Jewish Studies  

JEWISH LIFE IN AMERICA c.1654-1954

"Jewish Life in America, c1654-1954 is an indispensable resource for scholars and students interested in understanding and exploring the history of Jewish communities in America from their first arrival in New York in 1654 to the integral part that they play today. All of the material has been digitized in colour and typescript and printed material is full-text searchable ..."--Nature and scope.

Welcome to the Jewish Studies subject and library guide! This guide will help you to locate resources that are available in Jewish Studies and its related subject areas. Please contact me with any questions or if you wish to make an appointment to get started on your research. 

Rebecca Jefferson, head of the Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica

rjefferson@ufl.edu

THE FORVERTS NEWSPAPER

ON MICROFILM

1910-1947

"FORVERTS (The Yiddish Forward) is a legendary name in American journalism and a revered institution in American Jewish life. Launched as a Yiddish-language daily newspaper on April 22, 1897, Forverts entered the din of New York's immigrant press as a defender of trade unionism and moderate, democratic socialism. The Jewish Daily Forward quickly rose above the crowd, however; under the leadership of its founding editor, the crustily independent Abraham Cahan, Forverts came to be known as the voice of the Jewish immigrant and the conscience of the ghetto. It fought for social justice, helped generations of immigrants to enter American life, broke some of the most significant news stories of the century, and was among the nation's most eloquent defenders of democracy and Jewish rights." (for full text, see: http://yiddish.forward.com/help/our_history.html).

The University of Florida now owns 37 reels of microfilm of the Forverts newspaper covering the 'war years' from 1910-1947. Click on the link below for the catalog details.

About the Center for Jewish Studies

The Center for Jewish Studies provides an undergraduate, interdepartmental curriculum which serves as a basis for understanding the broad spectrum of Jewish culture, religion, and civilization.

Through course work in various departments, students may acquaint themselves with areas such as Biblical Studies, Rabbinic Studies, Jewish History, Holocaust Studies, Early Judaism and Christianity, Gender and Judaism, Israeli Politics, Jewish Mysticism, Hasidism, Modern and Biblical Hebrew, contemporary Judaism, and Modern Hebrew Literature.

The Center offers both a major and minor through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These may serve as preparation for graduate work in Jewish Studies and the rabbinate, as background for a career in Jewish education or community service, or as an area of special interest which enriches the undergraduate experience. It is also possible to participate in Study Abroad programs.