American Academy for Jewish Research
AMERICAN ACADEMY FOR JEWISH RESEARCH
AMERICAN ACADEMY FOR JEWISH RESEARCH , organization of scholars, rabbis, and interested laymen; formally established in 1920 and incorporated in 1929 under the laws of the State of Maryland. The original officers were Louis Ginzberg, president; Gotthard Deutsch, vice president; Henry Malter, secretary; and Jacob Z. Lauterbach, treasurer.
The Academy's functions include periodic public meetings at which learned papers are read and discussed, joint scholarly ventures, publication of scholarly works, and the establishment of a working relationship with other groups of similar character and aims. An annual meeting is held at the end of each year, at which members and invited guests are asked to present the results of their particular investigations; most of these reports are published in the yearly Proceedings (1930–present). Monograph series produced by the Academy are Ya'acov b. Ela'zar Kitab al Kamil (N. Allony), Affricated Sade in Semitic Languages (R. Steiner), and Economics & Toleration in 17th Century Venice (B. Ravid). The Academy also financed and endowed publications of several critical editions of classical texts, such as Midrash Leviticus Rabbah, the tractate Ta'anit of the Babylonian Talmud, Yerushalmi Neziqin with introduction and commentary by Professor Saul Lieberman (first printing 1983; second printing 1986). Among other works published by the Academy are the Union Catalog of Hebrew Manuscripts and Their Location (1973) by Aron Freimann and Le-Toledot Nusah ha-She'iltot (Textual History of the She'iltot, 1991) by R. Brody. It has made numerous grants to promising young scholars. The income of the Academy is derived from membership dues, allocations by welfare boards, special contributions, and bequests. The Academy's membership is composed of fellows, who are nominated and elected by their peers, and associate members who are enrolled upon nomination. Most of its affairs are conducted on a volunteer basis. The Academy's presidents from the late 1960s on have been Salo *Baron (1968–71; 1975–81); Louis Finklestein (1971–75); Harry M. Orlinsky (1981–83); Isaac E. Barzilay (1983–89); David Weiss Halivni (1989–92); Arthur Hyman (1992–96); Robert *Chazan (1996–2000); David *Ruderman (2000–04); and Paula E. *Hyman from 2004.
bibliography:
Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research (1928), secretary's report.
[Abraham Solomon Halkin]