Outwitting history by aaron lansky national yiddish book

At various times, the new york times, national public radio, time magazine and other news outlets have picked up his story. The humorous scene that follows highlights the central theme of difference and similarity. Outwitting history the amazing adventures of a man who. Today, aaron lansky is the president of the yiddish book center. Discussion questions for outwitting history by aaron lansky from the massachusetts center for the book 1. Outwitting history by aaron lansky overdrive rakuten. I just heard him speak at a synagogue in livingston, new jersey. 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. In outwitting history, aaron lansky tells the extraordinary story of how he and a few volunteers saved over 1. In 1980 an entire body of jewish literaturethe physical remnant of yiddish culturewas on the verge of extinction. Outwitting history with aaron lansky prime magazine. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books by aaron lansky.

He learned it at university in the 1970s, when it was not at all fashionable to do so. A rollicking ride in company with a man who has performed an. Bumpy journey for yiddish center layoffs, shift in educational mission draw questions founder aaron lansky said changes at the national yiddish book center in. Outwitting history the amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books book. Outwitting history the amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books downloadable audiobook. Lansky, aaron, 1955, national yiddish book center u.

Lansky also chronicles the history of yiddish, his fundraising efforts considerably accelerated by a 1989 macarthur genius grant, and his countless public appearances including a funny episode at a catskills resort. Filled with poignant and often laughoutloud tales from lansky s travels across the country collecting books from older jewish. W hen aaron lansky started this ambitious project in 1980to rescue yiddish books from certain deathit was thought that there were no more than 70,000 yidisher bikher in existence. In 1980, a twentythreeyearold graduate student named aaron lansky set out to rescue the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Twentyfive years and one and a half million books later, hes still in the midst of a great adventure. How a young man rescued a million books and saved a vanishing civilisation by lansky, aaron and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.

Aaron lansky is currently considered a single author. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books kindle edition by lansky, aaron. Anyone who read his outstanding memoir, outwitting history, would have been familiar with the first. Lansky is now the 56yearold, professoriallooking steward of the largest yiddish book collection in the world. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books audiobook by aaron lansky. Yiddish book centers shift makes many uneasy the boston. Books were a portable homeland for jews and defined jewish national.

Aaron lansky was inspiring because he shows us that we can be the change. Lanskys memoir fascinates as it recounts how his relatively simple quest for books, as a graduate student of yiddish in. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Outwitting history follows lanskys farflung travels and features the engaging men. This is an excellent introduction to yiddish culture, and recommended if you always or ever wonder what does it mean to be a jew.

Outwitting history, by aaron lansky the worlds yiddish books were facing extinction, until a bold young visionary stepped in. Yiddish was the spoken language of the 75% of the worlds jews for the past 1,000 years. Books were a portable homeland for jews and defined jewish national identity. Precious volumes that had survived hitler and stalin were being passed down from older generations of jewish immigrants to their nonyiddish. Outwitting history follows lansky s farflung travels and features the engaging men and women he meets along the way. Outwitting history book chapel hill public library. Archive from monday, november 2, 2009 lecture by aaron. In 1980, a 23yearold student named aaron lansky set out to rescue the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late. Once hed learned the basics, he needed more reading matter, and found, unsurprisingly, that there werent a. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Aaron lansky s outwitting history presents an interesting countertrend to modern habits of reading. In outwitting history, aaron lansky, founder of the renowned national yiddish book center, tells his personal story as a oneman rescuer of yiddish booksand along the way provides an accessible, informative and deeply engaging account of the fate of yiddish in america. The unfinished story of yiddish by dovid katz basic books.

Aaron lansky is the founder and president of the national yiddish book center. Discussion questions for outwitting history by aaron lansky. Aaron lansky the great yiddish scholar max weinreich was delivering a lecture in finland when the nazis invaded his native poland. Aaron lansky thinks so and offers as a model his national yiddish book center in amherst, massachusetts. Precious volumes that had survived hitler and stalin were being passed down from. The sunday oregonian as a twentythreeyearold graduate student, aaron lansky set out to save the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late. Outwitting history follows lanskys farflung travels and.

Filled with poignant and often laughoutloud tales from. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish. 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. Lansky charmingly describes his adventures as president and founder of the national. 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. How a young man rescued a million book and saved a vanishing civilisation by aaron lansky. In 1980, a twentythreeyearold student named aaron lansky set out to rescue the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books by aaron lansky algonquin. So aaron lansky, just twentythree, issued a worldwide appeal for unwanted yiddish works. In outwitting history, aaron lansky, founder of the renowned national yiddish book center, tells his personal story as a oneman rescuer of yiddish books. The boston globe every now and again a book with nearuniversal appeal comes along. Outwitting history by aaron lansky is a book about the authors efforts to rescue a large number of books in the yiddish language from destruction according to the book, at age 23 lansky read that thousands of the few remaining yiddish books in north america were being discarded by the children of the books original yiddish speaking owners. The worlds yiddish books were facing extinction, until a bold young visionary stepped in.

Lanskys account of rescuing the literature of a quickly dying language has both sad and triumphant overtones. Lansky s account of rescuing the literature of a quickly dying language has both sad and triumphant overtones. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading outwitting history. How a young man rescued a million books and saved a vanishing civilisation new ed by aaron lansky isbn. Download audiobooks written by aaron lansky to your device. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books lansky, aaron on. The event, free and open to the public, will begin at 5.

Outwitting history reading group choices book club. Outwitting history follows lanskys farflung travels and features the engaging men and women he meets along the way. It started out as a student adventure, and ended up as the rescue of a dying culture. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. 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 holocaust. At various times, the new york times, national public radio, time magazine. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Susan joined the yiddish book center staff in 2002, after working in. Lansky charmingly describes his adventures as president and founder of the national yiddish book center, which. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued one million books. The man who spearheaded what has been called the greatest cultural rescue effort in jewish history recounts his poignant, intrepid, and often riotous quest to safeguard a vanishing civilization.

Fittingly, he also wrote his own book about his booksaving adventures, outwitting history. Outwitting history follows lanskys farflung travels and features the. Outwitting history book king county library system. Aaron lansky, president of the yiddish book center, leads a lecture. Aaron lanskys outwitting history presents an interesting countertrend to modern habits of reading. While on an academic tour of lithuania last summer, i came upon a foliosized book displayed in stores all over the country. Aaron lansky and the gospel of yiddish jewish currents. Recipient of the macarthur genius fellowship and founder of the national yiddish book center, lansky recounts his efforts to rescue the worlds abandoned yiddishlanguage books before they pass out of existence. Aaron lansky in 1980 an entire body of jewish literaturethe physical remnant of yiddish culturewas on the verge of extinction. Every now and again a book with nearuniversal appeal comes along.