University of Arizona Library Manuscript Collection SJA 008
Description
This collection consists of videocassettes of both professionally and non-professionally produced programs and interviews which are relevant either to the history of Jews who settled in the American desert southwest or to general Jewish topics. The bulk of the tapes describes the historical situation of Jews of Sephardic (viz., Spanish) background and presents speculations about the identities of their descendants in the Americas. The tapes are particularly relevant to discussions of persons thought to be descendants of forcibly converted Spanish Jews who fled Spain for the New World after the expulsion of 1492. These persons are known variously as "Conversos," "Marranos" [derogatory], or "Crypto-Jews."
Note: both the video and the audio quality of the tapes varies considerably. All the tapes are V.H.S. format.
19 video tapes. Program number 1 contains three tapes. Tape number 17 contains two programs.
Acquisition
Collected or donated to the Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives from various sources.
Access
There are no restrictions on Access to this collection.
Copyright
Request for permission to publish from the collection should be discussed with the Manuscripts Librarian. It is the researcher's responsibility to obtain the necessary publication rights and Copyright clearances for any planned publication.
Arrangement
The video tapes have been arranged alphabetically according to the title of the production or the subject matter of the tape's content. Tapes should be requested by number.
TAPE NAME / PROGRAM CONTENTS
1. "Bloom Family History," January, 1991 (3 tapes)Discussions of family history with Herb, Dave, and Ted Bloom. On the second and third tapes they are joined by Lanie Aarons.
2. Carvajal, Luis [de], December, 1996Lecture by Reid Heller
sponsored by the Dallas Historical Society commemorating the 400th yahrtzeit (death anniversary) of a poet killed in the Mexican Inquisition. Poor audio quality.
3. "Changes at the Archives," 1995? Description of the history and mission of the Bloom Southwest Jewish Archives from its inception to the establishment of its WEB site. Narrated by Melissa Amado and Stuart Glogoff.
4. Congregation Anshei Israel's 5th Street Opening, n.d.Gathering of people at Tucson's Congregation Anshei Israel's new synagogue and the procession of the Torah scrolls into the new sanctuary. No audio.
5. "Crypto-Jews," February, 1991Program on the so-called "Crypto-Jews" produced for the KUAT, Tucson, television program "Arizona Illustrated." 12 minutes.
6. Davis, Ruth, n.d.Davis (a Spiegelberg granddaughter) relates her recollections of the Spiegelberg family in New Mexico.
7. "Eyewitness to History," n.d.Abraham Chanin interviews Stewart and Morris Udall while hosting his program "Eyewitness to History."
8. "Girona, The Mother of Israel: The Jews of Catalonia," n.d.Describes the history of the Jews of Girona, Spain (in the region of Catalonia), until the time of the expulsion in 1492.
9. "International Conference on the Inquisition...," 1991Same content as Tape 5.
10. Israel Tennis Association, n.d.Describes the process of building Israel Tennis Centers throughout Israel and the rationale for doing so.
11. "Kozolchyk / Brewda Odyssey," n.d.Family members tell their history and how they or their ancestors journeyed from Poland, to Cuba, and to the United States (including Tucson) in reaction to the Polish pogroms of the early 20th century and to the Cuban Revolution. 2 hours, 32 minutes.
12. Libo, Kenneth, n.d.Libo summarizes aspects of his 1984 book "We Lived There Too," which describes the history of Jews in the United States and their movement westward into the frontier.
13. "New Mexico's Jewish Settlers," December, 1990A production for the television program "Colores" which describes the history of the Jews in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
14. "Our Desert Blooms," 1996A photographic montage of Tucson's Jewish history produced for the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona on the occasion of its anniversary.
15. "Preserving a Legacy," ca. 1986Describes a project of the Arizona Historical Society for preserving the histories of Arizona's lawyers and judges.
16. Sephardic Jews, 1993Speakers at a conference discuss how their (known or supposed) Sephardic Jewish ancestry has impacted them. Poor quality.
17a. "Trees Cry for Rain: A Sephardic Journey," 1993Members of a family describe living as Jews in Turkey and later in St. Louis, Missouri.
17b. "Yidishe Gauchos," 1993Describes how Jewish immigrants to Argentina in the nineteenth century co-existed with the local "Gauchos" and even adopted some of their practices. 30 minutes.
BLOOM SOUTHWEST JEWISH ARCHIVES VIDEOCASSETTES SUBJECT FIELDS:
Jews - West (U.S.)
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.)
West (U.S.) - Ethnic relations
West (U.S.) - History
Jews - Arizona
Jews - New Mexico
