing religion, with immigration and above average birth rates leading to a rapid increase in the Muslim population." There are currently over 15 million Muslims (Sunni and Shiite) living in Europe and Islam is currently the second largest religion in the world after Christianity.

This blog post will focus on NYPL’s rich collection on the history of Islam in Europe: past and present; the historical, political, cultural, and economic relationships between the states of Europe and the Middle East concerning multiculturalism, integration, segregation, gender and democracy.  

The Islamic faith arrived in the European continent from the Arabian Peninsula as early as the 12th century through religious migrations and trades from the Silk Road, an ancient route that connected to Asia.  

During the Middle Ages, European-Christian armies and Muslims waged a series of religious warfare against each other. Known as the "Crusades," these holy wars were fought throughout Europe and the Middle East to liberate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. Some countries such as Spain and Malta were also ruled by Muslims. From the 7th to the 13th century, this period was also known as the "Golden Age" because of the scientific advancements, cultural achievements and literary contributions that greatly shaped the history and civilization of Spain and beyond.

In 15th century Spain, some people, particularly Jewish people spoke a unique Sephardic language called "Ladino" - a mix of Hebrew, Spanish and Arabic. During this time, the Spanish Inquisition under the order of Ferdinand II and Isabella I took place; this national policy forced Muslims and Jews to leave Spain or covert to Catholicism. 

During the late 19th century, the Ottoman Empire slowly lost influence and power in the Middle East; it had dominated the region for five centuries. As a result of the decline, the European powers took the opportunity to access these territories. By the end of World War I, the empire dissolved (1923) and the British and French forces took over the Middle East. This caused further political strife which inevitably created and formed new (and revived old) nation states from the shackles of imperialism such as present-day Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, (north) Yemen, Qatar, and Turkey. 

Today as the political conflicts and revolutions in the Middle East emerge, scholars, journalists and politicians have been discussing these external concerns affecting the world.  As many Africans and Middle Easterners are migrating to Europe, the issues of immigration and discrimination, multiculturalism, and gender and religious rights in Europe are being also discussed and analyzed. From Turkey's attempt to be part of the European Union to the Chechen communities in Eastern Europe and Russia, the NYPL has an extensive research collection to get you started.   

To find basic resources at NYPL, search the Library's catalog under keyword for "Islam and Europe" or type in a specific country: "Islam and France" and this should narrow down your search results.  For a more advanced search, switch keyword to subject and type in "Islam -- (Country of your Choice)." This may give you other sources not listed in the keyword search. You can also narrow down your search by format, location, language or time period. For a brief bibliography, check the list below. 

In May 2009, for one week, LIVE from The NYPL hosted a series of academic and cultural discussions entitled, "Islam in Europe: Insult: Fractured States?" on the impact of Islam in Europe in the 21st century.  Notable speakers included the Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan as well as prominent journalists, politicians and scholars; subjects of discussions included immigration, religion and society, religious, civil and women’s rights.

• For more pictures of the event >>
• To hear and view the talks >>  

• al-Sharq al-Awsat: "The international daily newspaper of the Arabs" published in London in Arabic. 
• PressDisplay: Provides access to current newspapers from around the world in full-color, full-page format. Includes over 1,000 U.S. and international titles. Read this NYPL blog entry for details about this resourceful database. (Also available from home).
• British Newspapers: 1600-1900: Offers researchers with the most comprehensive collection of national and regional newspapers of Victorian Britain. For those conducting research on the British Empire or Victorian culture, they will find this database to be useful.  
• Historical International Newspapers from Europe and the Middle East available in the Microform Reading Room: for a list, check this page. (Please note that most historical international newspapers must be requested in advance, see here.) 
• To read current international newspapers such as The Independent (U.K.), The Times (England), Le Monde (France), El Pais (Spain), Frankfurter Allgemeine (Germany), Corriere Della Sera (Italy), please go to the DeWitt Wallace Periodicals Reading Room in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. 
• For more digital newspapers from Europe or the Middle East, check out this list. To learn more about researching historical newspapers, read this NYPL blog entry. 
• Le Monde des Religions is a French bimonthly periodical that focuses on religious traditions and spiritualities in the European continent. 
• Arab Historian Crusades / selected and translated from the Arabic sources by Francesco Gabrieli; translated from the italian by E.J. Costello - offers the perspectives and accounts of Arab historians viewing and documenting the Crusades. 
• Napoleon in Egypt chronicles the French invasion in Egypt through the eyes of a French officer and an Arab historian. 
• For maps, prints and images of Europe and the Middle East, check out NYPL's Digital Gallery and also check out the Map Division.
• Learn more about the Islamic faith through NYPL's Three Faiths Online Exhibition>>

• Why the French don't like Headscarves: Islam, the State, and Public Space by John Bowen examines the controversy behind the French government's banning of the veil and other religious symbols in public schools as it infringes on religious freedom. 
• Politics of The Veil by Joan Wallach Scott - Similar to Bowen's work, Scott explores "the long history of racism behind the law as well as the ideological barriers thrown up against Muslim assimilation in France."
• What I Believe by Tariq Ramadan - Ramadan is "among the leading Islamic thinkers in the West, with a large following around world. In this work, he calls on Western Muslims to escape the mental, social, cultural, and religious ghettos they have created for themselves and become full partners in the democratic societies in which they live. At the same time, he calls for the rest to recognize our Muslim neighbors as citizens with rights and responsibilities the same as ours ..."
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith - a novel that explores the issues of multiculturalism in London through the lens of two families.  Smith also spoke at LIVE from the NYPL on Speaking in Tongues. 
• Muslims in the West: From Sojourners to Citizens edited by Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad is a collection of essays that "studies the impact of the growing Muslim population on Western societies, and how Muslims are adapting to life in the West." 
• Heretic and Hero: Muhammad and the Victorians by Phillip C. Almond examines the Victorian impressions and images of the Prophet Muhammad. 
• For more on Islamic Spain >> 
• For more on the Ottoman Empire>>
• For more on Medieval Europe >>
• For a more in-depth list of academic titles on this subject >> 
• For a current index of scholarly articles on Islam in World History, consider Index Islamicus>>
• For scholarly articles on the contemporary and historical research on Islam and Europe, check out the following databases: JSTOR, Project Muse, ATLA Religion and Academic Search Premier. For more databases>> 

Perhaps no person in human history is more controversial than Jesus of Nazareth. The parable above (among many other well known ones) came from Jesus in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. In these quotes, Jesus emphasizes spiritual morality and responsibility; they also set up the foundation of Christianity. Despite the numerous teachings and sayings in the NT, Jesus is still an enigmatic figure shrouded in mystery; there is scant evidence about him that remains unclear, as he did not leave much behind regarding his own personal narrative and history. 

Jesus, a Jewish preacher, proclaimed himself as the Messiah (a redeemer) of the Jewish people yet he was not widely known during his time. Four centuries after his death, Jesus became and served as the perfect model of righteousness to Christians throughout the Roman Empire under Constantine the Great, the 57th Emperor of the empire. Even after the fall of the Byzantine empire in 1453, the teachings and life of Jesus still greatly influenced and inspired billions of people across the globe throughout history. Perhaps one of the most controversial aspects about Jesus is his crucifixion which led to his death and resurrection; many Christian sources and traditions assert that Jesus is the "Son of God." 

