Guide to the Papers of Jacob Shatzky, 1910-1963, RG 356

Processed by Fruma Mohrer with the assistance of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Finding aid edited, encoded and posted online thanks to a grant from the Gruss Lipper Family Foundation.

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
Email: archives@yivo.cjh.org
URL: http://www.yivo.org

© YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. All rights reserved.

Electronic finding aid was converted to EAD 2002 by Stanislav Pejša and Yakov Sklyar in December 2006. EAD finding aid was customized in ARCHON in 2013. Description is in English.

Collection Overview

Title: Guide to the Papers of Jacob Shatzky, 1910-1963, RG 356

ID: RG 356 FA

Creator: Shatzky, Jacob (1893-1956)

Extent: 13.83 Linear Feet

Arrangement:

In 1956, upon receipt of the bulk of the collection, about 80% of it was sorted and placed in folders with folder descriptions. There were no series titles, however, and no arrangement within the folders. In 1981 most of the work consisted of establishment of series titles, arrangement within each folder and sorting and classifying about 20% of the material which was not in any order.

Series are divided mainly by type, except for the Series IV: Personal Documents, the only series which contains a mixture of types.

Languages: Yiddish, English, Polish, German, Hebrew, Spanish

Abstract

Jacob Shatzky (1893-1956) was an historian, literary and theater critic, editor, bibliographer, lexicographer, lecturer, teacher and librarian. The Papers of Jacob Shatzky cover the period of 1910-1960's and reflect to different degrees all aspects of his activities. Some papers of Jacob Shatzky's wife, Ida, consist for the most part of materials relating to his death. Manuscript and other materials relating to memorial books published posthumously in commemoration of Jacob Shatzky, such as the Shatzky Book , (Buenos Aires, 1957) and Yakov Shatzki in Ondenk , (New York, 1957) constitute another significant part of the collection.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Papers of Jacob Shatzky, which cover the period 1910-1960s relate to all aspects of Shatzky's career as well as to his personal life. The papers consist of correspondence, manuscripts, notes, bibliographies, diplomas, certificates, financial and legal documents, i.d. cards, photos, printed invitations and announcements, raffle tickets, clippings, and personal memorabilia.

Despite the wide range of topics, the collection is a fragmentary one. The most significant material in the Papers of Jacob Shatzky consists of notes and manuscript fragments relating to the History of the Jews in Warsaw, Volume IV as well as notes to Volumes I-III. In 1943, YIVO commissioned Dr. Shatzky to write the history of the community of Warsaw. Volume I (beginning 1831) was published in 1947, Volume II (1831-1863) in 1948, Volume III (1863-1896) in 1953. At the time of his death in 1956, Shatzky was working on Volume IV, which is unpublished at the time of the compilation of this inventory.

These materials consist of notes, organized by topic. Notes consist of bibliographical references, as well as excerpts or citations. The topics are classified either by historical event, such as World War I, or by subject, such as hospitals, education, culture. Among the topics prepared by Shatzky are, the rabbinate, community council, Yiddish literature, art, theater, press, printing, school systems, political movements, local organizations, charities, industry, trade, banks. Although almost all of the bibliographical references are from published sources, these notes and references contain original research work. No social history of Warsaw (1896-1918) has been undertaken to date, comparable both in time period and scope to Dr. Shatzky's projected book.

The other manuscript materials in Series II are far less significant and are very fragmentary. Shatzky must have published about 1000 works in his lifetime. The single box of manuscripts is therefore a meager representation of his writings.

