Jacob M. Lowy of Montreal has presented his collection of Hebraica books and manuscripts to the National Library of Canada in what is believed to be the largest single gift ever made to the library. it was reported by the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC). The gift is conservatively estimated at $2 million.
Prof. Chimen Abramsky. Goldsmid Professor of Jewish History and head of the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of London, described the collection as one of the three most important Hebraica libraries in private hands on the American continent. Lowy is a past president of the United Israel Appeal and the Allied Jewish Community Services in Montreal. He was also a member for many years of the CJC national executive.
The CJC initiated the Judaica Section of the National Library by presenting the library in 1959 with a collection of Judaica books in many languages as a bicentennial gift of the Canadian Jewish community made possible through special allocations of central local community funds. The collection was supplemented in 1967 in marking the centennial of confederation.
A few years ago the CJC received a grant from Secretary of State John Roberts to purchase manuscripts and microfilms of rare materials from libraries in the USSR and some East European countries. This microfilm collection was dedicated by the National Library to Saul Hayes in recognition of his assistance and help in obtaining the collection. Hayes participated throughout in an advisory capacity in the arrangements for Lowy’s gift to the library. Roberts cooperated fully and facilitated the project.
The Lowy collection includes 1560 titles consisting of 1727 volumes of Hebrew Incunabula. Latin Incunabula, very rare Bibles, Talmud Editions and Codes, very rare Liturgy, a Flavius Josephus collection and extremely rare Hebrew books from the 16th to the 19th Centuries, consisting, inter alia, of rabbinic books, philosophy. Kabbalah and Bible Commentaries. Various other books will be donated by Lowy in the near future.
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