While researching A.S.W. Rosenbach’s Hebrew language studies (see below), I really hoped to find some manuscript evidence of his Hebrew class work. I didn’t have any luck then, but thanks to the the highly proficient PACSCL information professionals presently on our premises, just such evidence has surfaced. The above is a page of notes Abie put together and tucked into one of his notebooks. It looks like a Hebrew vocabulary and verb conjugation study sheet. It turned up as we went through the uncataloged Rosenbach Family material this week. Here’s the reverse:
It’s an interesting list of words and phrases. I wonder what lesson or text he was working on which involved the phrases (assuming I make out his handwriting correctly) “ye have drawn near,” “we have concealed,” “she is old,” and “thou wert small.”
Perhaps more interesting than this page is the scrap of notes on Hebrew pronunciation Abie’s sister Rebecca kept in a prayer book. I’m not sure of the extent to which women studied Hebrew in her lifetime (1866-1926). Would her studies have been common then? Would she have studied openly? It might be that Rebecca’s notes are not at all unusual, but it’s at least nice to see something of hers to get a better picture of her life. You’ll have to stop by the Library to see her notes in our current exhibit installed there.
And thanks, PACSCL, for helping us uncover Abie’s notes.
Images:
A.S.W Rosenbach (1876-1952). AMs: [Hebrew language study notes.]Philadelphia: 1894?
Uncataloged