Two sets of a new 19-volume edition of the centuries-old Talmud, body of Jewish laws and ethics, were presented today to the New York Public Library and Yeshiva University, by Moses A. Leavitt, executive vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, and Rabbi Leo Jung, chairman of JDC’s Cultural and Religious Committee. These were the first sets to be distributed in the United States.
Printed in Heidelberg, Germany, the 700-set edition was financed by JDC in cooperation with the United States Army. The bulk of the copies of the new Talmud, known as the “Talmud of the Surviving Remnant,” has already been sent to Israel for distribution to Yeshivoth and other institutions throughout the Jewish state. Forty-five copies are to be presented to religious and educational institutions in the United States, Canada and Latin America.
The first copy of the first volume off the presses was presented in May, 1949, to General Lucius D. Clay, then U.S. Military Governor of Germany, in recognition of the part played by the American Army in making the project possible. Subsequently, presentations were also made to President Chaim Weizmann and other Israel officials.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.