Yiddish Book Center Timeline: A Storied History

Milestones in Yiddish Book Center History

1980
-Yiddish Book Center Founded
-First collection trip

1981
-Dumpster Rescue in New York City
-Inaugural issue of Pakn Treger published

1984
-Summer Program in Yiddish Culture established

1986
-Internship Program (later, Steiner Summer Yiddish Program) created

1989
-Awarded MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant”
-Expedition to USSR

Yiddish Book Center founded (March 1980)

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First collection trip (July 1980)

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Dumpster rescue in New York City (March 1981)

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Inaugural issue of Pakn Treger published (October 1981)

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Internship Program (later Steiner Summer Yiddish Program) created (June 1986)

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Expedition to USSR (December 1989)

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1991
-Last Yiddish linotype installed at Center

1996
-“Jewish Short Stories” airs on NPR

1997
-Weinberg Building completed

1998
-Steven Spielberg Digital Yiddish Library created

Last Yiddish Linotype installed at Center (February 1991)

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Jewish Short Stories airs on NPR (1996)

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Weinberg Building completed (June 1997)

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Steven Spielberg Digital Yiddish Library created (1998)

4 of 4

2000
-Recovery of Yiddish books from Cuba
-Recovery of Yiddish books from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

2002
-New Yiddish Library, a translation series at Yale University Press, established

2004
-Publication of Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books

2009
-Yiddish titles posted online
-Opening of the Kaplen Family Building

Recovery of Yiddish books from Cuba (June 2000)

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Recovery of Yiddish books from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (September 2000)

2 of 4

Publication of Outwitting History: The Amazing Adventures of a Man Who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books (October 2004)

3 of 4

Opening of the Kaplen Family Building (May 2009)

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2010
-Fellowship Program begins
-Wexler Oral History Project founded

2011
-Translation Initiative launched

2012
-Inaugural Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music
-First Great Jewish Books Summer Program
-Yiddish Language Institute established

2013
-Partnership with National Library of Israel formed
-Tent: Encounters with Jewish Culture founded
-First annual Pakn Treger Digital Translation Issue published

2014
-National Medal for Museum and Library Service awarded at White House
-Recovery of Yiddish books from Venezuela

2015
-Number of downloaded Yiddish books tops 1.5 million
-Kickoff of Yerushe: The Yiddish Book Center’s 40th Anniversary Campaign

2016
-Redesigned website goes live

2017
-Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project received NEH grant
-Launch of Great Jewish Books Teacher Summer Seminar
-Center receives a $1.1 million Jim Joseph Foundation grant for Jewish educator professional development

2018
-Singer Estate and Yiddish Book Center bring Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Yiddish works online
-Yiddish book rescue work continues—16,000 books received

2019
-60 plus Translation Fellows trained to date
-Great Jewish Books Book Club in its third year
-1000th Wexler Oral History Project interview recorded

2020
-Decade of Discovery program launched for the Center’s 40th Anniversary