CONNECT WITH MSU
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
•Shabbat—Fridays, 6 p.m.
Celebrate Shabbat with MSU Hillel every Friday
evening with reform and conservative services
at 6 p.m., followed by a free home-cooked
dinner. RSVP to robyn@msuhillel.org .
•Free brunch October 23, noon 2 p.m.
Students can enjoy bagels, lox, kugel, and
more at MSU Hillel's free monthly brunch.
RSVP to robyn@msuhillel.org .
—
-
•MSU Homecoming 2011 October 17 22
Celebrating Homecoming with a week full of
events. For more information, visit
alumni.msu.edu/programs/homecoming.
—
-
•Tony Bennett October 28, 8 p.m.
See the legendary Tony Bennett at Wharton
Center. Visit whartoncenter.com for details.
—
•MSU Admissions
MSU offers high school students many
opportunities to learn about programs and
experience campus life. Learn more at
admissions.msu.edu/visitcampus.
VISIT US ONLINE
Catch up on the latest from MSU
msu.edu
View Spartan Sagas
spartansagas.msusedu
Watch MSUToday TV shows
msutoday.msu.edu
Explore giving opportunities
givingto.msu.edu
Learn more about alumni participation
alumni.msu.edu
Holtzman gift reflects passion for telling the story c
Israel through literature
Irwin T. (Toby) Holtzman knew the power of great
culture," she says,
literature to reveal culture. This simple truth led the
noting that her
prominent Detroit-area builder and business owner
husband was in awe
to become a lifelong book collector and literary
that a country as young
scholar, helping to document what he termed the
as Israel could produce
literature of his time and notably preserving the
authors of such
culture of the modern state of Israel through writers
in residence there.
brilliance, who were
After Holtzman's death in 2010, his widow, Shirley
Holtzman, was faced with the question of finding a
The collection includes
late husband's collection and continuing his legacy.
fiction, poetry, and
Toby Holtzman was known in Michigan as the second
generation to lead the real estate development firm
of Holtzman and Silverman, which was founded in
1919 by his father, Joseph. Today, the apartment
management company continues as Village Green
under the direction of his son Jonathan.
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.
augmented by a wealth
of primary resources, including Holtzman's personal
correspondence with important Israeli literary figures,
among them the novelists Amos Oz and A. B. Yehoshua.
Holtzman also collected the works of Yehuda Amichai,
as 350 authors, many of whom counted him as a
considered by many, including Holtzman's close friend
supporter and friend. He took a particular interest in
Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky, as Israel's greatest
Israeli writers, whom he viewed as essential to the
modern poet, Shirley Holtzman notes.
story of the revived Jewish national homeland.
Through a trusted friend, Shirley Holtzman learned
'The Holtzman collection will be a tremendous asset to
teaching and research at Michigan State," says Marc
about the work of MSU's Jewish Studies Program,
Bernstein, professor of Hebrew and faculty member in
which includes a focus on the study of Israeli literature,
MSU's Jewish Studies Program. "The collection includes
and also about the MSU Libraries' Special Collections.
the works of all major Israeli authors, including many
"The perfect marriage was formed," she says. "MSU
represents the finest of Michigan."
She hopes her gift to MSU to establish the Irwin T. and
Shirley Holtzman Collection of Israeli Literature will
aid MSU's unique efforts to advance the under-
standing of Israeli culture through the significant
contributions of its literature.
rare and valuable first editions, and places MSU on the
map of Israeli literature.
"These works offer a window onto the modern miracle
of the revival of the Hebrew language that began just
over a century ago and provide insights into an
extremely dynamic and creative culture and society,"
he says.
MSU Libraries faculty members plan to have the
collection catalogued and preserved in the near
future, opening the door for scholarly conferences on
Israeli literature that will highlight the texts.
Social media research targets college readiness
As universities open their doors to new students this
Through this $253,482 grant, Ellison and the
fall, a group of researchers at Michigan State
research team are gathering data from multiple
University is looking at social media to make sure
sources and will be producing a white paper to
even more teens have access to higher education in
the future.
With a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Your comments are welcome: write to Michigan State University,
302 Olds Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1047 or call (517) 355-7505.
many with author
inscriptions. It is
Irwin T. (Toby) Holtzman was
devoted to collecting the works of
significant authors who wrote while
residing in Israel and embodied
Israeli culture.
But Holtzman also was known throughout the world
Faulkner, represent our country, our history, and our
UNIVERSITY
drama from the earliest
days of Israeli statehood,
for his passion for books, actively collecting as many
in the same way that American authors, such as William
MICHIGAN STATE
colloquial Hebrew.
home for the thousands of books and artifacts in her
"Toby wanted Israeli authors to have a voice in the world
MSU IS ONE
OF THE NATION'S
50 "BEST VALUE"
PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES,
ACCORDING TO THE
PRINCETON
REVIEW.
also among the first in
their time to write in
Foundation, Nicole Ellison, associate professor of
share the ways in which social media might be used
to shape low-income teens' access to higher
education.
They also will be investigating how youth are using
telecommunication, information studies, and media,
new media and the implications for social capital—
and colleagues will be conducting research to find
the network of social connections existing between
out how low-income middle school and high school
people that encourages social cooperation—as well
students are using new media and how they might
as for social relationships, psychological well-being,
use social networks to get ready for college.
and college readiness. 6,