Today people who believe and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Messiah might identify themselves as Christians. With the God (as the Father), Jesus (as the Son) and the Holy Spirit comes the Holy Trinity which Christians believe that God is made of three divine persons. This blog post explores how one can conduct a biographical investigation of Jesus of Nazareth using our research collection at NYPL. 

Given birth by the Virgin Mary in 4 B.C. in Bethlehem, Jesus was already escaping persecution from Herod the Great, a Roman king of Judea. According to the NT, Mary, being a virgin, encountered the Archangel Gabriel who delivered the message that she would conceive the son of God by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. Throughout his life, Jesus traveled in various cities such as Nazareth, Judea, Galilee, and Jerusalem. It has been widely speculated that he spoke Aramaic, a Semitic language which shares similar linguistic roots with the Hebrew language.  

According to the New Testament, sometime in his early 30s, he started his ministry where he preached and performed miracles with his 12 disciples. Sometime between 31-33 A.D., Jesus was ordered to be crucified for his alleged crimes of heterodoxical-teaching and preaching in Jerusalem. In the NT, it states that Jesus was not found in the tomb but was resurrected and would return for the Second Coming.

About 50 years later, the Gospel translated as "Good News" in Greek, transcribed and translated the accounts and stories of Jesus from Aramaic to Greek. The first and oldest Gospel in the NT, Mark, starkly describes Jesus as a miracle worker sent from above. Along with the other Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke), they reveal and share the memories and visions of Jesus in various intimate ways but they also differ in their accounts.  For example, during the crucifixion, in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, passersby mocked Jesus but in the Gospel of Luke, people stood watching the trial.  His crucifixion and resurrection have been widely debated, explored, dissected, and even ridiculed for centuries.

At NYPL, there is an abundance of resources with which to research the elusive life of Jesus. To simplify this daunting task, I have made two categories of selected primary and secondary sources:

• The Bible — Consider reading and analyzing the New Testament, specifically the gospel texts, as primary sources to reconstruct the life of Jesus. From King James Bible (this year marks the 400th anniversary of KJB) to the New International Version (NIV), there are a variety of Bibles from different centuries in several foreign languages held in The New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. These can be found in the Rose Main Reading Room under the call number: "*R-RMRR BS" — you can also search for the Bible in the Library catalog under the title or subject: "Bible --"
• The Quran — In Islam, Jesus, known as Isa, is viewed as the Messenger of God, as well as the Messiah. The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, mentions Isa about 25 times. Like Christians, Muslims also believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus, but not as the last prophet. Discover more about Jesus in the Islamic faith >>
• NYPL's Digital Gallery is full of rich digital images of scriptures, manuscripts, prints, and portraits of Jesus of Nazareth, the Virgin Mary, the Nativity scenes, and others. 
• Doing research on Ancient Israel or planning to learn Aramaic or Biblical Hebrew? NYPL's Dorot Jewish Division holds an extensive collection of Judaica and Hebraica that can help you get started in researching life, languages or archaeological sites in Ancient Israel. In addition, the Division also has collections pertaining to Judaism's views of Jesus. 
• For those interested in researching the influence of Jesus in music, such as Contemporary Christian Music or Gospel, see this list >>
• For those interested in researching the influence of Jesus in art, see this list >>
• The Man Nobody Knows: A Discovery of Jesus (1925) by Bruce Barton presents "Jesus as the founder of modern business who forged 12 men from the bottom ranks of business into an organization that conquered the world." For other biographies of Jesus of Nazareth, see this list >>
• PBS Frontline recently aired a documentary called From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians, which follows and traces the historical and religious roots of Christianity.
• The Holy See — Vatican Library (1475) contains over 1.1 million printed books and manuscripts dating back to the ancient times. It is difficult to gain access to its collection, but they may store the richest resources uncovering and revealing the secret history of Christianity.       

• Anne Rice, author of numerous vampire series, wrote two fiction pieces from the perspective of Jesus in his youth: The Road to Cana (2008) and Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (2009). Not much is known about Jesus during his childhood and adolescent days. These works are meticulously researched, deftly written, and reveal to the readers what Jesus may have seen and felt during his youth. There is also a third installation in the progress. For other fictions about Jesus by other writers, see this list >>
• For general works about Jesus of Nazareth in NYPL, see this subject list >> 
• For films such as The Passion of the Christ or Jesus Christ Superstar at NYPL, see this list >>
• For scholarly articles on Jesus of Nazareth, Biblical criticism, the history and theology of Christianity, consult the following databases: JSTOR, Project Muse, ATLA Religion, and Academic Search Premier. Explore more databases >> 

As 2011 slowly comes to an end, many of us are anxiously waiting for 2012 to arrive! Usually around this time — for some of the ambitious ones — we make New Year's resolutions. Can we actually keep them through the end of the year? Maybe. It depends on your resolutions and the goals you create to achieve them. Some have many resolutions for the year, such as creating and maintaining a new exercise routine, like yoga; learning to play a musical instrument, like the piano; planning a stress-free wedding; seeking employment or better career opportunities; becoming more active in a particular faith; or developing a stronger spiritual connection. Whatever your resolutions, NYPL commends you for recognizing your desire to advance your knowledge and become a lifelong learner.

For this upcoming year, I encourage everyone to learn a new language. (Learning a new language has ranked high in past New Year's resolution lists.) Whether you learned a language in grade school or college; spoke another language at home with your family; or are simply enamored at the sound and beauty of a foreign language — now is the time to either continue where you left off or make a fresh start. Nothing is more impressive and intimate than speaking a foreign language with precision and passion. 

Why learn a new language? First, you must ask yourself why you want to learn a particular language — perhaps its a personal interest or a business need — otherwise it will be very easy to quit your resolution. Learning and speaking another language is difficult, but not impossible. Second, you must create goals. Learning a language takes time and, more importantly, patience. A single year will not guarantee fluency, but it will provide a stepping stone for you to thrive linguistically and culturally for years to come. More importantly, think of it is not so much as a destination, but as a journey or hobby that brings pleasure to your. Here are more compelling reasons to learn a new language:

• Knowing a second language can improve your job prospects! Whether you are interested in working for the United Nations or simply seeking business opportunities in Spain, knowledge of a foreign language can lead to more professional opportunities.
• Today we live in the era of globalization, where U.S. companies are constantly in competition with foreign counterparts. However, not everyone speaks English. If you have the traveling bug, learning another language can expand your horizons in understanding another culture while you travel and connect with the locals. 
• Learning a language has enormous health benefits for your brain. Scientific studies have concluded that language acquisition may dramatically decrease mental illnesses, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Knowledge of one language can help you learn a more complex language. It will also improve your native language, because it makes you think about translation and how English grammar works. 
• If you feel a calling to connect with a religion, like Judaism or Islam, you can learn Hebrew to read the Torah or Arabic to read the Quran. Languages can serve as bridges to learning faiths and history.
• If you are also planning to return to school for a graduate degree, knowing another language can make you stand out as a candidate in the business, medical, or legal fields; and it is important to know another language for research purposes. 

We are not all perfect, and we all learn in different ways. Some are comfortable learning independently, while others are motivated to learn in a classroom setting. The first step may be hard and strange as you become familiar with the cultures of the script, rules, and grammar, but don’t worry — every language student can tell you, “a mile to fluency begins with a single step.”

Overall, learning a language is applicable in every day life — it is the ultimate gateway to the cultures of the speakers in their respective countries or communities.

