Hebraica and Judaica

Special Collections has built an increasingly important set of collections that document the Jewish experience in Europe and North America over the past twenty years.

Highlights from these collections include:

Salo W. Baron Papers, ca. 1900-1980 (M0580). Approximately 398 linear ft.

Gift of the Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Foundation, 1990.

Supplements the Taube-Baron Collection of Jewish History and Culture, acquired in 1985. Rare books from that collection are also housed in Special Collections.

The finding aid for this collection is available online.

Ira Nowinski Photograph Collection, ca. 1965-2000 (Mss Photo 440)

Purchased from Ira Nowinski, 2001.

The collection consists of two major subdivisions. The first is comprised of negatives and prints from Nowinski's Holocaust collection totalling some 6,250 images and 1,548 prints, and includes the following projects: "In fitting memory; the art and politics of Holocaust memorials," the Segal Holocaust Memorial, the 50th anniversary Warsaw ghetto uprising, and the opening of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. The second subdivision is Judaica photographs, totalling some 8,905 images. This segment includes three projects: the Karaite Jews, Israel, and the Soviet Jews of San Francisco.

Image above right: Soviet Jewish Emigrés Playing Dominos at the Soviet Jewish Community Center in San Francisco, ca. 1987 (Mss Photo 440 Series 2 Subseries 2.2)

Joshua A. Fishman and Gella Schweid Fishman family archive, ca. 1890-1993 (M0695). Approximately 330 linear ft.

Gift of Dr. Joshua A. and Mrs. Gella Schweid Fishman, 1994.

Material from five generations of a Yiddish-activist family, including correspondence, sociolinguistic files (by language and country), data cards and tapes, working subject files, photographs, cassettes, etc.

Processing of the correspondence, published and manuscripts lectures, and talks of Joshua Fishman has been completed. Contact Special Collections staff for date of availability of the rest of his papers. Correspondence to and from Joshua A. Fishman is accessible to researchers only by permission of either Dr. or Mrs. Fishman. The Rukhl Fishman material is processed (M0778) and available for researchers, as are the Gella Schweid Fishman papers (M695). See separate records for descriptions of these materials.

Rukhl Fishman (1935-1984) Papers, 1940-1990 (M0778). 5.5 linear ft.

Deposited by Dr. Joshua A. and Mrs. Gella Schweid Fishman, 1993.

American-born Yiddish poet living in Israel until her death in 1984; sister of Joshua A. Fishman.

Incoming and outgoing correspondence, poetry manuscripts, news clippings, subject files, personal documents, and school/youth activities.

Partially restricted. For more information contact the Manuscripts Librarian.

See also the Joshua A. Fishman and Gella Schweid Fishman family archives [M0695] for Rukhl Fishman correspondence with other family members.

The finding aid for this collection is available online.

Secular Yiddish Schools in America : collection, 1915-2001 (M0732). 42.5 linear ft.

Gift of many donors, 1994-2001.

A collection formed through the efforts of Gella Schweid Fishman and Martha G. Krow-Lucal with support from The Friends of the Secular Yiddish Schools in America Collection (SYSA).

Materials include curricula, newsletters, instruction books, song books, school board minutes, photographs, news clippings, memoirs, ephemera and correspondence.

Searchable database and unpublished finding aid available.

The finding aid for this collection is available online.

Jewish life in the San Francisco Bay Area, 1981-1998 (M0939). 2 linear ft., 1 record container, 1 oversize map folder.

Material collected from many local synagogues, individuals, organizations, and businesses.

The collection documents non-traditional Jewish life in the Bay Area, especially creations around life-cycle events. For example, there are AIDS memorial ceremonies, bar- and bat-mitzvah programs, gay and lesbian ceremonies and celebrations.

Curator Zachary Baker is the primary individual responsible for selecting manuscript collections that fall into this area. For a fuller description of his current collecting activities, please refer to the Hebraica and Judaica Studies home page.