Abraham Freidus's job application
Abraham Freidus
Letter to John Shaw Billings to consider his job application
October 7, 1896
Abraham Freidus’s letter to John Shaw Billings (1838–1913) dated October 7, 1896, is the earliest document pertaining to the very beginnings of the rich Judaica curatorial tradition at the Library. It is an equivalent of the cover letter and curriculum vitae of today’s job seekers. Written by a 29-year-old Freidus in his recognizable neat handwriting, this letter is an important autobiographical record and a snapshot of Freidus’s first professional accomplishments.
We learn that he was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1867. After spending three years in Paris (a fact he mentions in this letter), as well as a short time in the Palestinian settlement Zikhron Ya’akov and in London (not mentioned), Freidus came to the United States in 1889. Upon his arrival, he immediately pursued an education, attending the East Side Evening High School as well as obtaining a license from the Board of Education to teach English to native German speakers. He also obtained a degree from the Pratt Institute Library School and worked as a cataloger of the Walter A. Copinger Collection of Latin Bibles at the General Theological Seminary—quite an impressive assignment for a young bibliographer. Freidus stressed his versatility in German, French, and Hebrew. These language skills and his love for meticulously finding obscure sources enabled him to compile a comprehensive bibliography of Jewish customs, which the Jewish Publication Society of America printed in 1896.
Despite his impressive portfolio, Freidus applied for a modest position of “assistant in the libraries.” He wrote to Billings, “I am anxious for the privilege of working in the institution you represent and under your guidance and direction.” In less than a year, in November 1897, Freidus’s talents paved the way for him to become the first chief librarian of the Jewish Division at The New York Public Library.
: Manuscripts and Archives Division
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