Bibliographical Problems of the Pinkas Hakehillot
The register of the Jewish Communities of the Diaspora including Europe, Asia, and Africa must go far back to the establishment of the community and trace its historical, geographic, and political development to the present day. Often this entails exploring unknown ground, especially as regards the smaller communities. But then again, major Judaica libraries are an excellent, though not a complete, source. The Iron Curtain prevents collection of material from Eastern Europe. Professional bibliography must be clearly classified. Themes to be studied include demography; political and juridical status; economy; communal organizations and institutions; political, intellectual, and religious currents; relations with the non-Jewish world, i.e., antisemitism; education; culture, science, and art; ethnography; customs; and personalities. The bibliographies must grow and expand organically, independent of any other purpose.