The Correspondence Series, spans the period 1910-1956. The 1930s, 1940s and 1950s contain the greatest numbers of letters. The 1910s contain only a handful of letters; the 1920s are fragmentary as well. The reasons for these gaps are unknown. Secondly, despite the wide range of scholars, publishers, writers, most of the correspondence consists of single items or a handful of letters. Only a minority of the correspondents have more than about 5 to 10 letters. Among the more prolific correspondents: A. A. Roback, Raphael Mahler, Kalman Marmor, Joseph Opatoshu, Shmuel Niger, Melekh Ravitch, Zalman Zylbercweig. Among the significant but less prolific: Emanuel Ringelblum, Menashe Boraisho, Solomon Grayzel, Abraham Duker, Salo Baron, Philip Friedman, Max Weinreich, Aaron Zeitlin, I. Bashevis Singer, Mendl Elkin, Aaron Glanz-Leyelez, Rudolf Glanz, A. Golomb, Alexander Harkavy, Abraham Heschel, Peretz Hirshbein, M. Handelsman, H. Leivik, Itsik Manger, Zalman Reizin, Mark Wischnitzer.

Some of the organizations Shatzky corresponded with: American Jewish Committee, (showing Shatzky's involvement with the AJC Yearbook on Latin American Jewry. The AJC material contains reports and statistical information on Jewish communities in Latin America, as well as correspondence with communities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela); Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, N.Y.; Congress for Jewish Culture, N.Y., Buenos Aires; Dubnow Fund for Yiddish Encyclopedia, Berlin, Paris; Enciclopedia Della Spettacolo, Rome; Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora, Jerusalem; Farayn fun yidishe literatn un zhurnalistn (Association of Jewish Writers and Journalists), Warsaw; Hebrew Union College Library, Cincinnati; Jewish Book Council, N.Y., Jewish Daily Eagle, Montreal; Jewish Theological Seminary, N.Y.; Jewish Public Library, Montreal; New York Public Library; I. L. Peretz Farayn, Czortkow; Portugeesch Isrealitisch Seminarium Ets Haim, Amsterdam; New York State Psychiatric Institute and Hospital, N.Y.; Yiddish Pen Club, N.Y., Sigmund Freud Archives, N.Y.; Sociedad Habraica Argentina, Buenos Aires; Central Committee of Jews in Poland, Warsaw; Soncino Gesselschaft, Berlin; Yiddish Culture Society, N.Y.; YIVO, N.Y., Vilna, Buenos Aires; Jewish Historical Institute, Warsaw.

The bibliographical series contains a bibliography of Old Yiddish Literature in print. To our knowledge this bibliography has never been published. It was commissioned by the YIVO Institute circa 1930 and was apparently never completed.

The Series IV: Personal Documents contains mainly personal letters of recommendation, diplomas, memorabilia, identification cards, but few photos.

The clippings cover the time period 1910s-1960s and contain a representative sampling of reviews and articles about Shatzky including biographical material. They are however, in very poor condition, and very fragile, especially early clippings of the 1910s-1920s which were not even handled because of their condition. The printed materials cover the years 1920s-1950s but occupy only 1 folder and account for only a portion of Shatzky's lecturing activities.

Research possibilities include: studies on the history of the Jews in Warsaw, from its beginnings to 1918, especially 1896-1918; studies in Old Yiddish Literature; Jews and psychiatry; Jews and medical questions; career and life of Jacob Shatzky; Jewish life in Latin America.

Historical Note

Jacob Shatzky was born in Warsaw in 1893 and received a traditional kheder education. After working temporarily as an office clerk, he studied history and philosophy at universities in Lemberg, Vienna, Berlin and Warsaw. In 1922 he received his Ph.D from the University of Warsaw. His dissertation title was "The Jewish Question in the Kingdom of Poland During the Paskiewicz Era."

Shatzky's career in Poland began in 1913 with the publication of a historical study in Izraelita . This was followed by other contributions to Polish-Jewish periodicals, including Evreiskaia Starina , Nasz Kurier , Bikher velt . During World War I, Shatzky enlisted and fought in Pilsudski's Legion, where he received several military decorations and was appointed lieutenant. In 1918 he was asked by the Polish Foreign Ministry to report on Jewish affairs in Poland, particularly the April pogroms in Vilna. When the Ministry did not react to his report he resigned from his post and taught history in Jewish high schools in Warsaw.

