Bouncing Back - and Forward by Reif Stefan C.;

Author:Reif, Stefan C.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912676668
Publisher: Vallentine Mitchell Publishers
Published: 2020-11-17T00:00:00+00:00

14

Raising Funds and Conserving History

(1973–84)

Publicity

Working on my own, I made a large number of applications to various foundations, compiled and printed my little booklet about the Genizah and arranged for one of the editorial staff, Meir Persoff, and a photographer, to prepare a feature for the Jewish Chronicle. I also made contacts with individual philanthropists, especially in London, and – an unusual initiative at the time – began to welcome groups to see some of the fragments and to hear lectures from me about their significance. I delivered about 140 popular lectures in eleven years to an average audience of 50, thus conveying information about the Genizah manuscripts to some 7,000 people. A well-illustrated and attractively-written feature by Meir Persoff appeared in the Jewish Chronicle Supplement in London in December 1973, a little over three months after my arrival at the Library. I also did whatever I could to have my booklet noticed in scholarly publications. Whenever I sensed interest on the part of anyone with financial wherewithal, I asked for a personal meeting and travelled to London to his or her office to explain what I was trying to do with the Genizah collection, drawing parallels for them with the exciting discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Of course, I did not mention how the University had effectively neglected the collection for over 60 years, nor how much I was working virtually on my own, since that would undoubtedly have been unproductive for the fund-raising effort. I had to stress just how anxious the University now was to give the collection its due attention. I also sent notes to radio and television producers in the hope that some might express interest in what was, and is, one of the world’s greatest and most extensive collections of medieval literary and documentary treasures. I should say that I received no administrative help whatsoever from anyone in this connection. I was told by Miss Waller who ran the General Office in the Library that if I submitted copy to her, letters might be typed within three or four days, but I decided to bring in my own old manual typewriter and do it all myself so that I could send things off with the utmost speed.

When the Unit’s externally-raised funds permitted it, I was able to employ a part-time secretary and that helped greatly. Sonia Peacock and Sandra McGivern in the first two decades, and in later years, Sarah Sykes, were among the longest serving and the most industrious and loyal of those who served in that capacity. I also began compiling lists of published books and articles that made mention of Genizah fragments and to make plans for the publication of a set of catalogues, once I could find researchers to assist with their compilation. It should also be noted that those were the days before bureaucrats dictated everything that was done in university departments. I would take the train to London (or drive if I had to) and then present the

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