Here are the top five most spoken languages in the world:

1. Chinese (Mandarin) — the official language (and dialect) in the People's Republic of China, with over a billion speakers in the country and throughout the world. The Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. Department of State ranks Chinese Mandarin as a category III language — (along with Arabic and Japanese) one of the most difficult languages to learn. However, there are more speakers of this language, which may influence and inspire you to take on this challenge. 
2. English — From Australia to Hong Kong, this language is spoken by over 500 million people. "The language is widely used among the international political, business, academic, and scientific communities."   
3. Spanish — With over 400 million speakers across the world, particularly in Europe and the Americas, the Spanish language is one of the most popular Romance languages to learn, due to its simplicity and beauty. 
4. Hindustani (Hindi) — Ranked as a category II language by the Foreign Service Institute, Hindustani is spoken by over 400 million people (slightly under Spanish) in India and abroad. Bollywood, one of the largest film producers in the world, often produces films in Hindi and English. This is a great way to immerse yourself in the language. 
5. Russian — There are over 200 million speakers of this language in Russia, Eastern Europe, and abroad. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations (the others are Chinese Mandarin, English, Spanish, French, and Arabic). Russian is also one of the hardest languages to learn.

To get you started, consider using the free database Mango Languages, available through NYPL. Packed with over 20 different languages, ranging from Korean to Dari and more, Mango Languages is a great language tool to kick start your learning. From easy to advanced, you can learn any of these languages in your local library or in the convenience of your own home with a library card.

You can even learn the language “pirate.” If you're a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, you may be familiar with the lingo of Captain Jack Sparrow, but you may not realize that there is syntax and grammar used and applied by these maritime rebels.

Learn how to use Mango Languages at the Library >>

Search the NYPL catalog for:

• Pimsleur audio
• The "Teach Yourself" series
• Collins Easy Learning
• Berlitz books and audio
• The McGraw-Hill "Demystified" series
• eBooks and e-audiobooks available for download
• More information about other language programs/databases at NYPL

But why stop there? Consider joining a language group at Mid-Manhattan Library or at other NYPL neighborhood libraries. Meet other speakers or language enthusiasts from time to time and get connected! Improve or show off your language skills! You can also join English language classes to improve other people’s English skills, and they in turn may be able to share their native languages with you. This is a great way to make friends and strengthen your skills.

If you are not a beginner and are interested in learning to read in a particular language, consider PressDisplay, an international newspaper database that connects to over 1,000 newspapers from all over the world. Read current daily newspapers in Turkish or Hungarian in any NYPL library or at home. This is an excellent way to catch up on the news, improve your reading skills, enhance your knowledge of foreign affairs, and most importantly, enrich yourself! Learn more about PressDisplay >>

May 2012 become the year to learn another language! Even if you don’t succeed in becoming fluent in Egyptian Hieroglyphics, French or American Sign Language, you can at least try, and more importantly, have fun with it!

Learn more about getting a NYPL library card >>

Another great way to learn a language is through books and foreign films. NYPL has an extensive collection of world languages, literatures, and cinemas. Find out more >>

As the year comes to an end, NYPL is dependent upon your support for its foreign language books, free language programs at Mid-Manhattan Library, and access to online databases. Why not start 2012 by giving a gift to all New Yorkers — an opportunity to grow and learn — and help the Library maintain and support its rich collections for language enthusiasts like yourself?

Some people are already tired of hearing about the 2012 election campaign. But they should be grateful for our election process, because our democratically-elected government was once a monarchy. No, I'm not referring to the British royal family. I'm talking about Joshua Abraham Norton, the self-styled "Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico" — and surely one of the most eccentric American Jews of the nineteenth century. You can read about his exploits in books from the Dorot Jewish Division and General Research Division.

Norton (ca. 1819-1880) was born in London but went to South Africa with his parents when he was a child. In 1849, having received a bequest from his father's estate, he emigrated to San Francisco.

After some disastrous financial reverses, which probably caused or at least exacerbated his mental peculiarities, he declared himself "Emperor of these United States." He then began issuing royal decrees, the most famous of which called for the abolishment of the United States Congress. Like many San Franciscans then and now, he detested the word "Frisco" and tried to ban its use. He walked the streets of San Francisco in full military regalia and soon become a folk hero. So benign and genial an emperor was he that a local printer agreed to issue "currency" of the Norton government. 

Norton wrote letters to Queen Victoria, urging her to marry him. In 1867 he wrote a letter to Kamehameha V, King of the Hawaiian Islands, which he signed "Norton I Emperor U.S. and protector of Mexico." A facsimile of the original letter can be seen in the Jewish Division. 

Norton truly became a legend in his own time. In 1868, May Wentworth included a highly fictionalized version of his life among the stories in Fairy Tales from Gold Lands. (A 1985 reprint of the Emperor Norton tale is also available). His story inspired characters in several novels, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Robert Louis Stevenson's The Wrecker.

Was he insane? Well, probably. But at his funeral on January 10, 1880, some 30,000 San Franciscans lined the streets to pay their respects. 

Further reading:

• Dressler, Albert. Emperor Norton: Life and Experiences of a Notable Character in San Francisco. (San Francisco, 1927).
• Drury, William. Norton the First: Emperor of the United States.(New York, 1986).
• Kramer, William M. Emperor Norton of San Francisco: A Look at the Life and Death and Strange Burials of the Most Famous Eccentric of Gold Rush California.(Santa Monica, 1974).
• Lane, Allen Stanley. Emperor Norton: The Mad Monarch of America.(Caldwell, Idaho, 1939).

If you're as eager as I am to see the movie version of The Hobbit, then you'll be excited to hear about the brand-new translation of the J.R.R. Tolkien classic into Yiddish. OK, maybe not; possibly you don't read Yiddish. But the recent publication of Der Hobit offers a good opportunity to illustrate one of the strengths of the Dorot Jewish Division.

The Jewish Division is unusual among NYPL's research collections in that it is both a subject and a language division. Our subject, of course, is Jewish Studies in all its facets — the Bible, Talmud, Jewish law, history, ethics, philosophy, and so on. But we're also a language division: we collect books on many different (non-Jewish) subjects in the principal Jewish languages — Hebrew, Yiddish, and, to a lesser extent, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) and Judeo-Arabic. In the Jewish Division you can find, for example, Hebrew books about chess, aeronautics, and accounting, and Yiddish books about botany, stenography, and physics.

Among these "non-Jewish" books is a large collection of literary classics translated into Hebrew or Yiddish: Shakespeare, Dickens (the Yiddish translation of Oliver Twistis currently on display in the exhibit "Charles Dickens: The Key to Character"), the Arabian Nights, Winnie-the-Pooh, Joyce's Ulysses, The Cat in the Hat, and many more. Some are a bit obscure, like W.S. Maugham's Up at the Villa(certainly not his best-known work). Some are more important for the translator than the original author, like Isaac Bashevis Singer's translation of Landstrykere by Knut Hamsun (a highly-regarded author in his day, but not very well known nowadays).

Why has the Jewish Division collected these translations? Partly because of our readership, which has traditionally included Hebrew or Yiddish speakers who enjoy reading world literature in translation; partly to demonstrate the variety and fluidity of the Hebrew and Yiddish languages.

So when you're watching The Hobbit, remember that "the road goes ever on and on" in Yiddish too!

"Life was difficult in Shanghai, but infinitely better than anything they had left behind. From lower-middle-class comfort, the Tobias family was reduced to poverty but not to starvation. There was always food, always something to eat, always shelter even when the Jewish community was ghettoized shortly after Pearl Harbor. Thus even under terribly difficult conditions Moses Tobias was able to take care of his family but under the Nazis the conditions of the Jews were far worse than merely 'terribly difficult.'

