Outwitting history by aaron lansky national yiddish books

The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books kindle edition by lansky, aaron. Once hed learned the basics, he needed more reading matter, and found, unsurprisingly, that there werent a lot of books in yiddish around. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books by aaron lansky. Outwitting history by aaron lansky overdrive rakuten. Precious volumes that had survived hitler and stalin were being passed down from older generations of jewish immigrants to their nonyiddish. 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. This may seem like an esoteric topic, but lansky sets this in its broader context and mixes in entertaining personal vignettes, resulting in a lively book which. Matthew cavanaugh for the boston globe by joseph p.

Aaron lansky is currently considered a single author. Aaron lansky talks today at 2pm at the royal national hotel, london wc1, as part of jewish book week. The humorous scene that follows highlights the central theme of difference and similarity. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books, lansky describes his early exposure to yiddish in the back seats of his boyhood shul, and his realization as a politically active collegian that the language could be a subversive.

Enter aaron lansky, an idealistic student at montreals mcgill university. Anyone who read his outstanding memoir, outwitting. In outwitting history, aaron lansky, founder of the renowned national yiddish book center, tells his personal story as a oneman rescuer of yiddish books and along the way provides an accessible, informative and deeply engaging account of the fate of yiddish in america. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books lansky, aaron on. Outwitting history, by aaron lansky the independent. Yiddish book centers shift makes many uneasy the boston. Lansky s account of rescuing the literature of a quickly dying language has both sad and triumphant overtones.

Aaron lansky guest speaker great books summer program. In 1980, a twentythreeyearold student named aaron lansky set out to rescue the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late. Aaron lansky works to revitalize yiddish culture and make it more accessible and understandable to the postholocaust world. Founder aaron lansky said changes at the national yiddish book center in amherst had been planned for four years. Read outwitting history the amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books by aaron lansky available from rakuten kobo. Outwitting history paperback the amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books. The sunday oregonian as a twentythreeyearold graduate student, aaron lansky set out to save the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late. Download pdf outwitting history free online new books. He learned it at university in the 1970s, when it was not at all fashionable to do so. A quarter of a century later lansky and his national yiddish book center have saved 1. Aaron lansky is founder and president of the national yiddish book center, one of the worlds largest and most vibrant jewish cultural organizations.

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 yiddishspeaking owners. On their first trip to new york to look for yiddish books, lansky and his fellow students stop for lunch at the garden cafeteria. Discussion questions for outwitting history by aaron lansky from the massachusetts center for the book 1. Today, aaron lansky is the president of the yiddish book center. Twentyfive years and one and a half million books later, hes still in the midst of a great adventure. Aaron lansky in 1980 an entire body of jewish literaturethe physical remnant of yiddish culturewas on the verge of extinction. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books, lansky describes his early exposure to yiddish in the back seats of his boyhood shul, and his realization as a politically active collegian that the language could be a subversive force. Sep 06, 2017 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.

Aaron lanskys outwitting history presents an interesting countertrend to modern habits of reading. Lanskys account of salvaging books is both hilarious and. Download pdf outwitting history free online new books in. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books, won the massachusetts book award in nonfiction in 2005. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million. Lansky was a 23yearold graduate student in 1980 when he came up with an idea that would take over his life and change the face of jewish literary culture. Outwitting history follows lanskys farflung travels and features the engaging men and women he meets along the way. Outwitting history follows lanskys farflung travels and features the engaging men. The yiddish book center national yiddish book center, located on the campus of hampshire college in amherst, massachusetts, united states, is a cultural institution dedicated to the preservation of books in the yiddish language, as well as the culture and history those books represent. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books. Jan 14, 2011 founder aaron lansky said changes at the national yiddish book center in amherst had been planned for four years. Lanskys account of rescuing the literature of a quickly dying language has both sad and triumphant overtones. Apr 22, 2011 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.

So aaron lansky, a twentythreeyearold graduate student, issued a worldwide appeal for unwanted yiddish works. Precious volumes that had survived hitler and stalin were being passed down from older generations of jewish. It is one of ten western massachusetts museums constituting the museums10. Weve found yiddish books in the united states, canada, mexico, cuba, venezuela, chile, uruguay, argentina, england, france, south africa, and australia. As a 23 year old graduate student, aaron lansky set out to save the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late.