In 1923 Shatzky emigrated to the United States where he lived until his death. During this latter period of his life, he established himself as a prominent Jewish historian. Although his deepest interest was the history of the Jews in Poland, he published numerous studies on all aspects of Jewish history. In addition, he wrote extensively on Jewish literature, literary history, folklore and biography.

Shatzky's talents and interests found expression in the enthusiastic movement to found the YIVO Institute in Vilna as well as the American branch in New York, called Amopteyl (Amerikaner opteyl). He was one of the founders of the Amopteyl, and travelled and lectured extensively, campaigning for support.

During Shatzky's long association with the YIVO he assumed many positions. He was the secretary of the Amopteyl, a member of the YIVO Board of Directors, chairman of the YIVO Historian's Circle. He served on the Executive Committee, became research secretary of the Historical Section, and was a member of the Commission on Research. He was a co-editor of the YIVO bleter and the YIVO Annual of Jewish Social Science . YIVO was also directly involved in Shatzky's development as a historian, as most of his historical works were commissioned and published by the Institute.

Among the better known works published by the YIVO are ' The Chmielnicki Massacres of 1648 ' (1938), Jewish Educational Policy in Poland from 1806-1866 , (1943), and, The History of the Jews in Warsaw , (3 volumes, 1947-53).

From 1930 to 1956 Shatzky was affiliated with the New York State Psychiatric Institute where he was chief librarian. In this capacity, he built up the research library, creating one of the best psychiatric libraries in the world. An example of his ability as a collector, was his acquisition of the private library of Sigmund Freud for the Institute. In 1940 he co-authored the standard Psychiatric Dictionary with Leland E. Hinsie.

Throughout his lifetime, Shatzky was affiliated with numerous Jewish organizations. These included the World Congress for Jewish Culture, where he was co-editor of the Lexicon of Modern Yiddish Literature , and the Yiddish P.E.N. Club where he was president. He was also associated with organizations around the world, such as the YIVO in Argentina. In addition to his literary work, Shatzky enjoyed popularity as a lecturer. He frequently lectured in New York, at conferences, lecture series, events organized by Jewish groups. These included branches of the Workmen's Circle, and community centers. He travelled often to South America, as well, conducting highly successful speaking tours and campaigning at the same time for the YIVO Institute.

Two bibliographies have been published of Shatzky's works. The first was prepared by Mordecai Kosover and Menashe Unger, and published by the Amopteyl branch of YIVO in 1939. It lists 580 items. The second published in the Shatzky Book after his death, lists works written from 1939 to 1956.

At the time of his death, in June 1956, Shatzky was working on the fourth volume of the Geshikhte fun yidn in varshe ( History of the Jews in Warsaw ), which, at the time of the compilation of this inventory, is still unpublished.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: Permission to use the collection must be obtained from the YIVO Archivist.

Use Restrictions:

Open to researchers.

For more information, contact:  Chief Archivist,  YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011

email:  archives@yivo.cjh.org

Acquisition Method: Only part of the papers are deposited in the YIVO Archives. The materials were donated in installments. Some papers were given to the YIVO by Jacob Shatzky himself in the 1950s. The bulk of the collection was received in 1956 from Moshe Starkman, executor of Jacob Shatzky's literary estate. Other portions were possibly donated by Ida Shatzky in the late 1950s, by Ezekiel Lifschutz, editor of the Shatzky Book , and the final segment, by Eugene Willenberg Shatzky, Jacob Shatzky's adopted son, upon his mother Ida Shatzky's death, in 1964.

Separated Materials: Correspondence with Jacob Shatzky in the 1920s as a member of the board of the Amopteyl branch of YIVO was removed to the Records of the Amopteyl in the YIVO Archives, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research - Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut (New York) , 1192 , as it was a natural and organic part of the latter record group.

Related Materials: Only a portion of Jacob Shatzky's papers were deposited in the YIVO Archives, as in accordance with his will, part of them were given to the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, Jerusalem, Israel.

