The International Market of Jewish Manuscripts and Books (1900-1948)

Project Information

BookSHUK

Grant agreement ID: 101108520

DOI

10.3030/101108520

Project terminated on 15 September 2025

EC signature date 21 April 2023

Start date 1 September 2024

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 288 859,20

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BookSHUK (The International Market of Jewish Manuscripts and Books (1900-1948))

Reporting period: 2024-09-01 to 2026-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

BookSHUK set out to investigate the modern history of the Jewish book trade, focusing on the circulation, collecting, and redistribution of Hebrew manuscripts and early printed books from the early twentieth century to the aftermath of the Second World War and the establishment of the State of Israel. Despite the remarkable growth of studies on the early modern Jewish book, the twentieth-century market for Judaica—its actors, mechanisms, and cultural meanings—remains largely unexplored. This project aimed to fill that gap by reconstructing the networks that connected booksellers, collectors, librarians, and scholars across Europe, Mandatory Palestine/Israel, and the United States, and by assessing how historical events, from antisemitism and forced migration to new scholarly and political ideologies, shaped the trade in Jewish cultural heritage.

The project’s overarching objective was to provide the first systematic, data-driven analysis of this transnational market through archival research and digital methods. By combining microhistorical case studies with digital humanities tools, BookSHUK sought to reveal how books and manuscripts functioned not merely as commodities but as cultural agents, carrying ideas, beliefs, and identities across continents. Through the integration of historical research, digital visualization, and heritage policy reflection, BookSHUK aimed to produce a new model for studying the movement of cultural artifacts—one that bridges scholarly inquiry with contemporary debates on cultural property, restitution, and global memory.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The BookSHUK project did not reach the stage of producing results beyond the state of the art, as it was concluded earlier than planned. The research remained at a preparatory stage, focused mainly on defining the theoretical and methodological framework and identifying relevant archival institutions and digital infrastructures for future investigation. Preliminary work included the identification of key repositories holding significant materials on the modern Jewish book trade, such as the National Library of Israel, the Jewish Theological Seminary Library, the New York Public LIbrary, the Morgan Library, the Library of Congress, Harvard University Libraries, the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the National Library of Rome, the Archives of the Jewish Community of Rome, and others. Consultations with Hebraica and Judaica curators, librarians, and archivists provided valuable guidance on relevant collections and archival resources.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Although the BookSHUK project was concluded earlier than anticipated, it contributed new perspectives and materials that have the potential to advance the state of research in Jewish cultural history, book history, and provenance studies. The project established a methodological framework for analyzing the twentieth-century Jewish book trade—a field that has so far received limited scholarly attention compared to the early modern period. By situating economic transactions and collecting practices within broader cultural, intellectual, and political contexts, BookSHUK outlined an innovative approach that combines microhistorical analysis with digital humanities tools for data mapping and network visualization.
Preliminary findings—such as the newly identified correspondence between Marco Mortara and Sabato Morais, and the documentation relating to David Prato and Isaiah Sonne—offer valuable evidence of the transnational exchange of Jewish books between Italy, Europe, and the United States. These discoveries open new avenues for future comparative research on the displacement, preservation, and reconstitution of Jewish cultural heritage in the modern era.
To fully realize its potential impact, BookSHUK would benefit from further development in three key areas:
1. Completion of archival data collection and cataloguing, necessary for a comprehensive digital reconstruction of the Jewish book market.
2. Implementation of the planned digital platform, enabling interactive visualization and open access to the collected data.
3. Integration with ongoing European and international provenance and heritage initiatives, strengthening the project’s contribution to cultural policy and public engagement with displaced heritage.
These steps would ensure that the project’s results continue to evolve beyond their initial phase, positioning BookSHUKas a long-term reference point in the study of Jewish books, archives, and cultural networks in the modern period.