Aaron Lansky, founder and president of the Yiddish Book Center, and Susan Bronson, its executive director.
A legacy of preservation, a future of expansion
By Sharon Wisch-Ray
When Aaron Lansky set out to rescue discarded Yiddish books in the late 1970s, few believed the language and its literature had a future. More than four decades later, the Yiddish Book Center stands as a testament to the endurance of a culture once thought to be fading. Now, as Lansky steps down from his leadership role as president, Executive Director Susan Bronson looks ahead to building on his legacy and expanding the center’s reach.
Lansky, who founded the center in 1980, was a graduate student in Eastern European Jewish studies at McGill University in Montreal. He began by collecting books that were in the homes of elderly Jews who loved them dearly. At the time, Jews were eager to assimilate, and the importance of the center was a tough sell. “People used to ask me, ‘Even if you save these books, who’s going to read them?’” Lansky said. “Now, we see a new generation eager to engage with this culture.” The organization has grown to 60,000 members.
Fifteen years ago, the center took a pivotal step by hiring Bronson as its first executive director. With a doctorate in Russian and Jewish history and experience in nonprofit international education and arts management, she saw the role as a natural fit. “It was a marriage of my academic background, my personal Jewish-European roots and my experience in arts management and fundraising,” Bronson said.
Under her leadership, the Yiddish Book Center has expanded beyond preservation. Programs now include Yiddish language courses, cultural events such as Yidstock, a translation initiative, an extensive digital archive and an oral history project, making Yiddish and its literature accessible worldwide. “We don’t just collect books; we revive stories and history,” Bronson said.
One of the center’s most ambitious efforts is its translation program, which aims to make Yiddish literature accessible to a broader audience. “Only about 2% of Yiddish literature has been translated into English,” Lansky noted. “There’s still a vast, untapped cultural wealth waiting to be discovered.” The center trains about 10-12 translators each year who come from a broad range of backgrounds. In its 12th year, there are 36 applicants for the year-long program. “It’s really astonishing. It really reveals what happens. You can spark something,” Bronson said.
The symbol of the Yiddish Book Center is this carefully designed goat.
The center has also fostered a resurgence of interest in Yiddish culture among younger generations. Many participants in its programs come from diverse backgrounds, eager to reconnect with their heritage. “There’s a new energy around Yiddish,” Bronson said. “Young people are learning the language, engaging with literature and finding ways to incorporate it into their own identities.”
As Lansky transitions out of his role, the center is focusing on broadening its impact. It has launched an endowment campaign to grow its funding from $70 million to $100 million by 2030, ensuring its sustainability for future generations. Additionally, it is expanding partnerships with Jewish day schools, museums and digital platforms to integrate Yiddish culture into Jewish education.
“Our challenge is making sure this history remains relevant and accessible,” Bronson said. “Yiddish was never just a language — it was a way of life, a culture and a connection between generations.”
The center is also working to bring Yiddish literature into Holocaust education, ensuring that primary source material from Yiddish-speaking survivors is included in curricula. “The story of what the Holocaust destroyed is just as important as the story of the destruction itself,” Bronson said. “We need to teach about the vibrant world that existed before.”
Lansky added, “The goal is to have a full understanding of Jewish identity, which is a broad cultural tapestry with all sorts of expressions. But books are a really good place to start for very bookish people. So that’s why it’s worked so well.”
With Lansky’s departure, Bronson and the Yiddish Book Center team are poised to lead the center into its next chapter. “This is not just about the past; it’s about the future of Jewish identity,” Bronson said. “And Yiddish is a key part of that future.”
To learn more about the Yiddish Book Center or participate in its programs virtually or in-person, visit yiddishbookcenter.org.
