From August 22, 2022 through December 16, 2022, the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library, together with the library of the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), hosted an exhibition on the historic Jewish community of Corfu, in Greece. The Jewish communities in Corfu date back millennia, but due to its devastation by the Nazis during World War II, this vibrant and unique community is not very well known today. The exhibit featured illuminated ketubbot (marriage contracts), decorated prayer books, communal documents, and government legislation over the communities of Corfu from both of the libraries’ collections.
In partnership with the Jewish Museum of Greece (JMG), the Corfu Jewish community, the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University Libraries held an event on Monday, October 31 called “The Jews of Corfu: Past and Present.” The event highlighted a recent digital exhibition by the JMG on the Jews of Corfu, the exhibition at Columbia and JTS, and a conversation with members of the community on Jewish life in Corfu today. The following week, on Monday, November 7, the JTS and Columbia Libraries hosted an event focused on the technical efforts that made this exhibit possible, called “Red Inks and Gold Leaf, Parchment and Paper: Conservation of the Corfu Manuscripts.” This panel featured Morgan Adams and Katherine Parks, members of the conservation team that worked to make the materials safe for exhibition. Recordings of both of these events are available below.