Collections : [Florida Atlantic University Libraries]

The Frazer-O'Sullivan Collection contains the research for the co- authored book, We Have Just Begun to Not Fight: An Oral History of Conscientious Objectors in the Civilian Public Service During World War II, by Heather Frazer and John O'Sullivan. More than 40,000 American men refused to fight during World War II. Citing principled opposition, they declared themselves conscientious objectors. Rejecting combat duty, nearly 12,000 men entered Civilian Public Service (CPS) with the intent to perform "work of national importance" as an alternative to combat duty. The CPS program was set up by members of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Brethren, and Quakers) and participated in by pacifists from other churches, of no specific religious persuasion, and, in the case of a few, no persuasion except not to fight in that particular war. CPS men worked as aides in mental hospitals, volunteered as smoke jumpers in forest fires, and participated in grueling medical and scientific experiments. Frazer and O'Sullivan use the oral histories of 15 CPS men and two of their wives to illuminate their experience during World War II.

The Visual Representation of Women Collection is a postcard collection that focuses on representational images of women from around the globe. Covering the gamut of postcard types, images portray the many social constructions of womanhood and their attendant meanings. Containing a variety of mass produced postcards to unique artist renditions, the collection is an ongoing project of FAU University Libraries' Special Collections that will build over time.

The Arlyn Austin Katims Civil War Collection focuses upon the Civil War from the Union position. Within the collection are illustrations, currency, and a number of artifacts from the era. Items of special interest include an authentic mourning card from Abraham Lincoln's funeral and newspapers reporting Lincoln's death.

The collection consists of manuscript music, print music, personal songbooks, personal papers, programs, and pictures. Music books have been cataloged and relocated to Rare Books. Audio recordings have been relocated to Judaica Sound Archives.

The Florida Travel Collection consists of a variety of advertising literature used by governmental and private organizations to depict the region as an ideal vacation destination and permanent residence. The collection includes illustrated brochures, pamphlets, and flyers that provide information on tourism, horticulture, recreation, sports, as well as Florida's famous hotels and cities. This collection provides insight into the growth of Florida's east coast from the boom of the 1920s through post World War II.

Badia Family WWII Letters Collection contains over 500 letters and associated ephemera relating to correspondence between Danny Badia and Leona De Nardo between the years 1941 and 1947. Primarily relating to WWII, these letters offer a glimpse into civilian and military life in the United States during the war years. Danny Badia born Dante Alighieri Badia (1922-2006) to Angelo and Laurina Badia of Ohio. In 1917, Danny's parents immigrated from Italy to the US and started a family. The letters are primarily from Danny's family, future wife and sweetheart Leona De Nardo (née Buccilli). They were married in 1944 and were together for 62 years when Danny passed away in 2006.

The collection of Cantor Shabtai Ackerman consists of manuscript music, print music, personal songbooks, personal papers, programs, and pictures relating to his professional life as a cantor. Music books have been cataloged and relocated to Rare Books. Audio recordings have been relocated to Judaica Sound Archives. Cantor Ackerman was a world-renowned cantor with a powerful dramatic tenor voice. He was wounded by the Nazis in World War II and chanted services in the great Moscow Synagogue as a refugee in 1945. After the War, he was appointed permanent Cantor of the Baron De Rothschild and Ahavas Achim (Fraterna) Synagogue in Bucharest. He also served as Chief Cantor for the Great Synagogue of Tel-Aviv, Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel Moses in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He received an honorary doctoral degree in music from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where scholarships in his name have since been established. Cantor Ackerman received two Kavod awards from the Cantors Assembly of America. He passed away on July 27, 2007.

The collection of Cantor Irving Obstbaum consists of manuscript music, print music, personal songbooks, personal papers, programs, and pictures relating to his professional life as a cantor. Music books have been cataloged and relocated to Rare Books. Audio recordings have been relocated to Judaica Sound Archives.  Cantor Irving Obstbaum served the congregation of Temple Beth-El in New York for over 40 years.  Along with his responsibilities to his congregation, he served as Executive Director of the Jewish Ministers Cantors' Association that helped find and place other qualified cantors to other Temples. He was also well known for giving lectures and sermons on various Jewish and Hebrew musical topics throughout New York.

The collection of Cantor Morton Pliskin consists of manuscript music, print music, personal songbooks, personal papers, programs, and pictures relating to his professional life as a cantor. Music books have been cataloged and relocated to Rare Books. Audio recordings have been relocated to Judaica Sound Archives. Cantor Pliskin was known as a "wunderkind" cantor who started singing next to his father who was a cantor at the age of 13. After his family moved to Chicago he studied at the Hebrew Theological College of Jewish Studies in Chicago, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and the University of Northern Illinois (where he focused on cantorial history). After graduating and serving as a cantor in Minneapolis for a few years he returned to Chicago where he served at the congregations of Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation and A.G. Beth Israel. Cantor Pliskin also had well established relationships with Cantor Moses Silverman and Dr. Bauer. He passed away on January 9, 2008.

In 2012, Cantor Murray Yavneh donated his collection of nearly 200 pieces of print music, music manuscripts, song books, and periodicals to Florida Atlantic University. The collection dates from 1863 to 1976 and includes: cantorial music Hebrew and Yiddish songs, American popular standards, and instrumental works.