Facilitating Data Mining: Tagging the
Digitized Montefiore Testimonials
Judaica Europeana Digital Humanities Workshop
31 October 2011, British Library
Dr François Guesnet
Sidney and Elizabeth Corob Reader in Modern Jewish History
Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies
University College London
f.guesnet@ucl.ac.uk
Testimonial to Sir Moses Montefiore, UCL Special Collections, Montefiore Papers, prel.cat.# 79
Transcription Testimonial # 79
Description and observations # 79
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Description:
18,5x23cm
vellum
single page
ink
professional scribe, the name of Jehudit in gold script
text address square hebrew script; place, date and signatures in rashi
red seal with stamp and inscription ‚hevra nashim’
Observations:
The trustees of a women’s philanthropic association in Warsaw make Yehudit Montefiore their honorary president, and
vow to follow her example.
Description and observations # 79
•
•
•
•
•
With the help of God
In a gathering we all agreed today to declare the pious lady Baroness Yehudit Montefiore the head of
our association. May she serve as the leading example of our association, in it and among us, and in
all the good deeds for our poor sisters in Israel here [in our community]. May her mercifulness be an
example before our eyes which teaches us to do like her, and may from today all our actions take
place in her name. Thus spoke the women administers of charity, association of women from here,
[our] holy community.
Warsaw, 1846
Preliminary schema for defining document content
•
•
•
•
•
•
Date
–
Hebrew
–
C.E.
Place
–
on document
–
variants
–
English
Size
–
cm x cm
Number pages
–
numerical value
Material
–
vellum y/n
–
cardbord y/n
–
paper y/n
–
Including textile y/n
–
textile y/n
Languages
–
Hebrew y/n
–
English y/n
–
Italian y/n
–
German y/n
–
Hungarian y/n
–
...
• Script
–Hebrew square y/n
–Hebrew rashi y/n
–Hebrew current y/n
–Roman y/n
–Print y/n
–Current y/n
–Illuminated y/n
•Signatory/ies (transcription only)
•Name(s)
•Congregation
•Name
•Name translation
•Scribe(s)
•Name
•Decorator/designer
•Name
•Decoration
•Iconographic elements
•Figurative
•Ornaments
...
• Reference Montefiore
•4th Moses y/n
•Honorary funtion y/n
•Travels and visit M.M.
•100th birthday
• Impact Montefiore
•Charity
•Civilization, progress
•Defense fellow Jews
•Observance, piety
•
• Mentioning Judith Montefiore
•y/n