Guide to the Graduate School Records, Academic Departments and Schools, American Jewish University Archives (Institutional Records)

Prepared by Sivan Siman-Tov, American Jewish University
Ostrow Library and University Archives, American Jewish University
Bel and Jack M. Ostrow Library
15600 Mulholland Dr.
Bel-Air. California 90077
310-440-1238
URL: http://library.aju.edu/
Archives URL: http://callimachus.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15008coll11
E-mail: library@aju.edu
E-mail: sivanst3@gmail.com
© June, 2014
All rights reserved.

Graduate School, Academic Departments and Schools, American Jewish University Archives (Institutional Records)

Collection number: CaLaAJUL1_6

American Jewish University

Bel-Air, CA 90077
Date Completed:
2014
Encoded by:
American Jewish University Archives
© 2014. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Identifier/Call Number: CaLaAJUL1_6
Title: Graduate School, Academic Departments and Schools, American Jewish University Archives (Institutional Records)
Date (inclusive): 1947-1974 inclusive
Collector: American Jewish University; University of Judaism; Brandeis-Bardin Institute (Brandeis, Simi Valley, Calif.)
Repository: University Archives and Ostrow Library, American Jewish University

15600 Mulholland Dr.
Bel-Air. California 90077
Extent: 2 Folders (Box 15)
Location: Physical files are housed at the Ostrow Library of the American Jewish University.
Abstract: The records in this series contain materials related to the Graduate School or Graduate School of Jewish Studies.
Language: Materials are in English and Hebrew

Administrative Information

Access:

This collection is open for research with permission from the Ostrow Library staff. Some materials may be restricted. Contact the Archive (sivanst3@gmail.com) or the Library (library@aju.edu).

Accruals:

Additions to this collection may be transferred regularly.

Rights:

Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreement, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright holder. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of item], Graduate School, Academic Departments and Schools, Guide to the American Jewish University Archive, American Jewish University, Bel-Air, CA 90077.

Acquisition Information:

Collected by various members of the American Jewish University.

Scope and Content:

The records in this series contain materials related to the Graduate School or Graduate School of Jewish Studies.
The American Jewish University Archive is a collection of documents, pamphlets, recordings, letters, publications, photographs, scrapbooks, and ephemera that document the history of the University of Judaism and the Brandeis-Bardin Institute which merged to become American Jewish University in 2007, depicting people, places and events at both campuses.

Organization:

The collection is part of Series 5: Academic Departments and Schools. It is organized in 6 sub-series.
  • V. Academic Departments and Schools: 1947-2014
    • 2. Graduate School 1947-1974
      • Subseries 1. Course Schedules and Offerings
      • Subseries 2. Registration Reports
      • Subseries 3. Correspondence (Letters to Students and Faculty)
      • Subseries 4. Promotional Materials
      • Subseries 5. Faculty Forum/ Faculty Lecture Series
      • Subseries 6. Proposals
      • Subseries 7. News Clippings

American Jewish University:

The American Jewish University , with its Familian campus in Bel Air, California and Brandeis-Bardin campus in Simi Valley, California, is the outcome of the 2007 union of Brandeis-Bardin Institute (BBI) and the University of Judaism (UJ).
In 1947, the University of Judaism was founded in Los Angeles, the vision of Dr. Mordecai Kaplan, the author of Judaism as a Civilization, who advocated the creation of an educational institution incorporating diverse elements of Jewish civilization and culture under one roof. To carry out his dream, he received the support of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and the Bureau of Jewish Education of Los Angeles.
Six years earlier, BCI was founded by Dr. Shlomo Bardin to safeguard against assimilation of young American Jews by making “the great ethical heritage of Judaism” relevant to them. Brandeis Camp Institute was named to honor our nation’s first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, Louis D. Brandeis, who was instrumental as the visionary and primary funder of Dr. Bardin’s initial programmatic endeavor. BBI was located for brief periods of time in Amherst, NH, Winterdale, PA and Hendersonville, NC before finding its home in 1947 in Simi Valley.
For more information, please see our history page at the following link: http://aboutus.aju.edu/default.aspx?id=4742 .

The Bel and Jack M. Ostrow Academic Library:

The Ostrow Library , is designed to meet the needs of the University's faculty and students, as well as scholars conducting research in all fields of Jewish culture and civilization. Members of the general public are also invited to use the Library’s materials for personal enrichment and enjoyment. With approximately 110,000 print volumes, the library's collections have grown consistently through endowments, gifts of major private collections and an ongoing acquisition program.

