The Miriam Catalog and Repository

Welcome to NAJC

The purpose of the Miriam Catalog and Repository is to document the culture of North American Jews.

Who We Are

President NAJC
Alan Bailin, PhD, MLS

Professor of Library Services, Hofstra University

Treasurer
Ari Fridkis, MA, MSW

Rabbi, Temple of Universal Judaism

Secretary
Martha Kreisel, MA, MAH

Retired Associate Professor of Library Services, Hofstra University

Collection Director
Ann Grafstein, PhD, MLIS

Professor of Library Services, Hofstra University

 

Miriam Catalog and Repository

The purpose of the Miriam Catalog and Repository is to document the culture of North American Jews. North American Jewish Culture (NAJC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

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Recent Submissions

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Saidye Rosner Bronfman
(Canadian Encyclopedia, 2019-08) Raymond, Katrine
An article about philanthropist and art patron, Saidye Rosner Bronfman (1896-1995). Married to liquor magnate Samuel Bronfman, Saidye Bronfman was a generous supporter of charities and the arts. She organized the Montreal Jewish branch of the Quebec division of the Red Cross, for which she was awarded Order of the British Empire in 1943. In 1952, she and her husband founded the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, which "gives grants to education, the arts, heritage preservation and Jewish community initiatives." The couple also made a significant contribution to the arts in Canada, founding the Saidye and Samuel Bronfman Collection of Canadian Art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In recognition of Sadyie Bronfman's passion for the arts, her children founded theater and arts complex, the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts in 1967. Click on the link to read the article.
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Eydie Gorme obituary
(The Guardian, 2013-08-11) Sweeting, Adam
Obituary of Eydie Gormé, who died in 2013. Best known for her partnership with husband Steve Lawrence, as the team, Steve & Eydie, she also had a solo career. Their musical tradition dated back to the Big Band era, and they appeared on television, nightclubs, Las Vegas, and even on Broadway. Click on the link to read the obituary.
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Steve Lawrence, singer and half of popular stage duo Steve & Eydie, dies at 88
(NPR, 2024-03-07) Associated Press
Obituary for Steve Lawrence, who died on March 7, 2024. Lawrence's musical career spanned decades. Throughout much of his career, he was part of a team, Steve & Edie, with his wife and partner, Edie Gormé. The pair, appearing as Steve & Edie, were frequent guests on talk shows, clubs, in Las Vegas, Carnegie Hall, and Broadway. Click on the link to read the obituary..
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Mordecai Kaplan: Founder of Reconstructionist Judaism
(My Jewish Learning, 1980) Seltzer, Robert M.
Seltzer writes about Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism. His first major book, "Judaism, as a Civilization," offered "detailed criti­cism of existing Jewish movements and... call[ed] for the “reconstruction” of Jewish life." Reconstructionism created a set of liturgical texts, including a Passover Haggadah, sabbath prayer books, and liturgies for Jewish holidays. Click on the link to read the article.
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Purim spiels: Skits and satire have brought merriment to an ancient Jewish holiday in America
(2022-03-22) Eleff, Zev
A central ritual in Purim observances is the reading of the Scroll of Esther to commemorate Queen Esther's bravery in foiling the plans of Haman, the advisor of her husband, King Achashverosh, to annihilate the Jews. Less well known is the tradition of the "Purim spiel," jocular, satirical plays that are performed in synagogues and Jewish schools. Eleff, a scholar of American Judaism, believes that these spiels are "carefully curated lampoon meant to allow for a limited amount of public criticism of rabbis and the institutions that support Jewish life." This tradition of satirical spiels became deeply ensconced in the United States, which, according to Eleff, serve as a "measuring stick of Jewish self-confidence in the New World." Click on the link to read the article.