The Denver Jewish news., 1923-08-09
BY A. H. FRoMENsoN

Nathan Elkan Adler library, the Jewish
Theological Seminary of American has
become the Jewish cultural centre of
the world. This statement is made up
on the authority of DIR. Cyrus Adler,
acting president of the institution The.
10000 volumes and 1000 manuscripts,
many of them dating as far back as the
tenth century Of the Christian era, some
of them written in the year 600, which
are now being unpacked and classified
by Prof. Alexander Marx, on the top
floor of the seminary building on West
123rd street, and added to the already
significant collection already installed
there (mainly under the aegis of the
late Dr. Solomon Schechter of sainted
memory and augmented by the benefac-
tions of Maier Sulxberger) make the
Jewish Seminary Library the greatest
In the world, as well as the greatest in
history and historic Significance and
value.
Though not all of this marvellous col
lection has been removed from the pack
biS CuStS III NlISh IL ycuAhSs>U "~.O'S
the Atlantic from London, where for
years it was in the possession of the
distinguished son of the late DR.. Her
man Adler, chief Rabbi of England, 1t
already presents spectacle that thrills
and fires the Imagination. 1t is impos-
sible, at this time, to convey any ade-
uuate idea of the vast scope of tliis
greatest of all Jewish collections, whose
Importance is by 10 means limited to
the Jewish world alone. 1t will be I'M
possible to do that for long time to
come, because even when the last age
stained remnant and fragment shall
have been carefully pasted between
sheets of glass and indexed; when every
one of the thousands and thousands OF
parchment and vellum volumes shall
have been assigned to their proper
shelf-space. hundreds of scholars, Jew
isl, Christian and Mohammedan, Will
make the Seminary library their labora-
tory the while they dig from this col
lection information that may revise
much that has, until now, been accepted
ms authentic in science, in history, In
theology.
A History Piercing Search-light.
The room on the top floor Of the SEM
inary building is filled d-wtth thousands
of volumes and manuscripts. piled up IN
orderly disorder, on u. dozen tables. on
the floor, everywhere. 1t Is dramatic
spectacle, especially when 1t Is borne
In on ones mind that these precious
scraps of parchment, these bound vol
umcs of vellum and animal skins, most
of them written in beautiful Hebrew
script send piercing, revealing search
light into the darkest corners OF ms
tory making visible to the world of
nineteen hundred and twenty-three and
It's posterity, the hopes, the aspirations,
the musings, the heart-scarchings, the
sufferings, the very life of the Jews
of the Middle Ages.
Picked up at random-Only one does
not handle these precious things so cas-
uaIly as to wlrrant the use of that
phrase; rather, one touches them ten
dorly. reverently-here is an original
autograph on "Responsa" by the illu-
strious Mninonides. the Rambam; or,
II is Il royal decree relating to the Span
ish Inousition and signed by Ferdinand
and Isabella 1t is II unique experience,
as it is inspiring. to hold in ones hand
the oldest book thus far found by Prof
AIarx-n beautifully written copy OF
the Later Prophets, done in the ninth
century, and then to be told that some
where in the1 yet unpacked cases VIII
be found Ben Asher's commentary,
written in the Eighth Century. Or, to
omen n volume by Menasseh Ben Israel.
his Pedro GlOrisco, and to find 1t illu-
strated with an original copper plate
by Rembrandt!
Intimate Picture of Spanish Inquisition
Tragedy obtrudes itself, and one
comes into intimate contact with the
martyrs of the Spanish Inquisition
when one picks up black-bound vol
ume to discover that it is an official
record of the autos da-fe of 1927, in
GLIDING lists of the "heretics" sentenced
to burning at the stake, and the ser
mons preached on these ceremonial &C.
oasions by high church dignitaries. Tor
Quemada's signature-the sinister CHR
ography of that highest official of the
Inuuisition is attached to another docu-
ment The far-reaching arm of the In
uusition reveals itself in n list of per-
sons residing in Spain who are guilty
of tne treascnabe practice of maintain
ing communication. with Jews who had
fled to Holland to escape the stake, the
r,cI, tl,., i,ou-maitlpn And this list is