In a folksy voice, this biography tells the story of yiddish book center founder aaron lanskys commitment to rescuing yiddish language books and ensuring that despite all odds, yiddish language and culture will stay alive for future generations. The yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, then a twentyfouryearold graduate student of yiddish literature and now the centers president. Tent creates athome birthright for jewish culture the. The yiddish book center launched its translation initiative in 2012 with the goal of training and mentoring a new generation of literary translators and bringing newly translated works to publication through the centers white goat press imprint, a grant program for academic presses, and partnering with publishers. Jack wolofsky, co founder of klezkanada, was interviewed by christa whitney on august 22, 20 at klezkanada. Founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, the center was one of the first organizations in america dedicated to the preservation of yiddish literature and culture. Since 2010, the yiddish book center s wexler oral history project has recorded more than 500 indepth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of yiddish language and culture.
Additional funding for this site has been provided by the applebaum. View zachary gozalis professional profile on relationship science, the database of decision makers. Conducting a tour of the national yiddish book center, aaron lanksy, the centers founder and president, had much to show off. Jack wolofsky, cofounder of klezkanada, was interviewed by christa whitney on august 22, 20 at klezkanada. Aaron lansky, founder and president picture of yiddish book center, amherst. Yiddish book center amherst 2020 all you need to know. Charity navigator rating for national yiddish book center. It is a light and airy structure that recalls a wooden synagogue in one of eastern europes. Contributors the yiddish book centers great jewish books. Yiddish book center founder and president aaron lansky and executive director susan bronson reflect on the centers storied history and look to the future. How a mensch from massachusetts saved yiddish literature for generations to come by sue macy. It was founded in 1980 by its current president, aaron lansky, then a 24yearold graduate student of yiddish literature. He was the director of institutional advancement at the harvard museum of natural history and also served in directorlevel positions at cohen hillel academy, american friends of israel national museum of science, and.
Before joining the staff of the yiddish book center, zvi headed his own fundraising consulting practice, the jankelowitz group. Aaron lansky is the founder of the yiddish book center, an organization he created to help salvage yiddish language publications. Beginning with the center s 40th anniversary in 2020, and continuing for each of the next ten years, the center will select an annual theme. The steven spielberg digital yiddish library includes more than 11,000 yiddish titles available to read online or download free of charge. Oct 05, 2004 in his first book, lansky charmingly describes his adventures as president and founder of the national yiddish book center, which now has new headquarters at hampshire college in amherst, mass. Yiddish book center president and founder aaron lansky noted, the grant from the jim joseph foundation will allow us to bring indepth knowledge of modern jewish literature and culture to. National yiddish book center, a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to stop yiddish books from being discarded or destroyed. Why yiddish alone is not enough for sorerukhl schaechter.
Victor gilinsky, son of medem sanitorium cofounder shloyme gilinski, was interviewed by christa whitney on october 14, 20 in santa monica, california. Lambert is the academic director of the yiddish book center and teaches american literature at the university of massachusetts, and ilan stavans is the lewissebring professor of humanities, latin. Yiddish literature has been savedthese books were literally in dumpsters and rotting ion basements. Victor gilinsky, son of medem sanitorium co founder shloyme gilinski, was interviewed by christa whitney on october 14, 20 in santa monica, california. The million books recovered by the yiddish book center represent jews first sustained literary and cultural encounter with the modern world. The judaic studies program in syracuse universitys college of arts and sciences will host aaron lansky, founder and president of the yiddish book center in amherst, mass. The yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, then a twenty fouryearold graduate student of yiddish literature and, as of 2016, the centers. Yiddish book center shortlisted for the london book fair. Yiddish book center award from london book fair jewish ledger. Lansky, founder and president of the national yiddish book center in amherst, and mary pat mcmahon of. Since 2010, the yiddish book center s wexler oral history project has recorded more than indepth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of yiddish language and culture. The yiddish book center launched its translation initiative in 2012 with the goal of training and mentoring a new generation of literary translators and bringing newly translated works to publication through the centers white goat press imprint, a grant program for.
