Staff

Aaron Lansky, Founder and President

Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1955, Aaron Lansky grew up in a Jewish home where books were valued, and where Yiddish was mostly a "secret language" spoken by his mother and grandmother when they wanted to keep something hidden from him and his two brothers.

It wasn’t until 1973, when as a student at Hampshire College he took one of the first courses ever offered on the Holocaust, that Lansky developed a passionate interest in the culture the Nazis had sought to destroy. "I was 19 when I began studying Yiddish," Lansky recalls. "Suddenly an entire universe opened up to me. It was like discovering Atlantis, a lost continent, a treasure-trove of Jewish tradition and culture, sensibility, wisdom and passion, all locked up in this amazing modern literature."

After graduating from Hampshire College in 1977 with a B.A. in modern Jewish history, Lansky enrolled in a graduate program in East European Jewish studies at McGill University in Montreal. There he discovered that large numbers of Yiddish books were being destroyed – not by anti-Semites, but by Jews who could not read the language of their own parents and grandparents. Convinced that someone had to save those books, Lansky, ignoring the cautions of experts who considered the task impossible, left McGill and started what he then called the National Yiddish Book Exchange. He set up shop in an old factory in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he shared space with "a weaver, a potter, and a woman who sold goat’s milk."

In 1980, when Aaron Lansky issued his first public appeal for old Yiddish books, it was estimated that only 70,000 Yiddish volumes were extant and recoverable. He rescued that many within six months. Today the National Yiddish Book Center’s collection totals over 1.5 million volumes. Esquire Magazine, in 1984, included Lansky in its list of "The Best of the New Generation: Men and Women Under 40 Who Are Changing America." He has since received numerous awards and recognitions, including a National Jewish Book Award, honorary doctorates from Amherst College and the State University of New York, and a 1989 "Genius Grant" from the MacArthur Foundation. He lives with his wife Gail, their two daughters, Sasha and Chava, and a dog named Lily.

Our Staff

Anne Atherley graduated magna cum laude from the University of Lowell with a BA in English Literature, and has been involved in the book world for 20 years -- both as a store manager and publisher’s representative. As Assistant to the Vice President at the Yiddish Book Center, she works with Nancy Sherman on Pakn Treger, as well as a variety of special projects. Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, she now has 4 grown daughters and lives in a log cabin in the woods of Western Massachusetts.

Our Bookstore Manager, Mark Brumberg, is responsible for the rich selection of books, gifts, cassettes and CD’s in our English language bookstore. A familiar face to area booklovers, Mark worked for 15 years as owner and manager of Northampton’s Globe Bookshop.

The beautiful Building and Grounds of the Center are maintained by Hector Crespo. Hector’s background includes work as an airport security officer, a hospital mechanic, and a residential maintenance supervisor. At the Book Center he handles everything from carpentry to mechanical systems to book collection trips.

As Membership Assistant, Adrienne Figus answers phone, mail and email inquiries from members. She also assists with recordkeeping in the online and offline databases, and with upkeep of the web site. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she studied Printmaking and Art History. She was attracted to the Book Center through her interest in book arts and the history of publishing.

Prior to joining the Book Center as Program Director in September 2002, Nora Gerard was a director for CBS News in New York, the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Springfield JCC and for the Community Music School of Springfield. She was also involved in the initial development of the Hatikvah Holocaust Center in Springfield. Now, Nora puts her creative and organizational talents to work designing the Book Center’s public programs, conferences and satellite cultural events in other cities. Nora holds a B.A. in Communications and Theatre from Temple University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

Program Coordinator, Arielle Jackson implements and publicizes Book Center events, coordinates the Visitors Center, and lends a hand in the Bookstore. She received a BBA from the University of Massachusetts where she studied Business and International Relations. Her passion for learning about cultures has lead her to investigate her family's experience as Yiddish speakers.