"Shanghai was a multiethnic city and the Japanese controlled the city's Chinese populations. There were elite Sephardic Jews from Iraq, Syria and other parts of the Middle East who had long lived and prospered in Shanghai, as well as the new immigrants from Germany. They were later to be joined by Jews from Lithuania and Poland. The British ruled the International Settlement. The more comfortable Jews had built a community in Shanghai replete with synagogues and schools ..." From p. xvi —Strange Haven: A Jewish Childhood in Wartime Shanghaiby Sigmund Tobias

The anecdote above is one of many harrowing yet hopeful tales of the Jewish people living in Shanghai during World War II. Many of their stories remain to be told. As the Nazi Empire sent shock waves to the Jewish community in Germany, many abandoned their belongings and fled to China for safety since Shanghai was an open port: no visas or passports were required.

From the 1930s, approximately 20,000 refugees escaped the destruction wrought by the Nazis while leaving behind their memories of life, traumas and experiences of war. However, as history reveals itself, Shanghai was suddenly under attack and occupation by the Japanese. The Japanese forces relocated Jews to live in their own ghettos known as the Restricted Sector for Stateless Refugees (or Shanghai Ghetto) where many were cramped into tiny living spaces, and starved but not deprived of food. In this setting, the Japanese permitted a bit more flexibility for the Jewish communities compared to the Nazis. However, both were still ruthless empires of the 20th century.

The cultural and social histories of Jews living in Shanghai are remarkable: schools were established, theater plays were produced and newspapers were published. The Jewish community also built their own synagogues and many are still around in Shanghai today.

Once the war ended in 1945, the ghettos were officially liberated; a few stayed in Shanghai while a majority migrated to the newly established state called Israel in 1948.

Luckily for researchers, at NYPL we have several interesting oral histories documenting the lives of Jewish refugees living in Shanghai. Susan Stamberg, an American radio journalist who is currently a Special Correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) interviewed several Jewish people who lived in Shanghai during that time.

This special collection is part of the The New York Public Library: American Jewish Committee Oral History Collection which contains over "156,000 pages of transcripts, 6,000 hours of taped interviews, 2,250 informants: this incomparable repository of unique and unpublished primary source material is for the study of what is often called 'the American Jewish experience in the 20th century,' is the mother of all American Jewish oral histories and one of American Jewish culture's most substantial monuments." See here for more information.

Listening to some of the interviews was deeply fascinating and transformed my sense of reality into the past, envisioning how they lived in Shanghai: their thoughts about Germany, China and Japan; their social lives; what they were eating, thinking and feeling in Shanghai when it was a developing and poor city. Today Shanghai is a major cosmopolitan city and now part of an international economic hub.

To find this oral history collection, it is highly recommended to contact The NYPL's Dorot Jewish Division in The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building since they require an appointment. 

• Exodus to Shanghai: Stories of Escape from the Third Reich / Steve Hochstadt
• Catalogue of the Exhibition, Jewish life in Shanghai, September 1948-January 1949 [microform] / [Translated from Yiddish]
• Voices from Shanghai : Jewish Exiles in Wartime China / edited, translated, & with an introduction by Irene Eber
• Anya's War / Andrea Alban
• Shanghai Diary: A Young Girl's Journey from Hitler's Hate to War-Torn China / Ursula Bacon.
• The Far Side of the Sky: A Novel of Love and Death in Shanghai / Daniel Kalla
  
• Israel's Messenger: Official Organ of the Shanghai Zionist Association and The Jewish National Fund Commission for China
• Shanghai Passage / by Gregory Patent; illustrations by Ted Lewin
• More on the History of Jewish Community in China and Jews in Shanghai during World War II

• Center Revives Shanghai's Jewish History by NPR's Louisa Lim (2006)
• Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum in Shanghai, China (上海犹太难民纪念馆)
• The Jewish Community of China
• Destination Shanghai: The Jewish Community of Shanghai, 1936-1949 at The Leo Baeck Institute in NYC
• Chinese Judaic Studies Association

Hot pastrami. Three decker sandwiches with chopped liver, corned beef, tomatoes and bermuda onion. Hungarian beef goulash with noodles. Stuffed derma with kasha. These artery-clogging delicacies are no longer available at the Stage Delicatessen, which closed late last year after 75 years as a New York City landmark. The Stage was one of the relatively few remaining "Jewish-style" (but decidedly unkosher) delicatessens in New York.

It may be cold comfort for deli lovers, but the Dorot Jewish Division has been documenting the phenomenon of the Jewish deli in North America for some time. There are deli-related cookbooks and histories, of course, such asThe 2nd Ave. Deli Cookbook, The Dilly Deli Guide and Cookbook, The Mile End Cookbook,25 Unorthodox Things to Do With a Hebrew National Salami, and Schwartz's Hebrew Delicatessen: The Story. There are examples of "foodie mysteries" like Delia Rosen's A Killer in the Rye. And for a lively guide to Jewish delis, try David Sax's Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of the Jewish Delicatessen. The most colorful part of our deli collection, though, is our ephemera.

Ephemera—the word comes from the Greek, meaning "for a day"—are paper items printed to announce, condemn, or advertise something, and therefore not intended to last very long. Examples include posters, menus, political broadsides, and postcards. Because ephemera are often lost or discarded soon after they're printed, they are prized by collectors and libraries; they give a snapshot of everyday life in a certain place and time.Among the Jewish Division's deli ephemera is a small but growing collection of matchbook covers. Because smoking in restaurants is, thankfully, banned in many cities, it's no longer common for delis to advertise themselves on matchbooks. In the old days, though, matchbooks were a vivid memento of delis.

Still have a hankering for pastrami on rye? Don't worry—there are still some great Jewish-style delis around, and one of them, Katz's, is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

One hundred and fifty years ago, as the Civil War raged, the United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) was busy raising money to improve conditions for Union soldiers. Early on in the war, people realized that, in addition to the terrible loss of life during the battles, an appalling number of casualties occurred because of poor sanitation and inadequate medical care. One very successful method of fundraising by the USSC was "Sanitary Fairs"—exhibitions and festivals held throughout the Northern states. Merchandise for sale at the fairs might include clothing, toys, tobacco, furniture, and, of course, food. At some point, someone had the brilliant idea of selling cookbooks during and after the fair, featuring recipes for food and beverages sold at the fair. Thus was born the community cookbook, also known as the charity or fundraising cookbook.

(Incidentally, the papers of the USSC Army of the Potomac are held in NYPL's Manuscripts and Archives Division. The archive has been cataloged and is now open to researchers; see Susan Waide's posts on this important project).

The idea of publishing cookbooks to raise money for charity soon caught on with women's groups in churches, hospitals, and other organizations. In the next few decades, hundreds of charity cookbooks were published, although very few have survived. Jewish women's groups, too, took part in this endeavour. The earliest known Jewish community cookbook is the Fair Cook Book, published by Temple Emanuel of Denver in 1888. (See Professor Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett's article on this cookbook). From the 19th century to the present, tens of thousands—perhaps hundreds of thousands—of charity cookbooks have been published. Of all these cookbooks, the most successful and long-lived by far has been The Settlement cook book.