Preferred Citation: Published citations should read as follows: Identification of item, date (if known); YIVO Archives; Jacob Shatzky Papers; RG 356; folder number.


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

Series I: Correspondence, 1910-1963,
Series II: Manuscripts and Notes, undated, 1936,
Series III: Bibliographies and Catalogs, undated,
Series IV: Personal Documents, undated,
Series V: Printed Materials and Clippings, undated, 1910s-1956,
Series VI: Miscellaneous Materials, undated,
All

Series II: Manuscripts and Notes, undated, 1936
Subseries 1: History of the Jews in Warsaw, undated
Folder 1: A) Voume I - Notes and Bibliographical references
Folder 54: Period 1527-1724 - Bibliographical references and notes - Miscellaneous topics, undated
Folder 55: Period 1795-1831 - Bibliographical references and notes - Miscellaneous topics, undated
Folder 56: Duchy of Warsaw - Period 1807-1814, undated
Folder 2: B) Voume II - Notes and Bibliographical references
Folder 57: Manuscript fragments and footnotes, undated
Folder 58: Manuscript fragments and footnotes, undated
Folder 59: Period 1855-1863 - Notes and bibliographical references, undated
Folder 3: C) Voume III - Notes and Bibliographical references
Folder 60: Community Council, undated
Folder 61: Charity, undated
Folder 62: Rabbinate, undated
Folder 63: Press, undated
Folder 64: Printing, undated
Folder 65: Music, Theater, undated
Folder 66: Cultural activities, undated
Folder 67: Hebrew and Yiddish writers, undated
Folder 68: Education, schools, undated
Folder 69: Hospitals, undated
Folder 70: Synagogues, Talmud learning groups, Talmud Torahs, Tlomackie Synagogue, undated
Folder 71: Chassiduth, undated
Folder 72: Zionist Movement, undated
Folder 73: Pogrom 1881, undated
Folder 74: From Hatisifirah , 1891, undated
Folder 75: Unsorted notes to volume III, undated
Folder 76: Unsorted notes to volume III, undated
Folder 77: Unsorted notes to volume III, undated
Folder 78: Unsorted notes to volume III, undated
Folder 79: Unsorted notes to volume III, before 1881, undated
Folder 80: Photostatic copies of documents and notes to Volume III, undated
Folder 81: Photostatic copies for Volume III, undated
Folder 82: Photostatic copies for Volume III, undated
Folder 83: Photostatic copies for Volume III, undated
Folder 84: Photostatic copies for Volume III, undated
Folder 85: Photostatic copies of documents for Volume III, undated
Folder 86: Photostatic copies of documents relating to the Rabbinical Seminary in Warsaw, undated
Folder 87: Photostatic copies of documents for Volume III, undated
Folder 88: Photostatic copies of documents for Volume III, undated
Folder 4: D) Voume IV - Notes and Bibliographical references
Folder 89: Community elections, undated
Folder 90: Community budget and varia, undated
Folder 91: Economic situation - 1914-1918, undated
Folder 92: Co-operatives, undated
Folder 93: Banks, credit, undated
Folder 94: Industry, undated
Folder 95: Commerce, undated
Folder 96: Real Estate, undated
Folder 97: Rabbinate, undated
Folder 98: Synagogues, undated
Folder 99: Hebrew school system, undated
Folder 100: Higher education, undated
Folder 101: Vocational education, undated
Folder 102: Continuation courses for adults, undated
Folder 103: Community schools, the community's stand on the language question, undated
Folder 104: City elementary schools for Jewish students, private schools, undated
Folder 105: Teachers' organizations, undated
Folder 106: Organizations of Teachers' Seminaries; courses for teachers and the public, undated
Folder 107: Kheders, Talmud Torahs, Yeshivoth, undated
Folder 108: Yiddish schools, textbooks, undated
Folder 109: School systems from 1914-1918 and language question, 1914-1915, undated
Folder 110: Problems in education, undated
Folder 111: Jews in the Polish school systems in Warsaw, undated
Folder 112: Private high schools for boys and girls, undated
Folder 113: Charity: German occupation, 1915-1918, undated
Folder 114: Charity: Relief work in Russian period, undated
Folder 115: Charity: Social work, undated
Folder 116: Medical charities; hospitals, physicians in Warsaw, 1896-1918, undated
Folder 117: Labor, undated
Folder 118: Strikes, undated
Folder 119: Organized Labor, undated
Folder 120: Association of Employees in commercial establishments, undated