Yiddish book centers shift makes many uneasy the boston. Yiddishbookcenter yiddish book center free listening on. This site is made possible with support from the jim joseph foundation, which is devoted to fostering compelling, effective jewish learning experiences for youth and young adults in the u. Additional funding for this site has been provided by the applebaum foundation and by yiddish book center members. National yiddish book center jewish virtual library. Lansky set out to rescue unwanted and abandoned yiddish books. Home the yiddish book centers great jewish books teacher. To learn more about the yiddish book centers wexler oral history project, visit. The yiddish book center has received the 2020 london book fairs international excellence award for literary translation initiative.
It is the amazing tale of a young man who rescued over a million yiddish books and founded the national yiddish book centre in amherst, ma now a thriving multimedia hub of activity, where college students flock to learn yiddish language and culture. Oct 23, 2016 the yiddish book centers founder and president offers an update on the latest at the center. National yiddish book center inc guidestar profile. The yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, then a twenty fouryearold graduate student of yiddish literature and now the centers. The yiddish book center is a nonprofit organization working to recover, celebrate, and regenerate yiddish. In 2014, the yiddish book center will launch 10 tent programs around the country to educate individuals in their 20s about jewish culture. Aaron lansky, founder and president picture of yiddish book. Aug 09, 2014 the national yiddish book center s headquarters is on the campus of hampshire college in amherst, mass. Talk marking the fortieth anniversary and mapping the. Mix play all mix yiddish book center youtube i have to tell you, your yiddish is very strange. The achievements of the yiddish book center have been recognized both with a macarthur genius grant for our president and founder, aaron lansky, and by the receipt of the national medal for museum and library service in 2014. To learn more about the yiddish book center s wexler oral history project, visit. Oct 22, 2017 the yiddish book centers founder and president offers an update on the latest at the center.
Podcast the yiddish book centers podcast, hosted by the centers founder and president aaron lansky, is a mix of interviews and conversations with jewish culture makers, plus news and. Zachary albert teaches world war ii and holocaust history at the rashi school in dedham, ma, and is a holocaust testimony indexer for the university of southern california shoah foundation. Judaic studies program to host founder of yiddish book. In addition, as a student of yiddish who, 15 years ago, read yiddish book center founder aaron lanskys memoir outwitting history. Yiddish book center award from london book fair jewish. The yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, then a twentyfouryearold graduate student of yiddish literature and, as of 2016, the centers president. Aaron lansky guest speaker great books summer program. It is one of many, shown on shelves, awaiting its turn to be digitized. In the course of his studies, lansky realized that untold numbers of irreplaceable yiddish books were being discarded by americanborn jews unable to read the language of their yiddishspeaking parents and grandparents. Aaron lansky, founder of the yiddish book center in amherst, mass. Grades 24a tribute to yiddish books and to aaron lansky, founder of the national yiddish book center in amherst, ma, this is an ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful picture book.
Aaron lansky, founder and president of the yiddish book center, and peter manseau, whose national jewish book awardwinning novel songs for the butchers daughter was inspired by. Yiddishbookcenter yiddish book center free listening. A picture book about the founder of the national yiddish book center and a debut graphic novel of a gripping holocaust story are among the gold medal winners of this years sydney taylor book. Zachary gozali, member, board of directors at national.
Macarthur award winner and yiddish book center founder aaron. Jack wolofsky 22aug20 yiddish book center internet archive. Aaron lansky, founder and president of the yiddish book center, introduces the new permanent exhibit unquiet pages. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million. Yiddish book centers shift makes many uneasy the boston globe. Offering 12,000 of the 18,00020,000 titles that compose modern yiddish literature, the digital library has turned yiddish into the most inprint literature available, said aaron lansky, founder. The yiddish book centers podcast includes conversations with jewish culture makers, plus news and stories related to yiddish literature, language, and culture amherst, ma. His story is vividly captured in the book outwitting history. Aaron lansky works to revitalize yiddish culture and make it more accessible and understandable to the postholocaust world. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued one million books. Aaron lansky was a graduate student in montreal in the late 1970s when he discovered that large numbers of yiddish books were being discarded by younger jews who could not read the language of their parents and grandparents.
The yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, then a twentyfouryearold graduate student of yiddish literature and, as of 2016, the center s president. The event, free and open to the public, will begin at 5. Contributors the yiddish book centers great jewish. The yiddish book center is a nonprofit organization working to recover, celebrate, and regenerate yiddish and modern jewish literature and culture. It originated during the 9th century in central europe, providing the nascent ashkenazi community with a high germanbased. She is also a twotime alumna of the yiddish book centers steiner summer yiddish program, and a. Zachary gozali is member, board of directors at national yiddish book center inc.
Top childrens books feature yiddish culture, holocaust. Aaron lansky is founder and president of the national yiddish book center, one of the worlds largest and most vibrant jewish cultural organizations. To lansky, yiddish literature represented an important piece of jewish cultural history, a link to the past and a memory of a generation lost to the. She is also a twotime alumna of the yiddish book centers steiner summer yiddish program, and a former yiddish book center fellow.
Aaron lansky was a graduate student in montreal in the late 1970s when he discovered that large numbers of yiddish. The advertising club of western massachusetts awarded the order of william pynchon to aaron j. A history from colonial times to today by pamela s. Apr 03, 2019 mix play all mix yiddish book center youtube i have to tell you, your yiddish is very strange.
The decade of discovery is a new initiative of the yiddish book center designed to foster a deeper understanding of yiddish and modern jewish culture. Yiddish is a language that wont be silenced sfgate. Lansky, founder and president of the national yiddish book center in. On november 11, aaron lansky, founder and current president of the national yiddish book center, will discuss an evolving vision of jewish cultural education and how he helped save yiddish books the topic of his book, outwitting history. Yiddishkeit klezmer ensemble the yiddishkeit klezmer ensemble, based in the pioneer valley and led by multiinstrumentalist brian bender, performs traditional and original freylekhs, bulgars, horas. Zayde grandfather comes to live with the fictional aarons family, bringing along his beloved books.
Archive from monday, november 2, 2009 lecture by aaron. They are a window on the past thousand years of jewish history, a precursor of modern jewish writing in english, hebrew and other languages, and a springboard for new creativity. Yiddish book center founder and president aaron lansky and executive director susan bronson reflect on the center s storied history and look to the future. Alexis aaeng is a graduate of the university of colorado boulder, where she received a dual degree in history and jewish studies and wrote her undergraduate thesis about yiddish radio. Lansky is founder and president of the national yiddish book center, an organization that has rescued and restored to active use more than 1.
National yiddish book centers aaron lansky, american. The monumentnational was the center of yiddish theater from 1896 until the construction of the saidye bronfman centre for the arts now the segal centre for performing arts, inaugurated on september 24, 1967, where the established resident theater, the dora wasserman yiddish theatre, remains the only permanent yiddish theatre in north america. In his first book, lansky charmingly describes his adventures as president and founder of the national yiddish book center, which now has new headquarters at hampshire college in amherst, mass. Its books, its library, its programs invite you to experience a world that has almost disappeared,the world of yiddish culture. May 09, 2002 offering 12,000 of the 18,00020,000 titles that compose modern yiddish literature, the digital library has turned yiddish into the most inprint literature available, said aaron lansky, founder. The yiddish book center is a nonprofit organization that works to tell the whole jewish story by rescuing, translating, and disseminating yiddish books and p. The national yiddish book centers headquarters is on the campus of hampshire college in amherst, mass. In the course of his studies, lansky realized that untold numbers of irreplaceable yiddish booksthe primary, tangible legacy of a thousand years of jewish life in eastern. Jan 28, 2020 a picture book about the founder of the national yiddish book center and a debut graphic novel of a gripping holocaust story are among the gold medal winners of this years sydney taylor book. Dec 26, 2004 aaron lansky, founder of the yiddish book center in amherst, mass. Stream tracks and playlists from yiddishbookcenter on your desktop or mobile device.
Explore our digital yiddish library of more than 11,000 titles, and our diverse collections, including contemporary oral histories, lectures, yiddish audiobooks, and more. The yiddish book centers founder and president offers an update on the latest at the center. Macarthur award winner and yiddish book center founder. Judaeogerman is a high germanderived language historically spoken by the ashkenazi jews. The yiddish book center s podcast includes conversations with jewish culture makers, plus news and stories related to yiddish literature, language, and culture amherst, ma. In the course of his studies, lansky realized that untold numbers of irreplaceable yiddish books were being discarded by americanborn jews unable to read the language of their.
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