He and a team of volunteers salvaged books from dusty attics. Outwitting history the amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books book. This wellwritten, fastpaced book is both the history of the national yiddish book center and the memoir of 50yearold aaron lansky who. 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. Today, 25 years and 1 12 million books later, he has accomplished what has been called the greatest cultural rescue effort in jewish history. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books by aaron lansky and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Every now and again a book with nearuniversal appeal comes along.

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. 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 the amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books downloadable audiobook. Aaron lansky the great yiddish scholar max weinreich was delivering a lecture in finland when the nazis invaded his native poland. Aaron lansky s outwitting history presents an interesting countertrend to modern habits of reading. Precious volumes that had survived hitler and stalin were being passed down from. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books aaron lansky on. In the final chapter of this book, aaron lansky tells a story about his. The boston globe every now and again a book with nearuniversal appeal comes along. In the course of his studies, lansky realized that untold numbers of irreplaceable yiddish books were being discarded by americanborn jews unable to read the language. In 1980, a twentythreeyearold graduate student named aaron lansky set out to rescue the worlds abandoned yiddish books before it was too late. Outwitting history when aaron lansky began studying yiddish as a college freshman in the early 70s, it was hard to find books. Books were a portable homeland for jews and defined jewish national identity.

The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books by aaron lansky and a great selection of related books. The yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, then a twentyfouryearold graduate student of yiddish literature and, as of 2016, the centers president. 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. 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 yiddishspeaking owners. In outwitting history, aaron lansky, founder of the renowned national yiddish book center, tells his personal story as a oneman rescuer of yiddish books. When he began saving books in the early 1980s, most experts believe that there were fewer than 70,000 yiddish volumes extant. Lansky is founder and president of the national yiddish book center, an organization that has rescued and restored to active use more than 1. Lanskys passion led him to travel from house to house collecting the books and the stories of these jewish refugees and the vibrant intellectual world they inhabited. Mar 02, 2005 aaron lanskys outwitting history presents an interesting countertrend to modern habits of reading.

If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Aaron lansky and the gospel of yiddish jewish currents. 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. Outwitting history outwitting history audiobook, by aaron lansky. Though once spoken by threequarters of the worlds jewish population, few jews of his generation, or even of his parents, knew how to speak, much less read, the language. Outwitting history downloadable audiobook austin public. In the course of his studies, lansky realized that untold numbers of irreplaceable yiddish books the primary, tangible legacy of a thousand years of jewish life in eastern europewere being discarded by americanborn jews unable to read the language of their yiddishspeaking parents and grandparents. Lansky set out to rescue unwanted and abandoned yiddish books. This true story of a quest to save jewish literature is a detective story, a profound history lesson, and a poignant ev. Engaging firstperson account of how some committed young people rescued from historys dustbin more than a million books published in yiddish. By the time he discovered that his hometown rabbi was burying. Mar 06, 2005 aaron lansky talks today at 2pm at the royal national hotel, london wc1, as part of jewish book week. Outwitting history is a largely autobiographical account of aaron lanskys life work, physically rescuing works of yiddish literature, from ageing or deceased individuals and organisations, and establishing the yiddish book center. 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.

Filled with poignant and often laughoutloud tales from lanskys travels across the country collecting books from older jewish. In 1980 an entire body of jewish literaturethe physical remnant of yiddish culturewas on the verge of extinction. When aaron lansky began studying yiddish as a college freshman in the early 70s, it was hard to find books. Yiddish was the spoken language of the 75% of the worlds jews for the past 1,000 years. The amazing adventures of a man who rescued a million yiddish books by aaron lansky at barnes. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading outwitting history. Outwitting history by lansky, aaron and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The yiddish book center was founded in 1980 by aaron lansky, then a twentyfouryearold graduate student of yiddish literature and now the centers president. Discussion questions for outwitting history by aaron lansky.

I just heard him speak at a synagogue in livingston, new jersey. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In prose that sometimes lurches and jolts along like the overloaded rental trucks that the author and his merry band used to collect books, lansky unfolds a tale of rare emotion and devotion. Aaron lansky born in new bedford, massachusetts is the founder of the yiddish book center, an organization he created to help salvage yiddish language publications.