Folder 121: Socialist movement, undated
Folder 122: Jewish Anarchists in Warsaw: memoirs, letters, photos (original source material), undated
Folder 123: Socjal Demokracja Krolestwa Polskiego (SDKPL), Litwy (Social Democrats of Poland and Lithuania), Jews in these parties, undated
Folder 124: Bund, undated
Folder 125: PPS: Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, undated
Folder 126: Socialist-Zionists, Proletaryat, Poale Zion, undated
Folder 127: Zionism, all parties, undated
Folder 128: Assimilationist movement, undated
Folder 129: Assimilation, undated
Folder 130: Cultural clubs, sports clubs and societies; libraries, undated
Folder 131: Jews and Polish Culture, undated
Folder 132: Music and the arts, undated
Folder 133: Jewish Press, undated
Folder 134: Yiddish Theater, undated
Folder 135: Yiddish Literature, undated
Folder 136: Jews in Polish literature, press, theater, publishing, undated
Folder 137: Jewish literature in Polish, undated
Folder 138: Hebrew Literature 1, undated
Folder 139: Printers, undated
Folder 140: Publishing houses, undated
Folder 141: Jewish customs: weddings, holidays, undated
Folder 142: Chassiduth and shtiblekh, undated
Folder 143: Anti-semitism, undated
Folder 144: Russia 1905-1906, undated
Folder 145: First World War, 1914-1915. Refugees, Russian period, Polish-Jewish relations, undated
Folder 146: German Occupation, August 1915-November 1918, undated
Folder 147: Statistics, undated
Folder 148: Biographical information on various personalities, undated
Folder 149: Biographical information on various personalities, undated
Folder 150: Varia, Volume IV, undated
Folder 5: E) Notes and Manuscripts, Miscellaneous, Volumes I-V
Folder 151: From beginning to 1918 - Volumes I-IV, undated
Folder 152: Unsorted notes to Volume V, 1920-1939, undated
Including original correspondence and other documents
Folder 153: History of the Jews in Warsaw from the beginnings to 1896 - Short version, undated
Author undetermined (probably Shatzky)
Extent: 75 pp.
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Subseries 2: Manuscripts and Notes to Various Topics, undated, 1936
Folder 1: A) Historical Works
Folder 154: A muster fun a mentshlekhn lebn [Example of a human life], undated
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 155: A naye yidishe geshikhte: Shul bukh far arbetr ring shuln [A New Jewish History. Textbook for Workmen's Circle Schools], undated
Extent: 57 pp.
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 156: Czestochowa - Notes and clippings, undated
Language of Material: In Yiddish and Polish
Folder 157: Di kentnish fun poylish [Knowledge of the Polish language], undated
Language of Material: In Yiddish and Polish.
Extent: 3 pp.
Folder 158: Geshikhte fun yidn in pitshayev [History of the Jews in Pociejow] - Der kloyster in pitshayev [The church in Pociejow], undated
Language of Material: In Yiddish
Folder 159: Kheshbn hanefesh fun a yiddisher historiker [Meditations of a Jewish Historian], undated
Extent: 6 pp.
Extent: 11 pp.
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 160: Biographical sketches, undated
Lessing, Theodore Moiseif, Leon
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 161: Moyshe montefiore in poyln [Moses Montefiore in Poland] and Natsionale shtimungen by daytsher yidn mit 100 yor tsurik [National sentiments among German Jews a hundred years ago], undated
Extent: 30 pp.
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 162: Sfardim y Ashkenazim en la historia [Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews in history], undated,
Language of Material: Mostly in Spanish.
Folder 163: Spinoza un zany svive [Spinoza and his environment], undated
Language of Material: In English.
Extent: 39 pp.
Folder 164: Tsu der diskusye vegn reform oder revolutsye [Reform or revolution: a discussion], undated
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Extent: 7 pp.
Folder 2: B) Yiddish Folklore and Literature
Folder 165: Arum Sholem Aleykhem'n [About Sholem Aleikhem] and Der umbakanter Perets [The Unknown Peretz], undated
Extent: 7 pp. , 16 pp.
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 166: Morris Rosenfeld in likht fun zayn brif, New York, 1936
Folder 167: Niger, Shmuel, undated
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Extent: 10 pp.

