Objects of Awe: The Meaning of the High Holidays Through Treasures from the JTS Library

The Jewish Theological Seminary of America presents a session with Rabbi Marcus Mordecai Schwartz, PhD, Librarian for Special Collections of the JTS Library, exploring what a medieval prayer book, one of the earliest printed Hebrew mahzorim, and a set of century-old boxing cards can teach us about the High Holidays. Through illuminated manuscripts, early Hebrew printing, and unexpected artifacts of American Jewish life, the session examines how material objects preserve memory, shape religious imagination, and offer fresh perspectives on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The presentation also highlights the new JTS Library website, “Jewish Books, Jewish Worlds: An Interactive Exploration of Jewish Culture, Imagination, and Resilience.”