Yosef Goldman

Yosef Goldman, a scholar of America Jewish history, is the author of the 2 volume reference work, “Hebrew Printing in America 1735-1926: A History and Annotated Bibliography” (2006). This work is usually cited by auctioneers and rare-book dealers. His collection of early American Judaica and Hebraica is purported to be one of the most comprehensive in the world. Goldman was born in 1942 in Neupest (now Újpest), a suburb of Budapest, Hungary, into a hasidic family. In 1950, his family immigrated to the United States and lived on the Lower East Side of New York City. Goldman studied at Beth Medrash Elyon of Monsey, N.Y., at the time an elite Rabbinical seminary. By profession, Goldman is a dealer of rare Jewish/Hebrew books and manuscripts.

Hebrew Printing in America

His ‘Hebrew Printing in America’ is a history and bibliography of Hebrew prints published in America between 1735 and 1926. It records 1208 items, extensively annotated with bio-bibliographical information, historical context, scholarly references, approbations, and location of copies in libraries world-wide. The bibliography is chronologically arranged within broad subject or format (e.g., Bible, liturgy, Haggadah, reference works, education, periodicals, Rabbinica, etc.) with 13 indexes, including Hebrew and English titles and authors, imprint places and years, publishers, printers, approbations, subscribers, typesetters, music arrangers, and artists. It includes reproductions of most title pages and selected interior pages, and appendices containing reproductions of relevant manuscripts and portraits of early American rabbis. It also includes an extensive bibliography of pertinent scholarly books and periodical articles.

‘Hebrew 52’ Lawsuit

On May 19th, 2000, Goldman bid on and purchased a 13th century Biblical manuscript for $358,000 from the well-known auction house, Christie's of New York. On May 28, 2006, Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France) filed suit against Goldman, demanding the return of the manuscript. This suit came after a former chief curator of the library's Hebrew collection, Michel Garel, was convicted in March, 2006 of stealing ‘Hebrew 52’, a Biblical manuscript known among experts. After pleading innocent, he was fined $500,000 and given a two-year suspended sentence. The lawsuit against Goldman alleged that the manuscript Goldman purchased was the one known as ‘Hebrew 52.’ In July, 2006, Goldman sued Christie's in Brooklyn Supreme Court, saying the auction house should not have accepted the work for auction, and that he should be refunded $358,000 in return for the manuscript.

References and Sources

1. Levine, Dr. Yitzchok, "Hooked On American Jewish History" in "The Jewish Press", December 6, 2006, Front Page (also at http://www.jewishpress.com/page.do/20061/Hooked_On_American_Jewish_History.html);
2. British Broadcasting Corporation, August 6, 2006 (also at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5250092.stm)