Yiddish Book Center

Yiddish Book Center

Welcome to the world's first Yiddish museum, the Massachusetts learning center that works to 'recover, celebrate, and regenerate Yiddish and modern Jewish literature and culture.'

This museum was founded in 1980 by Aaron Lansky, who had the mission of saving the world's remaining Yiddish books, in turn saving a culture. Since then the organization and its 3,000 members have recovered over 1 million Yiddish books both physically and digitally!

While here on the gorgeous Hampshire College campus and apple orchard your student group can explore the Yiddish Book Center on your own or partake in a field trip program. A full field trip is usually around 2.5 hours and includes a tour, orientation film, and free time to explore. When exploring you will encounter such exhibits as the Lost Synagogues of Europe, Unquiet Pages, and The Lee and Alfred Discovery Gallery.

Note that the building this museum is housed in is special in that it was designed to recall a shtetl—the iconic Jewish town of Eastern Europe.

*This museum is a 2-hour drive from Boston, 3 hours from New York, and 1 hour from the Berkshires.