About the David and Sylvia Steiner Yizkor Book Collection

The David and Sylvia Steiner Yizkor Book Collection contains memorial books that document Jewish life before World War II, along with vivid firsthand accounts of the Holocaust and its aftermath. Written in Yiddish, Hebrew, or both, they are a crucial source for research in East European Jewish history, Holocaust studies, and Jewish genealogy; many include necrologies (lists of those who died), making them especially valuable for genealogical research. Visually, most of the books are extremely rich, featuring detailed maps, photographs, and illustrations. 

Most Yizkor books were printed by small associations and committees of survivors, primarily for their own use. As a result, print runs were small, and copies have been extremely hard to find. This reprint project marks the first time they are systematically available from a single source.

The volumes comes from the collections of the New York Public Library and the Yiddish Book Center.

Major funding for this project was provided by:

Harry and Lillian Freedman Fund
David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation
David and Barbara Margolis
The Nash Family Foundation
Harris Rosen
David and Sylvia Steiner
Ruth Taubman