Price Library of Judaica Digital Collections >>

The Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica at the University of Florida (UF), in partnership with the Jewish Museum of Florida and three Florida public libraries, is working to broaden access and highlight “hidden” local and ethnic Florida newspapers focusing on Florida's first ethnic newspaper of note, the long-standing Florida Jewish newspaper, The Jewish Floridian. At present, The Jewish Floridian is only accessible on microfilm and available for consultation at the Price Library of Judaica and the Jewish Museum of Florida.

The LSTA funded project for 2012-2013 (full grant proposal) will:

• Create content:
  • Convert 127 reels of The Jewish Floridian on microfilm to digital for free, open access online in this collection and the Florida Digital Newspaper Library, as well as ensuring long-term digital preservation
• Create context:
  • Create a distinct sub-collection for Jewish and other ethnic newspapers within the Florida Digital Newspaper Library
• Train:
  • Provide training on how to access and use the Florida Digital Newspaper Library focusing on The Jewish Floridian as an example of a unique primary resource within this collection (see the existing webinar video on on using the Florida Digital Newspaper Library)
• Assess:
  • Employ the Collaborative Assessment and Program Evaluation Services (CAPES) to conduct a post-project survey
• Promote:
  • Publicize and promote the digitized items to the citizens of Florida.

The Jewish Floridian

The complete set of The Jewish Floridian is preserved on 128 microfilm reels and held by just the University of Florida and the Jewish Museum of Florida, which means that current access to this key primary resource is extremely limited. Jewish people have been present in Florida since the 18th century; they have played a significant role in shaping the state legislature and have engaged in all levels of state life, and yet no comprehensive history of this vibrant ethnic community has been written. Resources like The Jewish Floridian newspaper are a vital component of this type of research, but in its present state it remains virtually hidden.

The Jewish Floridian was the first ethnic newspaper of note to be published in Florida. Founded in 1927 by J. Louis Shochet, its editorship was taken over by his son Fred K. Shochet until the paper was disbanded in 1990. The newspaper's headquarters were in Miami, but by the late 1970s The Jewish Floridian was being published weekly around the state under additional titles such as The Jewish Floridian: The Voice of the Jewish Community in Palm Beach County -1970-1990, The Jewish Floridian of Pinellas County - 1980-1986, The Jewish Floridian of North Broward - 1971-1975, The Jewish Floridian of South Broward - 1984-1987, The Jewish Floridian of Tampa - 1979- 1988, The Jewish Floridian of Greater Ft. Lauderdale - 1974-1990, The Jewish Floridian and Shofar of Greater Hollywood - 1970-1983, The Jewish Floridian of South County - 1979-1990. Beyond the above-listed basic historical information, nothing more is known about this longstanding and far-reaching ethnic newspaper.

Price Library of Judaica

The Isser and Rae Price Library of Judaica is currently located in the northwest corner of the ground floor of the George A. Smathers Libraries' 2006 Library West Addition, and it is built on the core collection of Rabbi Leonard C. Mishkin of Chicago.  At the time of its acquisition by the Libraries in 1977, the Mishkin collection was the largest personal library of Judaica and Hebraica in the United States. Formally dedicated in March 1981 to support the teaching and research missions of the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Florida, the Library is named for Isser and Rae Price, whose sons, Jack and Samuel Price of Jacksonville, Florida, established a fund to support sustained development of its collections. Users of the Library will find a Jewish studies collection of notable depth and scope.  Its diversified holdings of uncommon research materials in English, Hebrew, and other languages support scholarship in virtually every aspect of the Jewish experience.  Materials relevant to the ancient, medieval and modern periods are available to students and researchers alike, as they are to any reader who possesses a curiosity about the Jewish People, whose cultures, societies, and influences span over 3,000 years of recorded history. The Price Library supports the teaching and research of the University of Florida's Center for Jewish Studies. The Center website also includes beautiful Flash versions of several Special Collections books.