This summer, the Price Library of Judaica welcomed five undergraduate students –AnaSofia Girardot, Cristina Barrios, Layla Hubler, Levin Sconyers, and Rose Scott – for an Alexander Grass Scholars Program Summer A research project. Led by Rebecca Jefferson, curator of the Price Library of Judaica, and assisted by graduate mentor Agnieszka Ilwicka-Karuna, the project introduced the students to key aspects of archival research, historical interpretation, and exhibition curation using materials from the library’s distinctive Latin American and Caribbean Judaica collection.
Working closely with these archival documents, each student conducted original research and selected one or two items to contribute to a collaborative exhibition. Together, the students developed the exhibition’s central theme, exploring the experiences of Jewish migration to and from the Americas during the twentieth century. They chose the title Leaving Home to Find It, reflecting the complex journeys of individuals and families who rebuilt their lives while preserving their cultural identities.
The completed exhibition was installed in the display cases outside the Judaica Suite in the Smathers Library Grand Reading Room. The project culminated in a public presentation attended by more than 25 libraries faculty and staff. Each student discussed the research behind their selections and reflected on the curatorial process, which unexpectedly expanded to include oral history interviews with members of a family connected to one of the exhibition items. Audience members praised both the quality of the exhibit and the students’ impressive presentation skills.
Leaving Home to Find It will remain on display throughout the 2026–2027 academic year.
