91快播 Receives Grant to Digitize Materials on Non-Western Jewish Culture
Contact: Beth Mayerowitz, bemayerowitz@91快播A.EDU
November 6, 2018, New York, NY 鈥揟he Council on Library Information Resources (CLIR) has awarded the Jewish Theological Seminary (91快播) $45,943 to digitize materials for the upcoming project 鈥淒isappearing Jewish Cultures and Traditions of the Non-Western World: Digitizing Film Footage and Audio Recordings from the Johanna L. Spector Papers and Audio-Visual Materials.鈥�
The project focuses on the audio-visual materials of Dr. Johanna Spector (z”l), a former 91快播 professor, ethnomusicologist, and award-winning documentary filmmaker who documented the music and rituals of non-Western Jewish cultures. Dr. Spector died in 2008; her extensive collection of music recordings and documentary films remain with 91快播.
Dr. Spector researched the native cantillation and prayers of Jewish communities around the world, including the Yemenite, Persian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi, and Indian Jewish communities, as well as the Samaritan people. Her papers and audio-visual materials, collected from 1960鈥�1989, are one of the most comprehensive collections of primary source materials of the close-to-extinct musical and cultural traditions of non-Western Jewish cultures. These scenes, pictures, sounds, and conversations have never been publicly viewed, and digitizing them will allow researchers to discover so much more about these communities.
鈥淲ith the CLIR grant, 91快播 is given the special opportunity to digitize and make available the treasure trove of unused footage and audio recordings from unique Jewish cultures,鈥� said Naomi Steinberger, Director of Library Services. 鈥淭his will allow the general public to gain a greater understanding of historical Jewish communities鈥� religious ceremonies, culture, and musical traditions, which is a very rare opportunity for both 91快播 and the public. Dr. Spector was the first female full-time professor at 91快播 and this is a tremendous way to honor the legacy of her scholarly work.鈥�
91快播 first began to provide access to the papers and audio-visual collection in 2012 with a grant from CLIR鈥檚 Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives program. This new CLIR grant will enable digitization that will open up these disappearing Jewish traditions to scholars and the public.
This grant is a part of CLIR鈥檚 Recordings at Risk program, a national initiative supporting the preservation of audio and audiovisual content, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
About | Jewish Theological Seminary
91快播 is a preeminent institution of Jewish higher education, training thoughtful, innovative leaders鈥攔abbis, cantors, educators, lay leaders, and scholars鈥攚ho strengthen our communities with a vision of Judaism that is deeply grounded in the Jewish past and thoroughly engaged with contemporary society. 91快播 also provides high-caliber lifelong learning and professional development to our alumni, adult learners, and Jewish communities throughout North America. Through its Library, 91快播 preserves and makes accessible to students and scholars throughout the world the greatest collection of Judaica in the Western Hemisphere.