Founded around the turn of the twentieth century in Milwaukee, "The Settlement" was a community center for immigrant girls that aimed to help them adjust to their new land. The girls—mostly Jewish and Italian, but other nationalities as well—were taught English and gained useful skills like sewing, darning, and cooking. The Settlement's Jewish founder and cooking teacher, Lizzie (Mrs. Simon) Kander, published a cookbook in 1901 to support the Settlement. With clear recipes suitable for the beginning and experienced cook alike, it was an immediate hit—and a surprising hit to the Settlement's Board of Directors, who took so little interest in Mrs. Kander's cookbook that they forced her to raise the $18 it would cost to publish the book. Since 1901, the cookbook has gone through over 30 editions and has sold some two million copies. It's not a Jewish cookbook per se, but there are some recipes for Jewish classics like "Purim cookies" (now usually called Hamentashen) and gefilte fish.

The only surviving original example (that is, not a reprint) of the 1901 edition is found in the Milwaukee Public Library. The Dorot Jewish Division owns an original example of the exceedingly rare 2nd edition from 1903 (available online from Google Books; also online is the 10th edition [1920] from Hathi Trust).

The 1915 edition is notable for its "Liberty supplement"—a selection of recipes intended to help cooks deal with expected shortages when the United States entered the First World War. There are recipes for "meat extenders" like "baked vegetable hash" and "mutton with eggplant," and desserts like "wheatless pastry" and "sugarless baked apples." There's also a recipe for "war mayonnaise" which, puzzlingly, doesn't seem to be much different from regular mayonnaise: it contains vinegar, lemon juice, boiling water, egg yolks, mustard, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of oil.

Why has The Settlement cook book been so successful? The main reason, I think, is simply that it's a very good, reliable, all-purpose cookbook. Millions of cookbooks have been published over the past century, and many of them are specialized. There are, for example, cookbooks for appliances (microwave, slow cooker, pressure cooker, bread machine), special diets (low carb, high carb, low fat, low sugar, gluten-free), and cookbooks for just about every ethnic group or nationality. Good all-purpose cookbooks are less common. From recent decades, I especially like Nikki & David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine and Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, as well as Spice and Spirit: The Complete Kosher-Jewish Cookbook, which has lots of good basic recipes. The Settlement cook book is a classic all-purpose cookbook: not fancy, not gourmet, just lots of tested recipes that any cook can rely on.

And just think: Lizzie Kander might not have raised all that money for The Settlement had it not been for the Sanitary Fairs all those years ago.

First published on February 1st, 1963, The New York Review of Books has been hailed to be one of the world's leading intellectual literary magazines. Known for its sharp and critical insights, commentaries and book reviews on culture, literature and current affairs, The NYRB has had much success in gaining attention from and written contributions by eminent scholars, intellectuals and writers such as Margaret Atwood, Noam Chomsky, Harold Bloom, John Updike, Gore Vidal, Joan Didion, and Mary Beard. The magazine was published in response to a printing strike in 1963 when The New York Times had ceased publication temporarily. This was a grand opportunity for The NYRB editors to promote new books and run in depth reviews on them.

The First Issue of The New York Review of BooksFrom the political shockwaves of the Arab Spring in the Middle East to a book review of Nicholson Baker's sinfully delicious novel: House of Holes, The NYRB publishes an array of intellectually engaging essays that will make you think twice about the prerogatives of the human condition and consciousness. 

Turning 50 this year, The NYRB still gracefully rocks the literary runway with a pair of high intellectual heels; on the political and literary discourses of society and culture, the magazine stands out with cutting edge critiques and thought-provoking analyses.The NYRB at 25Here at NYPL, we have the whole collection of The NYRB — from the first issue in microfilm to the latest issue in hardcopy ready to be read and intellectually devoured in the elegant DeWitt Wallace Periodicals Reading Room in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. You can also view the complete series of NYRB online!

We also have many scholarly and literary works reviewed in the periodical as well as other works by the writers and reviewers. If you know the author's, editor's or reviewer's name, you can easily find works by him or her through the Library's catalog under author or title. Once the results come up you can also narrow it down to location on the left hand side; the most extensive literary and historical works as well as the complete run of The NYRB are kept in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The NYRB comes out once every two weeks.  

For other intellectually driven and stimulating magazines/newspapers that review other works, consider the following:

One of my colleagues, Jean Strouse, Director of the Cullman Center at NYPL, best known for her deftly written, award-winning biographies of Alice James and J.P Morgan, describes her entry into literary New York, "My first job out of college was as assistant to Bob Silvers, one of the two editors at The Review (the other being Barbara Epstein). Working there with Bob gave me an extraordinary immersion-education in the world of contemporary literary culture — and in the fine arts of editing and writing."  

On Wednesday April 3rd, 2013, at 7 p.m. in The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building: Celeste Bartos Forum, Conversations From The Cullman Center will host a free public program: Celebrating 50 Years of The New York Review of Books. The Future of Literary Journalism: A Conversation with Ian Buruma, Andrew Delbanco, Alma Guillermoprieto, and Zoë Heller, moderated by Joseph Lelyveld.

Reserve your tickets now! We hope to see you there!

Aguilar Library, 1938 - Librarian w/ students. Want to know more about our current educational initiatives? See The ABC of Education: Why Libraries Matter by Maggie Jacobs, Director of Educational ProgramsWe have just shuttered the doors on our first Education Innovation @ NYPL Summer Institute. During this three week Institute, master teachers from NYC (and further afar) met curators from our Research Divisions, explored our Archives, and connected with members of our Strategy Department—all with the intention of addressing how we can better identify materials from our collections for use in the classroom, and how we can better connect these materials to teachers. The New York Public Library offers some of the best collections in the world. Our Digital Collections alone encompasses more than 700,000 images including historical photos, political cartoons, maps, and more that you can explore digitally. The challenge for us becomes—how do we curate this wealth of material in an accessible and efficient way for classroom use, especially to help meet Common Core State Standards?

Over three weeks, August 5th-August 23rd, this is exactly what the Institute teachers did. Each teacher choose a research topic to build a lesson plan around, and then explored our archives to uncover primary source materials to enhance their knowledge and teaching of this topic. In some cases, teachers discovered forgotten treasures in the archives. The teachers then collected these primary source materials into curated lists alongside complimentary secondary source materials. The next step was turning these lists into Texts and Task Units for Lesson Planning. Over the next few months we will roll out blog posts written by the teachers on their topics, which include topic descriptions, suggestions for lesson planning, and downloadable Texts and Task Units for each topic with information on text complexity and text dependent questions. Until then, check out their amazing annotated lists of primary and secondary materials on the following topics for classroom use:

Declaration of Independence - This list provides links to the documents, the signers, and the social and cultural history of the era, including several lesser known primary sources of the period such as: colonial maps from both the British and French perspectives depicting territorial points of contention; information on the individual signers; and historical prints (such as the one at the right) that depict the Declaration as not just a document, but as the event that its signing and announcement was. This list also includes a link to a transcription of the Declaration of Independence that can be used as a class handout; this provides for ease of use in the classroom, and an accesible way for students to begin to interact with this seminal text. After all, the Declaration was intended to be read aloud (Grades 9-12)

Double V Campaign: African Americans in World War II—Primary and secondary source resources describing the efforts of African-Americans to achieve victory in the war effort abroad, and in the civil rights struggle at home. This list gives particular focus to the role of the Pittsburgh Courier—then the highest circulating African American newspaper—in mobilizing this campaign, and in the role of women who joined the war effort through the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. Want to use this list in your classroom? See our blog post, 'World War II and the Double V Campaign' for more details including a common core-aligned Texts and Task Unit with text complexity, text dependent questions, and recommended performance tasks for a Social Studies Unit (Grades 10-12)

