The Jewish World and the #DigitalHumanities | The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Francesco Spagnolo, Curator
Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
The Undergraduate Research Apprentice will conduct in-house and online research about the holdings of The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life; assist with research on collection items, catalog and accession records; fact-check existing information in museum catalogs, books, and online resources; and proofread exhibition labels and web pages.
In-depth research areas encompass Jewish history and culture in the global Jewish diaspora, with an emphasis on Digital Humanities tools, methodologies, and critical perspectives. Specific areas of collection-based research includes diverse mediums (paintings, sculpture, material culture, textiles, rare books, manuscripts, photographs, ephemera, and more) as well as areas and languages from the global Jewish diaspora (Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, India, and the Americas).
Research is directly supervised by the Curator of The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, and by Graduate Fellows.
The Apprentice will also be involved in the creation of several current and upcoming research and exhibitions projects, such as the ones described at http://magnes.berkeley.edu.
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About The Magnes
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life was established in 2010 after the transfer of the holdings of the Judah L. Magnes Museum to the University of California, Berkeley. Its remarkably diverse archive, library and museum holdings include art, objects, texts, music, and historical documents about the Jews in the Global Diaspora and the American West. As one of the world's preeminent Jewish collections in a university setting, The Magnes provides highly innovative and accessible resources to researchers and visitors, is the site of classes taught through UC Berkeley academic departments, and organizes working groups with faculty and graduate students. The former Judah L. Magnes Museum, one of the first Jewish museums in the United States, was founded in Berkeley in 1962.
Role: The research apprentice will have the opportunity to work hands-on with primary sources from the global Jewish Diaspora, including rare objects, documents, photographs, books, manuscripts, and artwork from the 16th century to our days. The apprenticeship offers a unique chance to learn about collection research, exhibition preparation, and print and online publication work, operating in a collaborative environment and with cutting-edge digital humanities tools and perspectives. Apprentices are expected to work a minimum of six hours per week.
Qualifications: We seek students with good collaborative and communication skills, and with strong interest and research skills in European, Near Eastern and American history, art history, anthropology, and, of course, Jewish studies. We welcome students with language skills that may include Hebrew, Yiddish, German, Arabic and Malayalam. Students who are familiar with digital tools (digitization, image processing, HTML, QR coding, WordPress and Drupal) are also welcome to apply, regardless of their language or culturally-specific skills.
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: The Magnes is located between Campus and BART at 2121 Allston Way.
Related website: http://magnes.berkeley.edu
Related website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/magnesmuseum/albums/72157624130106653