Foundation Gift Bolsters UB Role As Judaica Resource

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Lucius N. Littauer Foundation of New York City has given a $20,000 gift to the University at Buffalo to endow the Lucius N. Littauer Judaica Book Fund.

This is the first named fund for UB's Judaic Studies program. Proceeds from the endowment will be used to purchase books, periodicals, CD-ROMs and other library materials for faculty, student and public use in the university's libraries.

According to Samuel Paley, director of the UB Judaic Studies program, the libraries' current Judaica holdings exceed 8,000 volumes. This makes UB's libraries among the largest resources of Judaica in Western New York.

Paley said he hopes that the Littauer gift will inspire other foundations, individuals and businesses to make additional gifts to the fund.

UB began teaching Judaic Studies informally in the late 1930s, and in the 1970s an interdisciplinary Judaic Studies program was established within the Department of Classics. Now, approximately 250 students enroll in Judaic Studies courses each semester. They include undergraduate and graduate students, native Israelis, adults from the community and -- more recently -- a number of Arab students. The Littauer gift, by providing necessary library materials, will allow more courses to be developed and offered.

UB's libraries are the largest in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, with combined holdings of more than 3 million volumes, as well as journals, government documents, microforms and electronic resources.