LibGuides: Polish-Jewish Studies: Reference

Encyclopedias

The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe by Gershon David Hundert (Editor)
Call Number: 305.8924047 ONLINE
ISBN: 9780300119039
Publication Date: 2008
Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed articles, many extensive, with bibliographies. Online version supplemented with maps, photographs, sound recordings, and other digitized artefacts.
Encyclopaedia Judaica by Fred Skolnik
Call Number: 296 ONLINE
Publication Date: 2006
2nd ed. Online version of the 22 volume original. Signed entries, with bibliographies, on almost all aspects of Jewish Studies. Bibliographies not annotated. "This award-winning second edition, an update to the 1972 Encyclopaedia Judaica, has already attained a secure place in the reference pantheon [...] While the first edition, published in Jerusalem, was criticized by a few scholars for an "Israel-centric" scholarly bias, the second edition was overseen by a joint editorial board composed of both Israeli and Diaspora scholars, who tried to provide more balanced coverage" (from the Choice review by D. Altschiller). However, the Academic Guide to Jewish History at the University of Toronto notes that the first 1972 edition contains more illustrations and may contain information not present in the updated edition.
Encyclopaedia of Judaism by Jacob Neusner (Editor); Alan J. Avery-Peck (Editor); William Scott Green (Editor)
Call Number: 296.03 En19122005
ISBN: 900414787X
Publication Date: 2005
4 vols. Highly regarded for its coverage of religion and ethics, and history of Judaism as a religion.

"Examines Judaism through both a classic and a contemporary lens, and in so doing does not shy away from controversy or opinion [...] Controversy aside, under the direction of the distinguished editors, this work is a compilation of highly academic, densely researched essays written by renowned scholars and theologians; it is designed for a similar audience" (from the Choice review by K. Proffitt).

Bibliographies in English

The Jews in Poland and Russia by Gershon D. Hundert; Gershon C. Bacon
ISBN: 0253331587
Publication Date: 1985-12-01
Although somewhat dated, this guide published by Indiana University Press and associated with the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith is the most complete comprehensive bibliography on Polish-Jewish Studies. It is organized by historical period, with brief essays on important sources for each topic followed by more lengthy unannotated bibliographies of sources in several languages.
Jewish-Polish Co-Existence, 1772 to 1939 by George J. Lerski; Halina T. Lerski
ISBN: 0313247587
Publication Date: 1986
Taken from a review from the Foreword: “The new bibliography by George J. and Halina T. Lerski, Jewish Polish Coexistence, 1772-1939, is an important contribution to the subject because of its emphasis, for the first time in a listing of the literature, on the relations, good and bad, between two peoples on both sides of the Vistula. The Lerskis understand, as we all must, that the experience of Jews in the Diaspora cannot be studied in isolation from the history and culture of the lands in which they lived. Among the nearly 3,000 entries in their bibliography one can find numerous references to interactions between Jews and Poles, and of Jews with the other ethnic groups of multinational Poland: Germans, Ukrainians, Belorussians. From now on, any scholar or layperson seeking to portray Jewish life in Poland from the time of partition until the eve of the Nazi invasion cannot afford to overlook the Lerski’s work – Lucjan Dobroszycki”
Polish-Jewish history and culture: a bibliography of a book exhibit, May 3-31, 1990
This bibliography documents an exhibit of a Polish-Jewish book collection presented by the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library in May of 1990, but will be useful to anyone interested in important sources in Polish-Jewish studies. Books relating to all areas of Polish-Jewish studies were displayed in languages such as Polish, Hebrew, Yiddish, and other Western languages. Special note should be made to the exhibit’s inclusion of memorial books for Jewish communities destroyed during the Nazi Holocaust. The bibliography itself is organized by topic (literature, religious life, Polish-Jewish relations, etc) and is easily searched.
Poland by Gerald A. Kanka (Editor)
ISBN: 0824084926
Publication Date: 1988
This annotated bibliography on Poland includes a section on Jews in Poland with works focusing mainly on the Holocaust, as well as other potentially useful sections on Cities and Towns, German Occupation, Polish History, Religious Conditions, and Russian Occupation.
Judaica in the Slavic Realm, Slavica in the Judaic Realm by Zachary M. Baker (Editor)
ISBN: 0789022796
Publication Date: 2003
From the introduction: “A treasure trove of lucid, intelligent essays and annotated lists describing otherwise little-known or inaccessible information on collections long unavailable. I know of no better source in any language. This is a first-rate volume that will prove indispensable to anyone interested in the history and culture of Jews in Russia and Eastern Europe” – review by Daniel E. Koshland, Stanford University.
Special notice should be given to the chapter titled "Bibliographic Projects in Polish-Jewish Studies Since 1989" by Dr. Stephen D. Corrsin.
Judaica Reference Sources: A Selective, Annotated Bibliographic Guide by Charles Cutter
Call Number: 016.90904924 C981j 2004
ISBN: 1591581338
Publication Date: 2004
Published by Libraries Unlimited, this annotated guide to reference works and bibliographies on Judaism includes many useful general sources, as well as an extensive list of specialized sources organized by subject. Its most lengthy chapter, on Jewish Communities of the Diaspora, is organized geographically and includes six pages of sources in a variety of languages relating to Poland/Russia/Ukraine/Lithuania/Latvia/Estonia. "A greatly expanded and revised edition of a classic in the field, this title responds to the recent exponential increase in knowledge and interest in things Jewish, especially the rapid growth of electronic media (including Web sites) as major research sources" (from the Choice review by D. Kranzler).
The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies by Martin Goodman
Call Number: 909.04924 Ox26 2005
ISBN: 0199280320
Publication Date: 2005
"Provides an excellent introduction to the contemporary academic study of Judaism and everything related to it [...] intended to provide a snapshot of the current state of research in Jewish studies" (from the Religion & and Theology review by Christoph Stenschke).