The Burton Sperber Memorial Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles:

The Burton Sperber Jewish Community Library  at American Jewish University now serves as the official Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles. This new library succeeds the original Peter M. Kahn Jewish Community Library that was formerly housed at the Los Angeles Jewish Federation. Dedicated by his family in memory of noted Los Angeles philanthropist and landscape developer Burton Sperber, this library welcomes the entire Los Angeles Jewish community to enjoy its state-of-the-art facility including regularly scheduled programs for children and families as well as author and other literary encounters.

The Lowy-Winkler Family Rare Book Center:

The Lowy-Winkler Family Rare Book Center , a gift of Peter and Janine Lowy, is home to the Maslan Bible Collection. This unusual assemblage of exceptional volumes includes approximately 4,000 Bibles, some dating back almost to the inception of the printing press. This collection also features bible translations representing most of the written languages of the world, as well as the Kalman-Friedman Collection of Italian Judaica.

The University Archives:

The University Archives  of the American Jewish University is a collection of documents, pamphlets, recordings, letters, publications, photographs, scrapbooks, and ephemera that document the history of the University of Judaism and the Brandeis-Bardin Institute which merged to become American Jewish University in 2007, depicting people, places and events at both campuses.

Photograph and Digital Archive:

  • The American Jewish University Digital Archive  includes photographs, scrapbooks, and ephemera that document the history of the University of Judaism and the Brandeis-Bardin Institute which merged to become American Jewish University in 2007, depicting people, places and events at both campuses. These photographs include great Jewish thinkers who founded AJU and were involved with its growth over the years. The creation of both institutions was made possible by philanthropists to whom we owe the building of University of Judaism and the Brandeis-Bardin Institute.

Audio-Visual Archive:

  • The American Jewish University Audio-Visual Archive  is a collection of audio-visual records of lectures, shows, and events taking place at or produced by the American Jewish University (formerly University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute) over the years.

Louis Shub Documentation Center:

  • The Louis Shub Documentation Center  at the American Jewish University is a collection of thousands of articles from various newspapers and periodicals covering a range of subjects. Gathered by Dr. Shub, the former library director of the University of Judaism, the collection was used by students to research subjects such as Israeli and Jewish figures, Foreign Policy, Global Jewish Communities, Israel, the Middle East and many other issues and subjects. The importance of this collection is the juxtaposing of articles from major papers with those of small local papers both covering the same event. The finding aid to the collection can be viewed at: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c85h7jcf/ 

Subjects:

Note

(Library of Congress Subject Headings)

Personal and Corporate Names:
American Jewish University
Brandeis-Bardin Institute (Brandeis, Simi Valley, Calif.)
University of Judaism
Camp Ramah.
Women's League for Conservative Judaism
United Synagogue of America.
Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
National Women's League
University Women of the University of Judaism
Sinai Temple (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Shub, Louis
Lieber, David L.
Greenberg, Simon, 1901-
Wexler, Robert
Turner, Justin G.
Fligelman, Julius, 1895-1980
Heschel, Abraham Joshua, 1907-1972
Kohn, Jacob, 1881-1968
Swig, Benjamin Harrison, 1893-1980
Pressman, Jacob;
Kaplan, Mordecai Menahem, 1881-1983
Finkelstein, Louis, 1895-1991
Levine, Sid
Wise, Aaron M.
Vorspan, Max
Zemach, Benjamin
Helfman, Max
Warren, Earl, 1891-1974
Eisenshtat, Sidney, 1914-2005
Gindi, Elie M.
Bergman, Martin
Jospe, Erwin
Alexander, Hanan A., 1953-
Bradley, Tom, 1917-1998
Dorff, Elliot N.
Cohen, Gerson D. (Gerson David), 1924-
Dortort, David
Goodhill, Victor, 1911-
Gordis, David M.
Schulweis, Harold M.
Glass, Judith
Ray, Eric
Krems, Nathan
Ackerman, Walter I.
Kahn, Peter M., 1878- [from old catalog]
Gordis, Robert, 1908-
Wolfson, Ron
Cohen, Aryeh
Oppenheim, Lois Hecht
Schary, Dore
Zevit, Ziony
Familian, Isadore
Seewack, Benjamin
Ostrow, Jack
Ostrow, Bel
Easton, Harold

Subjects and Indexing Terms

General Subjects:
Judaism.
Zionism and Judaism.
Israel.
Education.
College presidents.
Jewish college presidents
Rabbis.
Philanthropists
Scholars.
Art.
Patrons of education
Board of directors--United States.
College administrators
Libraries.
Jewish artists
Jewish college teachers
Authors.
Faculty, University
Women.
Musicians
College campuses.

