Stories of the Marketplace

Fictional stories can often be used to learn more about social conditions in the times and places in which they were written.  In the 19th and early 20th centuries Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, and Poles lived together in what was known as the Pale of Settlement, the area of Eastern Europe that belonged to the Russian Empire and that now encompasses parts of Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Baltic states.  Amelia Glaser has authored a book -- Jews and Ukrainians in Russia's Literary Borderlands:  From the Shtetl Fair to the Petersburg Bookshop -- about how stories that Jewish, Russian, and Ukrainian authors told about these different communities meeting and interacting in the marketplace can give insight into their history of coexistence.  This insight can give a small glimpse into the world that some of our ancestors lived in.  Prof. Glaser will give a presentation based on her book on Monday, October 15, at 7:00 p.m. at the San Francisco Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94115.  The presentation is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact Alison Greene at ajgreen@bjesf.org or (415) 567-3327 x703.

The Cairo Genizah, May 31

Ben Ezra Synagogue

The 1896 discovery of almost 300,000 documents in the genizah (repository for damaged and destroyed Jewish texts) of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Egypt revealed information about Jewish history, Islamic history, and more.  The find included Dead Sea Scrolls, writings from Maimonides, and early manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible.  The collection is still being studied today.

Rabbi Mark Glickman, author of Sacred Treasure:  The Cairo Genizah:  The Amazing Discoveries of Forgotten Jewish History in an Egyptian Synagogue Attic, will discuss this historic find at 7:00 p.m. on May 31 at the Jewish Community Library of San Francisco.  For more information, visit the library's Web site (Rabbi Glickman's talk is at the bottom of the page).

The library is at 1835 Ellis Street, Second Floor, San Francisco, between Scott and Pierce.  There is free garage parking; the entrance is on Pierce Street between Ellis and Eddy.  The presentation is free and everyone interested is welcome to attend.

Free Showing of "Jubanos: The Jews of Cuba"

The Jewish Community Library of San Francisco will host a free screening and discussion of Jubanos: The Jews of Cuba on Tuesday, April 3, beginning at 7:00 p.m.  This is a short documentary about the Jewish community in Cuba.  I saw the film last summer at the IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Washington, D.C. and found it very interesting.  A lot of people don't know that Cuba accepted Jews who were fleeing Europe before and during World War II.  This is a great opportunity to learn about a little-known chapter of Jewish history.

The screening will be in the BJE Jewish Community Library at 1835 Ellis Street, Second Floor, San Francisco 94115, between Scott and Pierce.  There is free garage parking; the entrance is on Pierce Street between Ellis and Eddy.

Jews of the Historic South, March 24

Beth Elohim, Charleston

The Jewish communities in the southern United States tend to be overshadowed by the ones in the northeast, but in the 18th century and early 19th century some of the Southern communities were actually larger.  The first major Jewish settlements in the South were in Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia.  Two of the earliest Jewish congregations in the United States were founded in 1735 (Savannah) and 1749 (Charleston), and by 1800 more Jews were living in Charleston than in New York City.  I've actually researched a Charleston Jewish family from the Revolutionary War period (though I still haven't proven the connection I'm looking for).

Felix and Sue Warburg will present a slide show highlighting the history of Jewish life in Georgia and South Carolina.  They will discuss Francis Salvador and the Sheftall, Nunez, Minis, and Keyserling families, all of whom made significant contributions to Southern Jewish history.  Even though none of these is the family I'm researching, I'm still planning on attending, because I know I will gain insight into the Jewish community of the period I am interested in.  I'm also hoping the Warburgs will discuss what community records still exist and where they can be accessed.

The presentation will be at 7:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis Street, San Francisco.  The talk is free and anyone interested is welcome to attend.  For more information, visit the library's Web site.  The San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society is cosponsoring the presentation.