Jack V. Lunzer
Encyclopedia
Jack V. Lunzer is a retired industrial diamond merchant and the creator and custodian of the Valmadonna Trust Library
.
. He is descended from scholar Liepman Philip Prins (1835-1915), and his grandfather, Julius, was the founding president of the Adath Yisroel Synagogue in London. He moved to London as a child, where he was educated, and worked during World War II
in a Spitfire engine factory making diamond tools. He began to work under his father but disliked working for De Beers, so he opened his own firm, Industrial Diamond Company, exploiting the niche market for industrial diamonds, took over his father's dealer business in 1949 and later expanded into mining. By the 1980s, his company had annual sales of $100 million. In 1948, Lunzer married Ruth Zippel, the Italian-born daughter of a Polish merchant. Her father had a collection of Hebrew
books that she and Lunzer took to London. Lunzer has five adult daughters: Alison, Caroline, Margaret, Myra and Fiona Vivienne. Ruth Lunzer died in 1978. The daughters are the beneficiaries of the Valmadonna Trust.
Lunzer began investing in racehorses, but by the 1950s, he had turned to collecting rare Hebrew books. Over the next six decades, he created the collection of 13,000 books and manuscripts held by the Valmadonna Trust Library
. It is named after Valmadonna, a small town near Alessandria
in north-west Italy where Lunzer's friend lived and his wife’s family had ties. By purchasing the deed to the town, Lunzer became the Count of Valmadonna. The collection encompasses works from throughout the world, particularly Italy, where Hebrew printing began, and covers over a millennium. Many items in the collection are rare or unique, and many date back to the earliest Hebrew printings. The collection was exhibited in February 2009 by Sotheby's
, which continues to seek a buyer. After visiting the exhibition of the collection at Sotheby's, a scholar from the Drisha Institute
wrote of Lunzer's achievement:
Lunzer lives in Golders Green
, London, where he had held the collection in his home. Since 1982, the sole librarian for the collection has been Mrs Pauline Malkiel.
Valmadonna Trust Library
The Valmadonna Trust Library is a collection of 13,000 books and manuscripts printed and handwritten in Hebrew or in Hebrew script, primarily collected by Jack V. Lunzer, a British industrial diamond merchant, born in Antwerp in 1924. It is named after Valmadonna, a small town near Alessandria in...
.
Biography
Jack Victor Lunzer was born in Antwerp in 1924, where his British father was working as a diamond dealer for De BeersDe Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
. He is descended from scholar Liepman Philip Prins (1835-1915), and his grandfather, Julius, was the founding president of the Adath Yisroel Synagogue in London. He moved to London as a child, where he was educated, and worked during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in a Spitfire engine factory making diamond tools. He began to work under his father but disliked working for De Beers, so he opened his own firm, Industrial Diamond Company, exploiting the niche market for industrial diamonds, took over his father's dealer business in 1949 and later expanded into mining. By the 1980s, his company had annual sales of $100 million. In 1948, Lunzer married Ruth Zippel, the Italian-born daughter of a Polish merchant. Her father had a collection of Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
books that she and Lunzer took to London. Lunzer has five adult daughters: Alison, Caroline, Margaret, Myra and Fiona Vivienne. Ruth Lunzer died in 1978. The daughters are the beneficiaries of the Valmadonna Trust.
Lunzer began investing in racehorses, but by the 1950s, he had turned to collecting rare Hebrew books. Over the next six decades, he created the collection of 13,000 books and manuscripts held by the Valmadonna Trust Library
Valmadonna Trust Library
The Valmadonna Trust Library is a collection of 13,000 books and manuscripts printed and handwritten in Hebrew or in Hebrew script, primarily collected by Jack V. Lunzer, a British industrial diamond merchant, born in Antwerp in 1924. It is named after Valmadonna, a small town near Alessandria in...
. It is named after Valmadonna, a small town near Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
in north-west Italy where Lunzer's friend lived and his wife’s family had ties. By purchasing the deed to the town, Lunzer became the Count of Valmadonna. The collection encompasses works from throughout the world, particularly Italy, where Hebrew printing began, and covers over a millennium. Many items in the collection are rare or unique, and many date back to the earliest Hebrew printings. The collection was exhibited in February 2009 by Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
, which continues to seek a buyer. After visiting the exhibition of the collection at Sotheby's, a scholar from the Drisha Institute
Drisha Institute
The Drisha Institute for Jewish Education is a center for advanced Jewish studies which caters specifically to women. The institute is located on the Upper West Side of New York City....
wrote of Lunzer's achievement:
The morning of our visit, I studied the commentary of Rabbi David KimhiDavid KimhiDavid Kimhi , also known by the Hebrew acronym as the RaDaK , was a medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian. Born in Narbonne, Provence, he was the son of Rabbi Joseph Kimhi and the brother of Rabbi Moses Kimhi, both biblical commentators and grammarians...
, who is known as the Radak, on Joseph's conflict with his brothers. Honestly, it felt like just another of the many rabbinic commentaries.... Then I went to the Valmadonna. Peering closely at one of the oldest manuscripts, I saw that it was a volume of Psalms with the Radak's commentary. In that instant, time and space collapsed as I found myself bound to every other Jew who has studied Kimhi's work since it was penned in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. That moment made clear to me that I am not simply a modern Jew studying in a contemporary yeshiva near Lincoln Center. I am tied to every other Jew through 800 years of history. I envision Kimhi hunched over his work, and wonder if his soul knows that even still we are learning from him, that his elucidation remains as relevant to the study of biblical text as it was to his contemporaries. The books of the Valmadonna – the books of our people – bring history alive [and] keep our history alive even when the communities that produce them are long dead.
Lunzer lives in Golders Green
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
, London, where he had held the collection in his home. Since 1982, the sole librarian for the collection has been Mrs Pauline Malkiel.