When Posting Meant Printing: The Story of the Firschein Press

In the early 20th century, decades before the digital era transformed communications, burgeoning Jewish immigrant communities in America depended on local print shops to promote their events, High Holy Days, festivals, and religious schools. By creating unique posters that could be displayed on shop windows, entryways, bulletin boards and lampposts, Jewish printers were essential to synagogues, schools and all groups central to Jewish community life.  The intriguing historic posters they produced tell a multi-dimensional Jewish story — from early printing technology to graphic design, Hebrew and Yiddish typography, famous cantors, evolving religious and cultural activities, and historic world events.  In this session, we will explore how one family-run print shop in Brooklyn did all this and more. And we will see how the Firschein Press traveled from Brooklyn, NY to Menlo Park, CA, where it remained for over a half a century, until beginning its 21st century journey back across the country during Passover this year.

The Philosophy Minyan is a monthly lunchtime series on Zoom. All are welcome to join in an interactive and thought-provoking exploration of topics at the intersection of philosophy, Jewish thought and contemporary issues. No advance reading is required and participants will receive online access to all the class materials following each session.

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