The Denver Jewish news., 1924-01-17

Recently the Jewish Theological
Seminary acquired the famous Elkan
Nathan Adler library of 10000 rare
and 1000 manuscripts. many
Of them II thousand years old, some of
them dating back to the ninth and even
The sixth century. This collecsion, Sc
cured for the Institution through the
generosity of small group, added to
the 65.0OO volumes previously possessed
by it, makes this library the greatest
and most important Jewish library in
all history and the Seminary. the Jew
ish cultural center of the world.
This library. when properly housed,
classified and indexed, will be available
to scholars and students of every faith.
Located within ston's throw Of CO.
lumbia University and the Union The
ological Seminary, and IA short dis
tance from the City College of New
York. and the New York University,
it is tremendous addition to- the cul-
tural resources of New York City.
The room on the top floor of the Sem
mary building is filled with thousands
Of volumes and manuscripts, piled up in
orderly disorder ,on a dozen tables,
on the floor, everywhere. 1t is dra-
matte spectacle, especially when it is
borne in ON ones mind that these prec-
ious scraps of parchment, these bound
volumes of vellum and animal skins,
most of them written i'll beautiful He
brew script send piercing, revealing
searchlight into the drakest corners OF
history, making visible to the world OF
nineteen hundred and twenty-three and
its posterity. the hopes. the aspirations,
the musings. the heart-searchmgs, the
sufferings. the very life of the Jews
of the middle ages.
Picked up at random-only one does
not haplle these precious things so
casually MS to warrant the use of that
phrase: rather. cne touches them ten
,lerly. reverently-here is an original
autograph on RESPONSE by the illus
trious Mainonides, the Rambam; OF,
it is royal decree relating to the
Spanish Inquisition and signed by Fer
,linand and isabella. 1t is a unique
experience, as it is inspiring, to hold
in ones hand the Oldest book thus far
found by Prof. Marx-a beautifully
written copy of the Later Prophets.
done in the ninth century, and then TO
be told that somewhere i nthe yet I'M
hacked eases will be found Ben Asher's $
Commentary, written in the eighth cen
tury. Or, to open volume by Menas-
sch hen Israel. his Pedro Glorisco, and
to find it Illustrated with an original
copper plate by Rembrandt.
Intinnate Picture u Spanish Inquisttton
Tragedy obtrudes itself. and one
comes into intimate contact with the
martyrs of the Spanish Inquisition'
when you pick up black-bound vol
ume and discover that 1t is an official
record OF the autOs-da-fe of 1927. in
Guiding lists of the ''heretics' sentenced
to burning at the stake and the SER
mons preached o nthese ceremonial oc-
casions by high church dignitaries.
Gorauemada's signature-the sinister
chirography of that highest official Of
the InQuisitjon is attached to another
document. The far-reaclring arm OF In
uuisition reveals itself in list OF per-
sons residing in Spain who are guilty
OF the trea sonable practice of maintain
ing communication with Jews who had
fled to Holland to escape the stake,
the rack. the iron-maiden And this
list is furnished by the Spanish am
ba assador to the Grand Inquisitors. One
wonders whether there was on the stat
ute hooks of Spain ut that time a
''trading with the enemy law and what
was the punishment meted out by those
WHO had violated it.
Close by, you pick up another royal
document. signed by another Ferdinand.
n Haapsburg, who, from his palace in
Vienna, issues a sort. of 'safe-conduct
for some .'Hof-Jude,'' whom he COM
mends to the courtesies and hospitali-
ties of the road. And then another doc
ument attested by their Catholic ma
icsties, Ferdinand and Isabella, ccding
TO some order of monk lands exprO-
priated from Jews who may have fell
in the Inquisition or died in il.
A Sure Cure for Insomnia
w. leave the pile in which this black
period of Jewish life is recounted. ana
find Jospuh Ren Chananyah's caGiIica-
tion of Jewish law. written in Palestine
during the thirteenth century, or Hag-
addah a fifteenth century prayer book,
hundwritten volumes i'm beautiful He
brew lettering. standing out as clearly
on the impcrishable parchment as
though written yesterday. Some Of
81. ..,1. In..1,1.f1,ll,. iilntnl the