A letter by Schechter on the Cairo Geniza

GENIZA FRAGMENT OF THE MONTH (OCTOBER 2014): Add.6463(e)3416: Breathing the 'dust of centuries' (Melonie Schmierer-Lee).

This letter was written three weeks after Solomon Schechter arrived in Egypt. He writes to Francis Jenkinson, the University Librarian, describing his work in the Genizah chamber and his dealings with the local men who were assisting him. His main purpose, however, is to notify Jenkinson that he plans to send the first batch of manuscripts on ahead, and, as he intends to offer the manuscripts to the Library, would the Library look after them until Schechter’s return. The letter was preserved among Jenkinson’s papers, and eventually deposited in the University Library itself.