Bibliographies in Other Languages

Bibliografia Historii Żydόw W Polsce I W Krajach Ościennych Za Lata 1900 1930 / Bibliography on the history of the Jews in Poland and in neigboring lands 1900-1930 - Majer Bałaban
The first bibliography on Polish-Jewish Studies compiled by Majer Bałaban. The bibliiography is organized by topic and includes sections such as culture, economics, religion, etc. For more information on Majer Bałaban and his other foundational works to the field of Polish-Jewish studies please see the Books tab.

Bibliografia Judaikόw Polskich Sulecia XV-XVIII – Ed. Stanisław Siess-Krzyszkowski
Call Number: 016.3058924 Es8b
ISBN: 83-87553-94-8
ISSN: 1733-4845
A compact Polish language resource for old prints, magazines, and literature of Polish Jewry in the 15th to 18th centuries.

Przewodnik Po Bibliografiach Polskich Judaikόw / Guide to Bibliographies of Polish Judaica – Ed. Krzyszof Pilarczyk
Call Number: 016.3058924 P957
ISBN: 83-233-0488-2
A comprehensive Polish and English language bibliography. The bibliography is organized into two parts which are the “Directory Publications and Card Index with Polono-Judaica In Structural Repartition” and "Bibliographical Materials in Thematical Order.” The following is taken from the introduction: “The purpose of the “Guide…” is to present information about bibliographies of great value, catalogues of documents (prints), Jewish encyclopedias, bio-bibliographical dictionaries, reviews of literature dealing with different spheres and branches, up to date archives directories and about any other reference books of Polish Judaica.” “The whole material within its chronologic limits comprises the period from the 17th century (initial bibliographies of hebraica) till the end of 1990.

Dokumnety życia społecznego Żydόw polskich (1918 - 1939) w zbiorach Biblioteki Narodowej / Documents of Jewish Life in Poland (1918 – 1939) from the National Library Collection – Ed. Barbara Łętocha, Alina Cała, Zofia Głowicka
Call Number: Q.016.3058924 D685
ISBN: 83-7009-260-8
A very good visual resource. The majority of these sources are ephemera, publications, posters, leaflets, pamphlets, etc. The following is taken from the introduction: “We have included here 1002 publications selected from the collection of documents concerning Jewish social life in Poland (1918-1939), which numbers altogether about 3000 items” “Our goal has been to open access to the extensive collection of sources, which were published in small print-runs, and are often rare enough to be considered unique.

Żydowskie periodyki i druki okazjonalne w języku polskim: Bibliografia – Alina Cała
Call Number: Q.016.0738.C125z
ISBN: 83-7009-587-0
A bibliography of Jewish periodicals and occasional prints in the Polish language. Contains detailed indexes that can be searched by organization, individual, printer, and place of printing.

Palestine In Jewish Ephemera Published in Interwar Poland / Palestyna w żydowskich drukach ulotnych wydanych w II Rzeczypospolitej
ISBN: ISBN: 978-83-7009-720-2
From the introduction, “The present collection of documents (ephemera) illustrates the activity of Polish Jews aimed at the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.” “The documents are arranged by the year of their publication, and – next - by the place of publication. The prints without obvious date are presented in the final part.” Most of the included documents are provided with both Polish and English language transcriptions. In addition, this collection provides an extensive amount of original document illustrations which are depicted in Hebrew and Polish.