Jews of Italy collection of manuscripts and documents

Collection

Call Number: MS 1890

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of a variety of documents from Jewish communities in Italy, mainly in the northern regions of Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy and Veneto. The documents include records of Jewish communal organizations, correspondence of rabbis and community leaders, legal decisions, and liturgy. There are also official notices and rulings from various Italian authorities pertaining to the Jewish community. A portion of the documents in this collection relate to the emancipation of the Jews of Italy following Napoleon's conquest. Most of the documents are entirely hand-written, but some are printed or written on printed forms or letter-heads.

Dates

1568-1974
Majority of material found within 1750 - 1900

Creator

Language of Materials

The documents are in Italian, Hebrew, Latin, and English.

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

Collection materials were purchased from various vendors by the Judaica Collection and transferred to Manuscripts and Archives, 2008, 2015.

Arrangement

Arrangement of the materials reflects their purchase from various rare materials dealers. Manuscripts are usually accompanied by an inventory supplied by the dealer, typically in Hebrew.