Box 15

Series: 5.2:
Graduate School 1947-1974

Physical Description: 2 Folders
Physical Location: Related Materials: For materials on classes, schedules and faculty, see Schedules and Bulletins of General Information (Box 1).

Physical Location: Related Materials: For materials on the Graduate School of Judaica (1971-), see Box 15.

Physical Location: Related Materials: For materials on the David Lieber School of Graduate Studies (1979-), see Box 17.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries contains materials related to the Graduate School or Graduate School of Jewish Studies (1947-1974).
Variant Name: Graduate School of Jewish Studies.

Biography/Organization History

Historical Note: In the Fall of 1947, the University of Judaism opened its Graduate School, which was formed by sessions held by Jacob Kohn at Sinai Temple for young rabbis. At the invitation of Dr. Louis Finkelstein, Dr. Jacob Kohn was named Dean of the Graduate School from 1947-1968. Early degrees offered included Master/Doctor of Hebrew Literature, Doctor of Jewish Theology, Master/Doctor of Religious Education, Doctor of Philosophy, and Master/Doctor of Fine Arts. In the 70s, the school offered advanced degrees in Bible, Jewish History, History and Philosophy of Religion, Modern Hebrew Literature, Rabbinic Literature, Jewish Studies and Teaching. In 1978/1979, the Graduate School became the David Lieber School of Graduate Studies.
Box 

15, folder 6

A.  Course Schedules and Offerings 1947-1974

Box 

15, folder 6

B.  Registration Reports 1970-1973

Box 

15, folder 7

C.  Correspondence 1952-1974

Scope and Content Note

Letters to Students and Faculty. Includes letter regarding visiting Professor, Leo Strauss, a Home Study Course in Talmud with Simon Greenberg, and a letter from Registrar Ellior Dorff regarding graduate programs.
Box 

15, folder 7

D.  Promotional Materials approximately 1974

Scope and Content Note

Includes a pamphlet for the Graduate School.
Box 

15, folder 7

E.  Faculty Forum/ Faculty Lecture Series 1962-1964

Scope and Content Note

Includes a pamphlet for the Faculty Forum (1962-1963), an annual series of 10 public lectures presented by the graduate faculty of the University. Speakers include Stephen S. Kayser (Visual Values in Judaism), Simon Greenberg (Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me), David Aronson (Man and His Potentialities), Jacob Kohn (The Synagogue in Western Culture), David Winston (Medical Ethics and Rabbinic Thought), Max Helfman (A Symphony of Ten Million), Samuel Dinin (Jewish Education and Your Child), David Lieber (Ethics of Biblical Culture), Rabbi Saul White (The Jew as Outsider), and Louis Shub (Jewish Social Image and the Contemporary Jewish Novel). Also includes a pamphlet for The Faculty Lecture Series (1963-1964) which included David Lieber (God and Man in Contemporary Jewish Theology), Jacob Kohn (Comrades in the March into the Interior), David Aronson (The Jew in Time and Space), Samuel Dinin (The Quest for Identification), David Winston (The Meeting of Hellenism and Hebraism), David Gross (The Zohar, the Book of Divine Light and Mystery), Moshe Perlmann (The Medieval Muslim-Jewish Controversy), Max Vorspan (The Face of the American Jewish Community), Louis Shub (The World of Modern Israel), Dan Almagor (The Theatre in Israel), Wolf Leslau (The World of the Falashas), and Morris Liebman (Jewish Wit and Humor).
Box 

15, folder 7

F.  Proposals 1974-01

Scope and Content Note

Includes "A Proposal for the Development of a Master of Arts in Teaching Program".
Box 

15, folder 7

G.  News Clippings 1961-09-22

Scope and Content Note

Includes a newspaper clipping titled "UCLA Professors Join Faculty of University of Judaism" regarding Wolf Leslau, Jonas Greenfield, and Arnold Band.