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Asher Lewis Shane collection

 Collection
Call Number: MS 1774

Scope and Contents

The collection which consists of about 800 items, includes primary source material relating to the communal life of British Jewry from the middle of the 19th century up to the 1970s. Of particular interest are the publications of synagogues in London and other centers of Jewish life in England commemorating special occasions in the life of the congregation or major events taking place in Great Britain. These include sermons preached by the local rabbi, editions of special prayer services in honor of the consecration of a synagogue, and memorial services for notable Jewish personages and for members of the royal family. Among the prayer pamphlets found in the collection are those held in many synagogues when England entered World War I and II and in memory of those who died in those wars. The bylaws and financial records of many congregations are also included in the collection as well as the publications of lectures on various topics delivered there. The collection provides a broad picture of Jewish religious, communal, and social life over a period of more than a hundred years.

Dates

  • 1850-1970

Creator

Language of Materials

The collection is almost entire entirely in English, or in Hebrew with English translations.

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Yeshayahu Vinograd, 1999. Transferred from the Judaica Collection, 2000.

Extent

4.5 Linear Feet

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ms.1774

Abstract

The collection which consists of about 800 items, includes primary source material relating to the communal life of British Jewry from the middle of the 19th century up to the 1970s. Of particular interest are the publications of synagogues in London and other centers of Jewish life in England commemorating special occasions in the life of the congregation or major events taking place in Great Britain. These include sermons preached by the local rabbi, editions of special prayer services in honor of the consecration of a synagogue, and memorial services for notable Jewish personages and for members of the royal family. Among the prayer pamphlets found in the collection are those held in many synagogues when England entered World War I and II and in memory of those who died in those wars. The bylaws and financial records of many congregations are also included in the collection as well as the publications of lectures on various topics delivered there. The collection provides a broad picture of Jewish religious, communal, and social life over a period of more than a hundred years.

Biographical / Historical

Asher Lewis Shane was born in the Welsh Valley. His desire to study law brought him to London where he placed first in the All England Laws Exams of 1933. After practicing commercial law and serving in the military during World War II, he established a highly successful real estate development company. At the time of its sale in the early 1980s, his company was the largest privately held property company in the United Kingdom. Mr. Shane also served as president of the Jewish Historical Society of which he was a member for some forty years, and for which he wrote several scholarly papers. Shane began collecting as a young man. Over time, he developed a large library of antiquarian and rare books, atlases, travel books and prints. His interest was focused especially on the history of European Jewry, particularly in England.

Title
Guide to the Asher Lewis Shane Collection
Status
Under Revision
Author
compiled by Nanette Stahl, Curator of the Judaica Collection
Date
January 2000
Description rules
Finding Aid Created In Accordance With Manuscripts And Archives Processing Manual
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

Contact:
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)

Location

Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours