Jewish Studies

"Identifies hundreds of historical figures but also includes such 20th-century personages as Levi Eshkol, Albert Einstein, Meyer Lansky, and Erich Fromm. Wigoder expressly excludes any living Jew from this work because of the implicit incompleteness of that persons's entry [...] Each entry concludes with one or more bibliographic references" (from the Choice review by T. Koppel).

4 volumes. Intended to be used with the Jüdisches biographisches Archiv = Jewish biographical archive and Neue folge. Index is also searchable online. "An alphabetically arranged accumulation of biographical entries from 134 biographical reference works, published from the second half of the 18th century right up to 1948, the year in which Israel was founded. The JBA presents a comprehensive picture of the international role played by Jews in religion, culture, economics and politics. The Archive brings together 96,000 biographical entries on more than 50,000 individuals" (Publisher's description).

"Only biographical or autobiographical works in English have been included. Although the vast majority of entries are for people who lived or flourished in the 20th century, coverage extends to the beginning of the Common Era. Each entry supplies a one-sentence description identifying the subject; birth and death rates are supplied when available" (from the Choice review by T. Koppel).

Provides information on Jewish and Roman leaders often ignored in the Bible, as well as major and minor figures from the era of Jesus. Brief account of Jewish history from 63 BC to 135 AD, chronologies, genealogies, maps, and glossaries (Publisher's description).

"Guide to over a thousand prominent men and women who have shaped Jewish culture. Covering twenty centuries of Jewish history it provides: detailed biographical information on each leading figure; analysis of their role and significance both in Jewish life and the wider culture; a comprehensive chronological table displaying the history of the Jewish race; a useful glossary giving precise definitions of Jewish words" (Publisher's description).

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.

"Coverage is from 9000 BCE to December 1991 [...] No other works compare with this volume. Several chronologies of Jewish history exist, but they detail only a short span of Jewish experience" (from the Choice review by T. Koppel).

"Emphasis is on the modern period, with more than half of the book devoted to the 20th century. Each brief article is arranged on facing pages and is surrounded by related paintings, maps, photographs, woodcuts, and artifacts" (from the Library Journal review by Carol R. Glatt).

"Covers every day of the year and describes in one or two sentences religious events that happened on that day. The time period covered is from approximately 300 CE to 1989. An index refers from names and subjects to each date; there is also a brief glossary and a bibliography" (from the Choice review by E. Peterson).

1899-present. Coverage is world-wide. Also available online through the American Jewish Committee Archives.

More of a miscellany than an almanac, this volume collects more than 200 short essays on various aspects of Jewish tradition.

Record of the organization, people and events in the contemporary Jewish world. (Publisher's description.) Our copy has 1928-1987, but University of Illinois-Chicago maintains a subscription. Publication began 1897.

"Tracing the world-wide migrations of the Jews from ancient Mesopotamia to modern Israel, this updated edition spans over 4,000 years of history in 140 maps" (from the Shofar review).

"Although this volume is first and foremost an atlas, the text is more than a mere commentary. It is a clear, comprehensive and attractively presented account of who the Jews are, how they have come to be what they are, and where they are today, so that with the 59 maps and a wealth of illustrations, 183 in colour and 255 in black and white, this survey of the history and culture of the Jewish people is an excellent introduction" (from the Geographical Journal review by Norman Pye).

"A cooperative opus of 48 authors, each dealing with the subject of their specialization [...] As we progress from as far back as the era of Ur to our times, we encounter each chapter in a consistent pattern: text, map, chronology, illustration. The book, while heavy in content, is easy on the reader" (from the International Social Sciences Review review by Vera Laska).

"Begins with the barbarian invasions of Europe (5th century) and concludes with the Jewish diaspora in Europe (17th century) [...] significant and detailed narrative accompanies each of the 120 maps" (from the Choice review by T. Koppel).

"This comprehensive and well-organized work pays considerable attention to Jewish settlements and trends in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and follows the waves of Jewish emigration and settlement to Palestine and to the US in the early part of the 20th century" (from the Choice review by T. Koppel).