Grace Aguilar's American Journey - Did you know that the NYPL Aguilar Library, founded in 1886, is named for Grace Aguilar, a nineteenth century writer and feminist who never made it to the United States? Ever wondered, 'why?' This list gives teachers and students the resources to begin a common core-aligned research journey rebuilding the bridge between this influential nineteenth century figure (seen here on the right), and how and why her impact was still felt an ocean away in NYC more than 40 years after her death. This list not only provides suggestions on how to research this particular topic, but also gives direction on how to develop benchmarks for classroom informational literacy consistent with Empire State Information Fluency Continuum. Want to use this list in your classroom? See our blog post, 'Grace Aguilar's American Journey: A Common Core-aligned Research Experience' for more details including a common core-aligned Texts and Task Unit with text complexity, text dependent questions, and recommended performance tasks (Grades 11-12)

Latinos on Broadway - Resources to research Latino cultural contributions and developments to the American musical theater. This list includes information on such iconic figures as Carmen Miranda, Rita Moreno, and Chita Rivera, as well as providing historical background through primary and secondary sources from the 19th and 20th century on Latin culture and depictions on Broadway and in popular culture - with particular focus on West Side Story. This list provides resources for not only an arts and music education, but also asks questions about race, identity, and citizenship very relevent for a Social Studies classroom as well (Grades 9-12) 

Reconstructing Reconstruction - A historical analysis of how twentieth century textbooks have changed in their teaching of Reconstruction. The list includes excerpts from early twentieth century textbooks and from more recent ones. Trends include the shift from the ‘Dunning’ school of thought – in which African Americans were seen as minimal or obstructionist players in Reconstruction – to the more modern view from the 1970s onwards, and the omissions in earlier textbooks of pivotal events, such as the Brooks-Baxter War in 1872 (on right) that ultimately led to the end of Reconstruction in Arkansas two years earlier than the rest of the country (Grades 11-12)

Kids in African-American Civil Rights Protests - this list focuses on civil rights as seen through the lens of children and young adults. This list centres on three civil rights events in which children and young adults played pivotal roles including: the 1939 sit-in at the Alexandria, Virginia library; Claudette Covin's bus arrest in 1955 (nine months before Rosa Parks); and the Birmingham Children's March in 1963—also called the 'Children's Crusade.' Want to use this list in your classroom? See our blog post, 'Little Lionhearts: Young People in African-American Civil Rights Protests' for more details including a common core-aligned Texts and Task Unit with text complexity, text dependent questions, and recommended performance task (Grades 6-8)

Social Darwinism - A reading list for advanced high school students on the historic use of Social Darwinism as a justification for European imperialism between 1871 and 1939. This list includes primary source materials on influential figures like Cecil Rhodes-founder of the Rhodes Scholarship, self professed beliver in the 'superior Anglo-Saxon race' and the subject of this infamous political cartoon (on right) that depicted his vast colonizing plans for the African continent-along with secondary sources. Want to use this list in your classroom? See our blog post, 'The Role of Social Darwinism in European Imperialism' for more details including a common core-aligned Texts and Task Unit with text complexity, text dependent questions, and recommended performance task (Grades 9-12)

A Doll's House: A Social and Cultural History of the Era - Provides primary source historical background on women's lives as affected by property and marriage laws in the 19th century; commentary on women's education and role in society; and information on Norwegian feminists who influenced Ibsen. This list also looks at more recent responses to Ibsen's A Doll's House and sequels written to help explain the difficulty of a wife walking out on her husband and children as depicted in the play. This list has been compiled to align ELA literature curriculum to common core standards emphasizing review of primary sources-reading non-fiction- looking at literary works as the result of an author's point of view placed in a context of other contrasting views-and seeing works in their historical and social contexts (Grades 11-12)

Travel Journals and Depictions of the Mongol World - In 1326, Ibn Battuta began a pilgrimage to Mecca that ended 27 years and 75,000 miles later. His engrossing account of this epic journey provided vivid scenes from Morocco, southern Russia, India, and elsewhere - including China. His writings, along with those of Marco Polo, were some of the first historical depictions and primary source documents (outside of Asia) describing the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire (1206-1368). From Marco Polo to Ibn Battuta, this Social Studies list chronicles impressions of the Mongol imperial world as observed by early explorers (Grades 9-12)

Immigration to Washington Heights, NYC: Immigration Then & Now - Using maps, first hand accounts, secondary sources, and historical fiction this collection tracks changes over time in Washington Heights, NYC from the colonial period to present day. List begins with Washington Heights' history - its original inhabitants, its colonial ties to George Washington (seen on right), its modern connections as a haven for German Jewish populations fleeing the Holocaust - and leads right up to present day. This list also directly ties into the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum Standards as it encourages students to approach their work with the following standards in mind: 'we are thinkers', 'we are explorers', and 'we are citizens.' Want to use this list in your classroom? See our blog post, 'New York, Then & Now: Immigration to Washington Heights/Inwood' for more details including a common core-aligned Texts and Task Unit with text complexity, text dependent questions, and recommended performance tasks for a Social Studies-infused English Language Arts Unit (Grades 6-8)

African Americans and the American Revolution - Primary, secondary, and historical fiction titles (including Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson at right) representing African American participation in the American Revolution. List includes information on the social, political, and legal issues surrounding slavery, manumission, and military participation as a means towards emancipation at the time—from both the American and British perspectives; can be used for an English Language Arts (ELA) or Social Studies classroom.  Want to use this list in your classroom? See our blog post, 'Two Wars: African Americans, Emancipation, and the American Revolution' for more details including a common core-aligned Texts and Task Unit with text complexity, text dependent questions, and recommended performance tasks (Grades 6-8)

Slavery in the United States & the Underground Railroad to Canada - This list includes primary and secondary sources (such as this historical photo at right of former slaves who settled in Ontario, Canada), as well as works of historical fiction that represent multiple perspectives on slavery in the United States and those slaves who traveled via the Underground Railroad to Canada. This list aks the question: 'what next?' So much is written about the Underground Railroad - both now and during its historical time period (Uncle Tom's Cabin, for example, sold 300,000 copies in 1852) yet much less is written about what happened to these slaves after they made their way North, South, or through the multiple other terminus points of this intangible 'railroad.' Want to use this list in your classroom? See our blog post, 'Slavery and the Underground Railroad' for more details including a common core-aligned Texts and Task Unit with text complexity, text dependent questions, and recommended performance tasks (Grades 6-8)

Want to learn more about upcoming educational projects and projects at NYPL? See From the Collection to the Classroom by NYPL President Tony Marx

By 1900, New York City and the United States were undergoing waves of dramatic, traumatic change. Industrialization, Reconstruction and a surge of immigrants from across the globe were remaking every aspect of life, from transportation to education, leisure, labor, race relations and the status of women. One response to the dislocations and turmoil of this era was the reform efforts that we now classify as the “Progressive Movement.”

Grace Aguilar did not participate in this movement. She had been dead for nearly sixty years, laid low by illness at the age of 31 after a short but prolific life. She was not an American and never traveled to the U.S. Her name, however, was evoked across Greater New York in social clubs and lodges, literature, editorials and religious mediations, and in the explosive growth of a small ecosystem of libraries stretching from lower Manhattan to the newly constructed tenements around East 110th Street, what is now East Harlem or El Barrio. The lesson described below began from questioning the apparent lack of connection between this an obscure British writer of Sephardic Jewish descent and one of the quirkiest library buildings in the New York Public Library system—the Aguilar Library. Why is a library branch building in East Harlem named after a British woman who never even visited the United States?

