Chaim Potok's Legacy Lives On

Score one for Penn's Rare Book & Manuscript Library: the library recently acquired a large collection of the works, writings, and letters of Penn alumnus Chaim Potok, a noted Jewish-American novelist, rabbi, and professor who taught at Penn during the 80's.

While Potok died in 2002, the University just received the papers for students and researchers to study his works and life. Potok was most known for his novels that captured the struggle between religious and secular life, such as "The Chosen” and “My Name is Asher Lev."

Also included among the docs is a letter from Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who told Potok that he had read of all his works "with fervor and friendship."

Next month, on Feb. 17, the Rare Book and Manuscript Library will celebrate the papers and what would have been the author's 81st birthday.