Gershom Scholem Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection contains photocopies of some personal correspondence, a larger number of photocopies of professional correspondence relating to publication efforts in the late 1960s and 1970s, as well as some short manuscripts and a manuscript draft of a speech. The speech is entitled Walter Benjamin -- Philosph und Kritiker an der Wende unserer Zeit. The manuscripts, all typed with handwritten corrections, are the following:
- 1) Jüdische Mystik und Kabala
- 2) Messianische Bewegungen im Judentum nach der Vertreibung aus Spanien
- 3) Die Epoche der Lurianischen und der späteren Kabbala
Dates
- Creation: 1939-1986
- Creation: 1898-1977
Creator
- Scholem, Gershom, 1897-1982 (Person)
Language of Materials
The collection is in German, English, and Hebrew.
Access Restrictions
Open to researchers.
Note on the materials
The correspondence, all of which is photocopied, if often poorly legible.
Access Information
Collection is digitized. Follow the links in the Container List to access the digitized materials.
Readers may access the collection by visiting the Lillian Goldman Reading Room at the Center for Jewish History. We recommend reserving the collection in advance; please visit the LBI Online Catalog and click on the "Request" button.
Use Restrictions
There may be some restrictions on the use of the collection. For more information, contact:
Leo Baeck Institute, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011
email: lbaeck@lbi.cjh.org
Biographical Note
Born as Gerhard Scholem to a secular Jewish family in Berlin in 1897, Scholem was a close associate of Walter Benjamin and through his scholarly efforts and publications arguably the most important figure in spreading awareness of Jewish mysticism and the Kabbala to audiences beyond Orthodox Jewish circles. In 1923, he emigrated to Palestine, whereupon he changed his name to Gershon Scholem. In Palestine and later Israel he was a librarian and professor at Hebrew University, but remained involved in German-Jewish discourse, notably in his debates with Hannah Arendt over the Eichmann trial and over the reception of Benjamin's works. Scholem died in 1982.
Extent
3 Folders
Abstract
This collection contains 3 short manuscripts on Jewish mysticism and history, a manuscript draft of speech on Walter Benjamin, as well as photocopies of some personal and professional correspondence.
Other Finding Aid
An initial inventory in German is available in folder 1.
Location of Originals
The location of the originals documents amassed in folder 3, Professional correspondence, is unknown.
Separated Material
Clippings, some copyrighted photographs, and some photocopied correspondence (where the originals are in the custody of other repositories) have been removed to the Gershom Sholem Clippings Collection , LBI AR 1791 C .
Some Photographs have been removed to the LBI Photograph Collection.
Bibliography
The manuscript Jüdische Mystik und Kabala was published in the Algemeine entziklopedie: Yidn ( Paris, Dubnov-fond: 1939 ).
- Neue Rundschau volume 76 issue 1 , 1965
- Algemeine entziklopedie: Yidn ( Paris, Dubnov-fond: 1939 )
Subject
- Scholem, Gershom, 1897-1982 (Person)
- Grubel, Fred (Person)
- Benjamin, Walter, 1892-1940 (Person)
- Hallo, Rudolf, 1896-1933 (Person)
- Simon, Heinrich (Person)
- Jonas, Hans, 1903-1993 (Person)
- Perelmutter, Hayim Goren, Rabbi Dr. (Person)
- Bantam Books (Firm) (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Gershom Scholem Collection, 1939-1986 AR 1791
- Author
- Processed by LBI Staff and Timothy Ryan Mendenhall
- Date
- © 2011
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Revision Statements
- November 29, 2011 : Links to digital objects added in Container List.
Repository Details
Part of the Leo Baeck Institute Repository