Grace Aguilar & the Aguilar Library: Images from the NYPL Digital CollectionsIt was not yet apparent to me that the woman and the library had a powerful link, a bridge of memory that was now invisible, but palpable and discernible with the right tools. The New York Public Library’s resources and holdings, helped me create a common-core aligned series of texts, questions and research tasks that can guide students in grades 11-12 (or adults), rebuild this bridge between past and present – woman and community – writer and readers. These sources are in a variety of formats to accommodate all kinds of minds and learners, including English Language Learners (ELLs). They are mostly primary sources of the era, plus some secondary supplements, to flesh out the ghosts of the past, and reflect and build upon.

In particular, this grouping of texts asks:

This lesson consists of 10 documents—both primary and secondary sources—for students to compare and contrast in a meaningful evidence-based inquiry manner consist with both the Common Core State Standards and the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum . The subject area for this lesson is Social Studies/Information Literacy 'The Progressive Era.' In terms of grade range and as per scope and sequence, this lesson is ideally suited for Grades 11-12. The materials, however, can work for more than one grade range – as well as for Adult Education. They would change or could be adapted to meet the needs of different English proficiency levels by shortening, paraphrasing, or eliminating some of the 'wordier' samples.

Regardless, the thinking behind this remains complex and follows the six-phase model for the inquiry cycle of learning developed by Barbara Stripling (2003), in which "inquiry is recursive and cyclical, with learners going back and forth between the phases of inquiry to resolve new questions and complexities as they arise." This process has learners connecting, wondering, and investigating material, and then constructing, expressing, and reflecting on their discoveries and conclusions—with conclusions opening the door to future discoveries and inquiry.

Stripling Model of Inquiry (2003): six-phase model for the inquiry cycle of learningStudents can begin exploring this topic as they compare and contrast two primary sources: Grace Aguilar’s portrait and the bulletin of the Aguilar Free Library Society. What is the connection? Document #1: Grace Aguilar's portrait. This portrait was widely disseminated across the British Empire, Europe, and the US. Idealized femininity and intellectual character merge in the face of a young author who would be dead at age 31

Document #2: "THE CITY: A Meritorious Institution Aguilar Free Library, Children's ..." The American Hebrew (1879-1902); June 2, 1883 (primary source) accessible through ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger (1857-1922) June 2, 1883 pp. 151. Additional library bulletins to consider (not available digitally) include documents of The Aguilar Free Library Society (viewable at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building Main Reading Room 315).

Next steps: having begun to ask the question 'why?' there was a connection between Grace Aguilar and the Aguilar Library, students can begin examining the remainder of the documents with the following questions in mind:

Document #3: Poem: The Wanderers by Grace Aguilar, 1845 (primary source).

Aguilar's interpretation of Hagar and Ishmael's exile and danger in the wilderness is a metaphor for the vulnerable and dispossessed – Jewish, female, or otherwise. A daring midrash by a woman who, by virtue of her sex, was not initially encouraged to comment on theology. It is also a pro-emancipation document; Hagar was perceived as an African slave in England during this era.

Document #4: “Grace Aguilar” biographical entry from the Jewish Women’s Archive (secondary source).

This online biography, from the Jewish Women's Archive, is essential for understanding Aguilar's contributions to literature, liturgy, philosophy, education, and social reform. Her advocacy of women, Jews, and other outsiders in 19th century life was not unique, but was notable and far-sighted. Includes current bibliography.

Document #5: Atlas of NYPL: neighborhood of the future NYPL Aguilar Branch, 116th and Lexington Avenue, 1897 (primary source) Nonfiction atlas. This Bromley map series was produced the year after the creation of the 116th Street A.F.L.S. Derived from actual surveys and official plans, show the explosive growth of immigrant neighborhoods such as East Harlem by visually describing available housing stock and density, thus making the case for more social and educational services. Even more powerful when used in tandem with census records.

Document #6: US Census Records, 1900 pp. 50-52 (primary source)

Census 1900 - From NYPL Study Guide: East Harlem (pp. 43-62)Document #7: Encyclopedia of New York City (primary and secondary source)

(Text can be excerpted for class use) This text combines both primary and secondary source evidence to give an overall comprehensive portrait of Greater New York and East Harlem at the turn of the 20th century. It also links the Lower East Side’s tenements and inhabitants with East 110th Street. Students will need to understand the differences between a primary and secondary source and why this text (though it includes primary source material) is a secondary source.

Now back to the library! Document #8: Photograph of Aguilar library reading room from the NYPL Digital Collections (below) with open shelving, children and adult patrons (primary source)

The Aguilar Library: image from the NYPL Digital CollectionsDocument #9: Streetscapes/Aguilar Library, 174 West 110th Street; A Library Branch That Wasn't Designed by the Book (secondary source)

Document #10: “Emma Lazarus in Relation to Jewish Thought” The American Hebrew (1879-1902); Dec 9, 1887 (primary source)

The American Grace Aguilar? This review of Lazarus' mission and importance aligns her explicitly with Grace Aguilar, and the Aguilar Free Library. Each woman will leave her own "monument;" students can explore what they are and their legacies for today.

Culminating Tasks can consist of one or more of the following (below). They can accommodate different groups of ages, English proficiencies, or settings. There is also a direct local and community history application.

Find a landmark in your neighborhood – a street, building, statue, or historic site – and research the origins of its name. Using the inquiry process modeled through this research process you have just experienced, build your own bridge between the name and the place – past and present. Write a well-crafted research paper that shows how you assembled the evidence to build that bridge. In the 21st century, a digital map can be worth 1,000 words. Using the NYPL Map Warper or other internet/social media platforms, create and fill in the details of your own neighborhood’s map. You can also take photos and pin them onto Google Earth, literally “putting flesh on the bones” of a neighborhood map or street grid. Write 2-3 line captions for each photo, using as many languages as you feel should be included. When the original patrons of the Aguilar Free Libraries came to the US, they struggled with the need to fit in (and get ahead) vs. the need to remember and retain their heritages and cultures. How has this struggle played out in your own life and the history of your family? What do you need to keep and what do you want to lose? Draw upon the themes explored by Grace Aguilar and write a well-crafted, thoughtful response. Use any literary form or device that you feel will help your voice be heard with the most clarity and power.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3 Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10). 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.5 Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.6 Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information. 

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

All the above ten documents and texts are compiled in NYPL Classroom Connections Texts & Tasks Unit - for Common Core Lesson Plans: Grace Aguilar’s American Journey Gr. 11-12 (PDF). This Texts and Task unit can be used for lesson planning or to supplement and enhance current lessons. This Texts and Task Unit includes information on text complexity, text dependent questions, and a recommended performance task for this unit aligned to Common Core State Standards and the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum.

Grace Aguilar's American Journey: Texts & Tasks Unit for Common Core lesson planning (click to view downloadable PDF)

Common Core and the Information Fluency Continuum (IFC)

The cycle of inquiry - possible future discoveries starting from this topic

Emma Lazarus and Grace Aguilar

New York & the NYPL: Then and Now

Feel free to add additional reading suggestions and educational resources in the comments below.

