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Michelle Margolis

@mmargolis.bsky.social

N.E. Alexander Librarian for Jewish Studies at Columbia. Lover of old & worn early printed books/manuscripts & the stories they tell in the margins. Co-director, Footprints: Jewish Books Through Time and Place. #dhjewish ๐ŸŸฆ

2,449 Followers  |  317 Following  |  830 Posts  |  Joined: 24.07.2023  |  2.1058

Latest posts by mmargolis.bsky.social on Bluesky

This volume of Lithuanian Historical Studies includes an article, "The Yiddish Nation as an Imagined Community," on use of LLMs on #YIVO archival materials for study of pre-war E European #Yiddish - based #Jewish identity. Looks fascinating @dhjewish.bsky.social @mmargolis.bsky.social

04.12.2025 14:23 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Between Theo Dunkelgrun's fantastic presentation and book on the topic, and the chapter in @skimmel.bsky.social's Librarian's Atlas, it was definitely time for me to get some photos of our copy of the Antwerp Polyglot.

It's a regular for my Hebrew Bibles session for LitHum students! ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ“œ

23.11.2025 17:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I know everyone is upset about Gmailโ€™s AI thing right now, but why does nobody talk about the fact that itโ€™s search is absolute pants

23.11.2025 17:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 22    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Can you share any more info?

20.11.2025 03:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

LOVE the ืชื•ืจืช ื—ื™ื™ื. Use it every year - with my facsimiles :)

14.11.2025 17:43 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yup! I've seen them. Pretty cool initiative, IMHO.

14.11.2025 15:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Really interesting to see it moving into a Judeo-Arabic context, but that's because it's being printed in Livorno.

13.11.2025 20:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yup. Mantua copied Venice.

13.11.2025 20:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ohhhhhh interesting. I was wonder about the ืฉืคื•ืš ื—ืžืชืš illustration, and that's also the same. Not sure what's happening there...

13.11.2025 20:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Quite cool indeed - I had the same thought. The illustrations in this one are wild.

13.11.2025 15:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Well, I was looking for the source of the illustration of the family at the Seder (Corfu, 1887), but instead found an illustrated Livorno haggadah in Tunisian Judeo-Arabic, an Alexandria haggadah, and one printed in Calcutta (also JA, for Baghdadi Jews).
๐Ÿ“œ๐Ÿ“š

13.11.2025 14:00 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 15    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Weโ€™re thrilled to launch our new Humans of AI podcast!
Prof. @melissaterras.bsky.social of @transkribus.bsky.social โ€” a cooperative AI platform transforming how libraries, archives, and museums bring history to life.
๐ŸŽง share.transistor.fm/s/ce0399b5
๐Ÿ“บ youtu.be/qK5x4j7jiuQ
#AI #CulturalHeritage

04.11.2025 13:42 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10    ๐Ÿ” 8    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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A Kurdish book of Tales (with silver leaf)! A prayerbook translated entirely into Italian by a woman (Eli bat Menahem)! Penintential prayers including the Temple as imagined by 18th c. French Jews! The Esslingen Mahazor (it's huge, but you can't tell from the pic)!

03.11.2025 20:45 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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I was struck by items that were similar to ones in our collection, of course, like this Constantinople Ketubbah (ours is missing the decorated top, alas), and this micrographic carpet page on a Yemenite Bible (just bought one with a similar illustration - maybe the same artist?) ๐Ÿ“œ๐Ÿ“š

03.11.2025 19:54 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Okay, I finally have a minute to add some pics/comments: The exhibit was organized based on world areas. So we started with the Cairo Geniza, then moved to the Ottoman Empire, Persia, and Yemen.
(Here, an amulet and a Judeo-Persian Joseph story, + musical notation of Obadaya the Proselyte)

03.11.2025 19:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

And links to full digitization of almost all of the materials!

03.11.2025 17:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Painting of two men in a print shop, one sitting, in colorful yellow and red clothing, one standing, in black, handing the seated man a book. Printing press on the right.

Painting of two men in a print shop, one sitting, in colorful yellow and red clothing, one standing, in black, handing the seated man a book. Printing press on the right.

Soooo I finally went to the glorious JTS exhibit at the Groler Club. (Image below of the study for the painting of Aldus Manutius handing books to Jean Grolier, which appears in many formats throughout the building).

Go check it out! In person or online: grolierclub.omeka.net/exhibits/sho...

03.11.2025 17:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 11    ๐Ÿ” 3    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Thank you! I hope you said hi! (I didn't get names of everyone there :) )

03.11.2025 17:17 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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There are 3 weeks left to apply to the Katz Center's 2026โ€“27 fellowship, War and Peace in Jewish Thought and History. Click below to learn more!
katz.sas.upenn.edu/scholarly-pr...

20.10.2025 17:58 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They're trying :)

20.10.2025 17:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Keep spreading the gospel!! Someone should do a podcast on the exhibit ;)

19.10.2025 22:46 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Coffee with a Codex: Sephardim in England For Coffee With A Codex on October 23, Judaica Special Collections Cataloging Librarian Louis Meiselman will bring out CAJS Rar Ms. 534, a manuscript written by Moses Gomez de Mesquita documenting his...

For #CoffeeWithACodex on October 23 (Noon ET, on Zoom), we'll bring out CAJS Rar Ms. 534, a manuscript written by Moses Gomez de Mesquita documenting his administration and institution of prayer customs for the Sephardim in England.. #medievalsky #cwac

Register here: https://bit.ly/4oldipr

19.10.2025 19:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 17    ๐Ÿ” 8    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Excellent on both accounts, from what I've heard!! People are loving it (as well they should! :) )

19.10.2025 22:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I *really* wanted that to be our CH trip for this Sunday, but alas :(

10.10.2025 19:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Thank you @hannahstohelit.bsky.social and @mmargolis.bsky.social for the excellent suggestion!

09.10.2025 20:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 10    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Honestly insane in mindblowingly cool documents per square foot, and also better for free than lots of other (perfectly good) exhibits Iโ€™ve paid for

09.10.2025 22:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I'll be leading the one on 11/2 ;) #justsaying

10.10.2025 19:28 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

They had planned to be open on some Sundays (just not this one, alas).

10.10.2025 19:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies & the Herbert D. Katz Center Distinguished Fellow's Lecture in Jewish Manuscript Studies Javier del Barco, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, & the 2025-2026 Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies & the Herbert D. Katz Center Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Manuscript Studies, examine...

The wonderful Javier del Barco will be presenting at Penn in November: The Sephardic Bible Bookcraft: Codicology, Layout and Contents in Two Manuscripts at the Library of
@katzcenterupenn.bsky.social ๐Ÿ“œ๐Ÿ“š

Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 5:15 - 7:00 pm EST

www.library.upenn.edu/events/sepha...

09.10.2025 15:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 13    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

BUT note that it will NOT be open on Sunday. So your options for ch"m are today or tomorrow...

09.10.2025 15:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

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