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National Yiddish Book Center Named One of North America’s Most Innovative Jewish NonprofitsFourth Annual “Slingshot” Guidebook Names 50 Most Innovative Jewish Nonprofits in America FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nancy Sherman, executive vice president, 413-256-4900 ext 104 AMHERST, MA– September 15, 2008 – The National Yiddish Book Center has been named one of the nation’s 50 most innovative Jewish nonprofits in Slingshot 08/09, a resource guide to Jewish innovation. Compiled and published by 21/64, the annual guidebook features the country’s most innovative organizations actively pursuing remedies to the concerns of Jewish identity, culture, and community. The Book Center is proud to be included in the ranks of the most innovative Jewish organizations in a highly competitive evaluation process overseen by 25 foundation professionals. Each year, the organizations listed in Slingshot offer a glimpse into the trends shaping North America’s Jewish nonprofit sector and the Jewish community at large. Those selected in Slingshot 08/09 are reinvigorating Jewish expression and practice in the areas of ritual, history, language, liturgy, culture, and tikkun olam, healing the planet. Founded in 1980, the National Yiddish Book Center is one of the largest Jewish cultural organizations in America. It has saved a million endangered Yiddish books, digitized 13,000 titles, and will soon place the full contents of its collection online. Originally a grassroots mission of several graduate students looking to reclaim a vital part of their Jewish heritage, the Book Center’s preservation efforts on behalf of Jewish culture and history have yielded a flood of global supporters, from Brooklyn to China to Zimbabwe. Having evolved from a repository of rescued texts, the Yiddish Book Center publishes an award-winning English-language magazine, Pakn Treger (The Book Peddler), hosts enlightening English-language exhibits, and offers cultural and educational programs. Now, with most Yiddish books safe and accessible, the Book Center is taking the next logical step: to open up the books as a means of helping Jews better understand who they are and where they come from. Construction of a new educational facility is underway for the launch of innovative educational initiatives that will engage thousands in the powerful process of cultural discovery. Inclusion in Slingshot 08/09 is a strong validation for the initiatives the National Yiddish Book Center is undertaking. Selection was based on programmatic innovation, community impact, leadership, and organizational efficiency. Slingshot exposes the Book Center to a vibrant funding community, a valuable vehicle as we work to grow our capacity and take our programming to the next level. Aaron Lansky, founder and president of the Book Center, says, “We are thrilled to be chosen by Slingshot at this very critical moment, as we rededicate ourselves to bringing the treasures of modern Jewish culture to new generations.” “The organizations in Slingshot 08/09 show us clearly that Jewish innovation consists of a profound mix of ritual, history, language and culture,” says Roger Bennett, co-founder of 21/64. “By challenging convention and exploring new ways to bridge the past with the next generation, these nonprofits tell us that our tradition, history, and culture are still central to how we identify ourselves.” adds Sharna Goldseker, co-founder and Director of 21/64. Slingshot 08/09 will be unveiled at a launch event in Manhattan on September 18th. Slingshot was created by a team of young funders as a guidebook to help funders of all ages diversify their giving portfolios with the most innovative and effective organizations and programs in North America. This guide contains information about each organization’s origin, mission, strategy, impact and budget, as well as details about its unique character. Now in its fourth edition, Slingshot has proven to be a catalyst for next generation funding and offers a telling snapshot of shifting trends in North America's Jewish community. The book, published annually, is available in hard copy and as a free download at www.2164.net or at www.slingshotfund.org. 21/64 is a non-profit consulting division of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. Based in New York, it offers services to individuals, families, businesses, foundations and federations in times of generational transition - including consultation, resource materials, networks and communication vehicles. 21/64 specializes in a multigenerational approach to philanthropy. In this era, when there are four generations above the age of 21 around corporate and philanthropic tables, multiple generations must learn to understand each others' “generational personalities,” motivational values, and visions. 21/64 facilitates the process of values clarification, strategic visioning and communicating to help multigenerational families define and achieve their individual and collective goals. The National Yiddish Book Center is a 30,000-member organization dedicated to rescuing and distributing Yiddish and other Jewish books and opening their contents to the world. Its headquarters in Amherst, MA, houses the Jack and Ruthe B. Cowl Center for Jewish Culture, the Steven Spielberg Digital Yiddish Library, and a range of other cultural and educational resources. In 2009 it will open a comprehensive new school for Jewish culture in an expanded facility. For more information about the National Yiddish Book Center, visit www.yiddishbookcenter.org. - END - |
| The National Yiddish Book Center Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building • 1021 West Street • Amherst MA 01002 • Phone 413-256-4900 • Fax 413-256-4700 • Contact |
