Jewish Studies

The Jewish Studies collection at Duke libraries includes a wide variety of resources, from current publications, films and videos to rare and unique manuscripts and archival material.

• Perkins Library holds a growing collection of modern Hebrew literature, both in the original Hebrew and in translation, as well as modern Jewish history, Zionism, the history and society of Israel and the Arab Israeli Conflict. 

• The microform collection includes Testaments to the Holocaust from the Wiener Library, and the Guenzburg Collection of Hebrew Manuscripts in the Russian State Library, as well as Historical Hebrew Newspapers, to name but a few.

• The Divinity School Library holds our collections of ancient and medieval Jewish history, as well as Biblical studies, Ancient Near East archeology and cultures, and Rabbinic literature.

• The Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library and the Lilly Library have a unique collection of art books by Jewish and Israeli artists, some dating back to the 19th century. 

• An impressive collection of Pesach Hagadot is hosted in Special Collections.

• The Southern Jewish History collection holds personal papers of prominent Jewish families and individuals in the region. A recent addition to RBMSCL is the personal archive of the distinguished Jewish rabbi and human rights activist Marshall T. Mayer.