June 2-3: Lehmann Workshop at Penn

THE MANFRED R. LEHMANN MEMORIAL MASTER WORKSHOP IN THE HISTORY OF THE JEWISH BOOK The Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania Libraries and the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, are pleased to announce the thirteenth annual Manfred R. Lehmann Memorial Master Workshop to be held on June 2-3 (Sunday-Monday), 2013, at the Katz Center. The topic is Hebrew Codicology in the Digital Age. This year’s workshop will be led by Malachi Beit-Arié, Ludwig Jesselson Professor Emeritus of Codicology and Palaeography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the world's leading authority on Hebrew manuscripts. The first part of the workshop will be devoted to presenting the singularity of medieval Hebrew book production and consumption, and the consequences of its singular features for understanding the transmission of texts written in Hebrew characters as well as its implications for textual criticism and editing. In addition, the workshop will also deal with why and how text-scholars can apply codicological approaches to their textual work, and in particular a comparative codicological approach so as to appreciate the special circumstances of Hebrew manuscript production. The second part of the workshop will introduce the new on-line SfarData, the comprehensive data base for the codicology of dated Hebrew manuscripts (and those with indications of the scribe's names), which is now being converted into a free website. Along with explaining the new version, the workshop will demonstrate the diverse ways that Sfardata can be used for the complex retrieval of clustered data and its use for for historical and prosopographic research. The workshop is open to professors and independent scholars, professional librarians in the field of Jewish and related studies, and graduate students in Jewish Studies. Attendance at previous workshops is not a prerequisite for admission. For faculty and professionals, tuition is $250. In addition to attendance and all materials for the workshop, the tuition includes two or three nights in a hotel (double-occupancy) for the nights of June 1 and 2 (with the option of May 31), and all meals and refreshments (all kosher) during the course of the workshop. Graduate students may apply for a full scholarship to the workshop. To apply for the scholarship, a graduate student should write us giving the details of his or her academic program and a brief statement explaining how the workshop will further his or her academic studies. S/he should also ask a faculty advisor to write us a letter of recommendation on the student's behalf. Attendance is limited. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please notify us immediately. Full payment must be received by March 1, 2013. Make checks payable to Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. A registration form is available at: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jwst/registrationLW2013.pdf Please address all correspondence to: Lehmann Workshop c/o Jewish Studies Program 711 Williams Hall 255 S. 36th Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305 jsp-info@sas.upenn.edu 215-898-6654 The Manfred R. Lehmann Memorial Master Workshop in the History of the Jewish Book has been made possible by a generous contribution from the Manfred and Anne Lehmann Foundation along with grants from Mr. Albert Friedberg, the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation, Andrew H. Cohn, Esq. C'66, and the University of Pennsylvania Research Foundtation.