Folder 168: Tsvey entfers oyf der ankete vegn yidishn teater in gefangen lager b'eys der milkhome [Two responses to the survey on Yiddish theater in prisoners' camps during the war])

Tsu der poylishn folkslied: "wojna zydowska" [On the Polish Folksong: "wojna zydowska"]

Vegn Itsik Manger [On Itsik Manger], undated

Extent: 3 pp.
Extent: 4 pp.
Extent: 7 pp.
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 169: Zinberg, Israel and a poem by Jacob Shatzky, undated
Extent: 22 pp.
Extent: 1 page
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 3: C) Reviews
Folder 170: Reviews - Manuscripts, undated
A tog in regensburg un eliyohu bokher [A Day in Regensburg and Eliohu Bokher], by J. Opatoshu, New York, 1933, 10 pp. Yidn in frankraykh… shtudijes un materialn [Jews in France, studies and source materials] 2 volumes, New York 1942, 16 pp. Di antshtayung un antviklung fun der yiddisher shprakh [The Rise and Development of the Yiddish language] by B. Rubstein, Warsaw, 1922, 11 pp. A yubileum bukh fun bund. [A 'Bund' jubilee book], 4 pp. The Jewish community in Russia, 1772-1844, by Isaac Levitats., New York, 1943, 8 pp. Die preussische Polenpolitik von 1772-1914 [Prussian foreign policy on Poland from 1772-1914], by M. Lambert, Crakow, 1944, 9 pp.
Language of Material: In Yiddish.
Folder 4: D) Jacob Shatzky, Editor
Folder 171: Lexicon of Modern Yiddish Literature - Entries and materials, undated
Biographical sketches, probably all by Moshe Starkman
Language of Material: In English and Yiddish.
Folder 5: E) Manuscripts by other writers
Folder 172: Miscellaneous manuscripts by various authors, undated
Essays, play, reviews speech
Folder 6: F) Miscellaneous Notes
Folder 173: Historical Commission of the YIVO - Notes, undated
Folder 174: Various Topics - Notes, 1815, 1848
Language of Material: In Polish, Yiddish, English, and Spanish.
Folder 175: Various Topics - Notes, 1815, 1848
Language of Material: In Polish, Yiddish, English, and Spanish.
Folder 7: G) Commemoration Books
Folder 176: Shatzky-Book, undated
Folder 177: Shatzky-Book - Correspondence and clippings, undated
Folder 178: Shatzky-Book, undated
Folder 179: Shatzky-Book - Correspondence, reviews and reactions, 1960s
Folder 180: Shatzky-Book - Book reviews, undated
Folder 181: Yakov Shatzki in ondenk [In Memory of Jacob Shatzky] Klub fun poilishe yidn [Club of Polish Jews], 1957
Language of Material: In Polish and Yiddish.

Browse by Series:

Series I: Correspondence, 1910-1963,
Series II: Manuscripts and Notes, undated, 1936,
Series III: Bibliographies and Catalogs, undated,
Series IV: Personal Documents, undated,
Series V: Printed Materials and Clippings, undated, 1910s-1956,
Series VI: Miscellaneous Materials, undated,
All



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