Jane Kelley ("Kelley") came to the Yiddish Book Center from Hampshire College, where she worked for 13 years. As assistant to Center board member Penina Glazer, then Dean of Faculty at Hampshire, Kelley followed the development of the Center from its inception. In 1997, she "graduated" from Hampshire to become Assistant to the President at the Center, where she is involved with just about every facet of our work, helping to keep us all organized and productive.

Internship Program Coordinator, Amy Leos-Urbel has worked in both rural and inner-city youth programs, taught English to immigrants and international students, and led workshops on promoting self-esteem among Jewish youth, talking with children about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, and other topics. In addition, Amy brings a long-standing interest in language and culture and a deep commitment to Jewish life and interfaith dialogue. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature, M.Ed. in Elementary Education, Certificate of Advanced Studies in School, Consulting, and Counseling Psychology, and a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Catherine Madsen wears several hats: she is the Book Center's Bibliographer, a contributing editor to Pakn Treger, and project coordinator for our new English publishing ventures. She has an MFA in Writing and Literature from Goddard College and many years of experience in writing, publishing and library work. She is the author of three books and many articles.

Hankus Netsky, our Director of the Discovery Project, is founder of the internationally renowned Yiddish music ensemble Klezmer Conservatory Band and serves as research director of the Klezmer Conservatory Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to research in and perpetuation of Yiddish music. Mr. Netsky has taught Yiddish Music at New England Conservatory, Hebrew College, and Wesleyan University and holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University and Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in composition from New England Conservatory.

As the Center’s Executive Vice President, Nancy Sherman is integral to the overall direction and operation of the organization, with a special focus on strategic planning, writing and publications. She is also Editor of Pakn Treger, our award-winning magazine. Nancy worked in the field of communications and development for nearly 20 years prior to joining the Center’s staff. A teacher and writer, her poetry, essays, and reviews have appeared in numerous journals and periodicals. She served on the Book Center’s Board of Directors from 1993 to 1996.

Randi Silnutzer had a background in folklore and arts administration, and a Masters in Education when she went to work for a local alternative energy company in 1991. After nine years in the engineering world, Randi welcomed the opportunity to return to a cultural organization – and to the campus of Hampshire College, where she had received her undergraduate degree. Her role as Director of Operations involves overseeing membership and online communications systems, as well as the overall operation of facilities.

Margie Stark has been with the Center since 1994 as a Membership Assistant. She comes in on a part-time basis, and helps with the many details involved in sending our members their receipts, letters, premiums, etc. Margie has three grown sons, and has been an active member of her local temple, having held every position except Treasurer.

As Director of Development, Maxine J. Stein oversees all aspects of fundraising and donor relations. Throughout her career, she has focused on non-profit administration, management and fund development, including such positions as: Executive Director for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition; Director of a hospice program (where she developed curriculum focused on the Jewish perspective in death and dying); and most recently as Chief Executive Officer of Stop It Now!, a national organization for child sexual abuse prevention. Maxine was raised in a home where Yiddish was spoken as a second language, and has a deep commitment to Yiddishkeit and living Jewish culture. She holds a B.A. from Bennington College and an MSW from Washington University.

Development Associate, Susan Sussman joined the Center after 5½ years at the University of Massachusetts Advancement office, where she had extensive experience with fundraising, communications, events planning, and community and alumni relations. Prior to the University, she was Associate Director of the Florida Israel Institute, an organization that promotes educational, cultural and economic ties between Florida and Israel. Her role here combines her organizational and Development background with her interest in Jewish culture and community.

Yuri Vedenyapin, our Director of Yiddish Education has worked with the Book Center's Internship program for the past several years, and also teaches our Online Yiddish course. Yuri holds a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.A. from Columbia University. He has taught Yiddish at Harvard and Columbia, as well as at Moscow State University and the Yiddish Summer Program in Warsaw, Poland. Besides his academic pursuits, he also performs songs in Yiddish, Russian, and Polish.