U.S. Committee Reports Hebrew University Work

The newly organized Faculty of Humanities of the Hebrew University has undertaken to translate philosophical texts and to make them available for use by students attending courses in philosophy, to supplement the textbooks available in Hebrew, states an announcement of the American Advisory Committee of the Hebrew University. Professor Leon Roth of the Department of Philosophy discussed this subject before the Society for Scientific Studies of Haifa. The title of his lecture was “Philosophical Instruction in the Hebrew Language in Our Day.”

Further lectures in the series sponsored by the Hebrew University before the Society for Scientific Studies are to be held in the Lecture Hall of the Haifa Technical Institute. The series, open to the public, includes a lecture in biochemistry by Professor Andor Fodor, head of the Department of Chemistry at the University, and four lectures delivered by members of the Institute of Jewish Studies, as follows : “Genizah,” by Rabbi S. Assaf : “Plato,” by Dr. Z. Diesendruck; “Zohar and Jewish Mysticism,” by Dr. Gershon Sholem, and “The Mondaeans of Forgotten Jewish Sects,” by Dr. S. D. Goitein.

The University announces that the Frankfurt Jewish Community Scholarship, amounting to £75, has been awarded to Dr. Joseph Rewlin, who is doing research work in the School of Oriental Studies on the works of the Arabic historian, Baladhuri.

A report received by the American office of the Hebrew University in Palestine states that 4,036 persons visited the library of the University during the past month. Of the 4,405 books lent to readers during the month, 43 per cent were in Hebrew, German ranks next in popularity with 960, or 22 per cent, while only 10 per cent, or 452 of the books read, were in English.

Over a thousand new volumes are catalogued each month, and the collection now numbers approximately 200,000 volumes. It is scattered at present in four buildings in Jerusalem, and will be moved to Mt. Scopus on the completion of the Wolffsohn Memorial Library. The opening of the new building on April 29th will be marked with a reception in the large reading room. A notable assembly or distinguished guests, including Felix M. Warburg, chairman of the American Advisory Committee, Dr. Cyrus Adler, president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of New York and member of the Board of Governors of the University, and Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the Hebrew University, will be present.