Preface 1981

In 1977, the people of Canada became the beneficiaries of Mr. Jacob M. Lowy's scholarly devotion to the acquisition of Jewish antiquarian books when he donated to the Crown more than 2000 volumes of rare Hebraica and Judaica. It is a distinct pleasure for the National Library of Canada to present Incunabula, Hebraica & Judaica, an exhibition highlighting many treasures which are representative of the incomparable resource available for advanced research in the Library's Lowy Room. It is hoped that the rare Hebraic texts will inspire further study into a cultural tradition which spans more than thirty-five centuries.

Material for this exhibition was ably researched and assembled by the curator of the Jacob M. Lowy Collection, Mr. Brad Sabin Hill. His attention to the many thematic, textual and bibliographical matters necessitated by an undertaking of this magnitude will be appreciated by all who consult the catalogue during and after the life of the exhibition.

Back