Danielle Lewis is Librarian, Learning Center Specialist and Instructor of French at Yeshiva University High School for Boys in Washington Heights. She also supervises the school’s Library Squad, Book & Film Club, and its literature and art journal. Danielle began her teaching career as an NYC Teaching Fellow and has taught ESL, Social Studies, English, French, and interdisciplinary studies at LIU, the NYCDOE and FIT-SUNY where she is an adjunct instructor. She also has a background in grant writing, program development, community outreach and classical voice performance.

A native New Yorker, Danielle is an associate organizer of the NY Librarians Meetup and is active in the Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO), the American Association of School Libraries (AASL), and the American Jewish Library Association’s Mentoring Committee (AJL). She holds a B.A. in History from Oberlin College, an M. Ed. from Long Island University, and is currently completing her MLS online through SUNY Buffalo. She can be found across the five boroughs making and listening to music, volunteer tutoring, taking pictures, and browsing the bookstores.

Given New York City’s major role in the Yiddish theater, it’s no surprise that The New York Public Library has a wonderful Yiddish theater collection. Here you’ll find posters, playbills, sheet music, published plays, photographs, manuscripts, memoirs, oral histories and recordings that tell the story of Yiddish theater and its legendary stars.

The images here come from our Digital Gallery, which includes dozens of Yiddish theater posters from New York and Buenos Aires , plus historic photographs from the Yiddish Art Theatre and images of personalities such as Jenny Goldstein, Ludwig Satz, Molly Picon, Maurice Schwartz, Bertha Kalich, Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky, and more.

Unidentified actor and actress, Flora Weissman and Sam Kasten in The Broken Violin. Image ID: 1689997

New York became a center of Yiddish theater beginning in the late 19th century, when a rising population of Eastern European Jewish immigrants provided an enthusiastic audience and talent pool. New and old Yiddish musicals, dramas, comedies, and translations of world literature supplied entertainment, enlightenment, and community.

Manhattan’s Second Avenue was once known as the Yiddish Broadway, or the Yiddish Rialto. Yiddish theater also played throughout the city, including in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

Mirele Efros, di Idishe kenigin Lier Image ID: 435111

An Oct. 14, 1908 production of Jacob Gordin’s “Mirele Efros” at the New Star Theater at 107th and Lexington starred Madame Keni Liptsin, and featured Bernard Bernstein and poetry readings by Yehoash (Solomon Blumgarten).

Popular Yiddish theaters in Manhattan included the Thalia Theatre, Windsor Theatre, Yiddish Art Theatre, Grand Theatre, National Theatre, People’s Theatre, Second Avenue Theatre and Yiddish Folks Theatre. At various points, many theaters also carried the names of stars such as Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky, Molly Picon, Jacob P. Adler, Keni Liptsin, and David Kessler. The Hebrew Actors Union, which preceded Actors Equity, still has its headquarters at 31 E. 7th St.

Theatres -- U.S. -- N.Y. -- Grand (Chrystie St.) Image ID: TH-56793

The Grand Theater was located at Grand and Chrystie on the Lower East Side.

The Grand Theater was located at Grand and Chrystie on the Lower East Side, and was popular in the early 20th century, featuring plays such as “My People's Dream,” featuring Jacob P. Adler singing “Zay nit gefaln, mayn zindele” (words & music by D. Meyerowitz ; arrangement by Joseph Rumshinsky). Jacob Gordin’s “Got, mentsh un tayvl” [God, man, and devil] was also performed at the Grand in a benefit for the East Side Janitors' Society in 1903. For benefit performances, Jewish communal and hometown organizations would buy large numbers of tickets at a substantial discount and sell them to their members in order to raise funds. Benefits were a popular method for attracting audiences, especially during weekdays.

Front Of Thalia Theatre -- Bowery, N.Y.C. -- 1904. Image ID: 809928

This photograph of the Thalia Theatre at 46-48 Bowery was taken in 1904.

The Thalia Theater, located at 46-48 Bowery, hosted performances including a Yiddish version of Hamlet (displayed here) starring the renowned multilingual actress and singer, Bertha Kalish. Yiddish translations of Shakespeare, and of other classics of world literature, were an important part of the Yiddish theater repertoire.

Hamlet: Madam Bertha Kalish als Hamlet Image ID: 436948

This undated advertisement features Bertha Kalich in “Hamlet” at the Thalia Theatre.

The Thalia also hosted popular fare known as “shund” (trash) such as “Dos Idishe harts” [The Jewish heart] by Joseph Latayner, starring Clara Young, in 1908. Latayner was one of the most well-known and prolific Yiddish playwrights of his era, creating superficial and often extravagant plays in a matter of days and shamelessly stealing from existing works.

Dos Idishe harts Image ID: 435083

This poster of Madame Clara Young in “The Jewish Heart” is dated December 29, 1908.

One of Latayner’s rivals was “Professor” Moyshe Horowitz, author of elaborate historical dramas like “The Heroes of Santiago; or, Patriotism and Love,” presented at the Thalia Theatre in 1899, with music by the beloved actor, singer and composer Sigmund Mogulesco.

Di heldn fun Santiago, oder, Patriotizmus un liebe Image ID: 435138

The heroes of Santiago, or, Patriotism and love. Poster from 1899.

The Yiddish Art Theatre represented a departure from the genre of shund. Founded by the great actor Maurice Schwartz in 1918, the theater focused on works from world literature and serious Yiddish drama, and was steadfastly committed to presenting these “better” plays in the Yiddish language. Schwartz built the Yiddish Art Theatre building at 181 Second Avenue (at E. 12th St.) in 1926. The building still stands today and is used as a movie theater.

Second Avenue #189 Image ID: 1508671

The Second Avenue Theatre (Yiddish Folks Theatre, Yiddish Art Theatre) at 181 Second Avenue (at E. 12th St.).

Maurice Schwartz Image ID: TH-49610

Maurice Schwartz (top) and actors of the Yiddish Art Theatre.

In the Bronx, the Tremont Theatre, at 1942 Webster Avenue, operated for a time as a Yiddish theater. Yiddish theater was also performed at the Bronx Art Theatre, also known at times as the Intimate Playhouse, and the Schildkraut Theatre. The famous Vilna Troupe appeared here, and other Yiddish shows took place at the Bronx’s McKinley Square Theatre.

Bronx: Webster Avenue - 178th Street Image ID: 702036F

Tremont Theatre, Webster Avenue and 178th Street, Bronx.

Bronx express Image ID: g99c271_001

Ossip Dymov’s Yiddish play, Bronx Express, was also performed in an English adaptation at the Astor Theatre.

Brooklyn’s Parkway Theater, at times also called the Rolland Theater, was located at St. John’s Place and Eastern Parkway in Brownsville. Today, you can find a church on this corner called the “House of Prayer for All People”, as seen in Google Street View. You can view a historic image of the theater in the Brooklyn Collection of the Brooklyn Public Library. There is a small sampling of Yiddish sheet music , some associated with plays produced in Brooklyn, in the Brooklyn Collection of the Brooklyn Public Library. The Hopkinson Theatre, another popular Yiddish venue, was located at Pitkin Avenue and Hopkinson Avenue (now Thomas Boyland Street) in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

These are just a few of the many Yiddish theaters in New York City. For more images, search NYPL’s Digital Gallery for the word “Yiddish” and explore. You can also find more information about Yiddish collections in the Library’s catalog and on the website of the Dorot Jewish Division.

The Library’s collection is freely accessible to the public for personal and scholarly research. Please contact the Dorot Jewish Division at freidus@nypl.org to ask questions and request materials.