The Future of the Center for Jewish History

The Forward has two opinion pieces on the future of the Center for Jewish History in NYC. In brief:

In 2000, five Jewish historical institutions — the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, American Sephardi Federation and American Jewish Historical Society — partnered to form the Center for Jewish History. Faced with financial difficulties almost since its inception, the consortium was approached this past September by New York University with an offer to merge the center and NYU’s Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies into what would be the largest institution for Judaic research outside of Israel. The proposal has sparked a robust debate on the future of the center and its invaluable archives; featured here are the views of two leading actors in the drama unfolding on 16th Street in Manhattan.

The two pieces take opposing views. The first is from Lawrence Schiffman, chair of NYU's Skirball Center for Hebrew and Judaic Studies. The second is from noted historian Elisheva Carlebach of Queens College and CUNY's Graduate Center.

As you read these pieces note the following – only one of the two scholars actually quotes from NYU's takeover proposal. That is Carlebach, who uses it, correctly, it seems, to argue against NYU's takeover. She points out this is really a real estate deal that would grant NYU some of the most valuable property in lower Manhattan with little if any obligation to maintain the center's mission. In fact, most of the center's archives would be moved to an off-site warehouse under NYU's plan and the public's access to materials curtailed.

For his part, Lawrence Schiffman sticks to generalities and avoids the details of his own plan, in effect arguing his case deceitfully. This is nothing new for Lawrence Schiffman, the man behind the NYU 'academic' conference on the life of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a conference that conveniently left off the agenda critics of the Rebbe and Chabad. And Lawrence Schiffman is also a bigot.

I hope the Jewish community has the wherewithal to resist NYU's offer, even if it lacks the ability to recognize the failings of the offer's main proponent.

Comments

[yona loriner]

its not worthy for comment

[Yochanan Lavie]

As an NYU graduate, I can attest that it is a cold, greedy institution. I am grateful for the fine education I received there, but I think it no coincidence that it has so many student suicides. I has also changed the character of the neighborhood, for the blander. (At least it didn't use eminent domain, like Columbia wants to).

Schiffman, as their Hofjude, wants to increase his own fiefdom.

Yona: Yes it is worthy of comment, because secular Jewish studies- such as literature and history has value. Unless you think "history" is the hagiography put out by Artscroll (look up: hagiography).