Gershom Scholem Collection 1939-1986

This collection contains 3 short manuscripts on Jewish mysticism and history, a manuscript draft of speech on Walter Benjamin, as well as photocopies of some personal and professional correspondence.Container list:Folder 1: Speech and manuscripts ; 1939, 1964Folder 2: Personal correspondence ; 1921-1986Folder 3: Professional correspondence ; 1967-1983Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago LibraryLibrary of Congress Manuscript Division.Born as Gerhard Scholem to a secular Jewish family in Berlin in 1897, Scholem was a close associate of Walter Benjamin and through his scholarly efforts and publications arguably the most important figure in spreading awareness of Jewish mysticism and the Kabbala to audiences beyond Orthodox Jewish circles. In 1923, he emigrated to Palestine, whereupon he changed his name to Gershon Scholem. In Palestine and later Israel he was a librarian and professor at Hebrew University, but remained involved in German-Jewish discourse, notably in his debates with Hannah Arendt over the Eichmann trial and over the reception of Benjamin's works. Scholem died in 1982 in Tel-Aviv.The original inventory is available in folder 1.The manuscript 'Jüdische Mystik und Kabala' was published in the 'Algemeine entziklopedie: Yidn' (Paris, Dubnov-fond: 1939).The manuscript 'Walter Benjamin -- Philosoph und Kritiker an der Wende unserer Zeit,' delivered as the Leo Baeck Memorial Lecture in 1964, was published in 'Neue Rundschau' volume 76 issue 1, 1965.digitize