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"Rich
and rewarding, of inestimable value"
—Elie Wiesel
National Jewish Book Award Winner, Reference, 2001-2002
Association of Jewish Libraries Winner, Best Reference Book, 2001
Booklist Winner, Editor's Choice Award, Reference
"A work that deepens our sense of the Holocaust's enormity."
—Booklist, Starred Review
Library Journal Winner, Best Reference Resource, 2001
"Scholars, of course, will welcome these volumes, but informed lay readers, including Jewish genealogists, will find them useful and informative as well. . . . Highly recommended."
—Library Journal
"Majestic. . . thousands of entries explore centuries of Jewish
life.. . . Each entry provides vital information on the town's Jewish
inhabitants on the eve of German occupation, gives the dates of
Jewish roundups and mass executions and estimates how many Jews from
that community survived the war. . . . But the encyclopedia offers
more than statistics: the numbers come to life through more than 600
black-and-white photographs, most of which are from the archives of
Israel's Yad Vashem museum. . . . This three-volume set is a required
acquisition for libraries and anyone interested in Jewish
studies."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
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 New York University Press announces with
pride the publication of a remarkable project, The Encyclopedia
of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust. Edited
by Shmuel Spector and the late Geoffrey Wigoder and published
in conjunction with Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Remembrance
Authority of Israel, the Encyclopedia represents the fruit
of more than three decades of labor. Based on a thirty
volume encyclopedia published only in Hebrew, this new condensed
version makes this rich source of information available
in English for the first time.
 Unique
Perspective
Today throughout much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle
East, only fragmentary remnants of once thriving Jewish communities
can be found as evidence of more than two thousand years of
vibrant Jewish presence among the nations of the world. During
the Holocaust Hitler's forces systematically destroyed these
communities, yet each of their stories-from small shtetls
to large urban centers-is unique in its details and represents
one of the countless threads that comprise the tapestry of
Jewish history.
"Most of the research and writing on the Holocaust documents the process of destruction and not what was destroyed. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust fills that gap, and does so in a comprehensive and exacting fashion. It is a welcome addition."
—Deborah E. Lipstadt,
Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies
Director, Institute for Jewish Studies
Emory University
Comprehensive
The Encyclopedia
of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust reclaims
the distinctive culture of thousands of Jewish communities
lost during the Holocaust. It chronicles the people, habits
and customs of more than 6,500 thriving Jewish communities.
It clarifies precise locations of settlements based on documents
and maps found in recently opened archives. It traces their
development through history. Its stories and numerous photographs
share small details of everyday life-the culture, politics,
and faith that inspired the people-putting faces on the immeasurable
loss.
"Based on extensive archival and bibliographic research, the Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust is a major contribution to modern Jewish history. The entries are precise, clear and reliable. The photos are priceless and often rare. This work will be indispensable to scholars and the general public."
—Jehuda Reinharz,
Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History and President, Brandeis University
Authoritative
 Representing
the work of more than 80 international scholars and based
on decades of research at Yad Vashem, The Encyclopedia of
Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust tells the story
of a world that can no longer be visited.
Established in 1953, Yad Vashem is dedicated to perpetuating
the memory of the communities and cultures destroyed in the
Holocaust. It preserves and documents the events through research
and the collection of primary materials from numerous international
sources as well as the personal testimonies of witnesses.
Yad Vashem is internationally recognized as a driving force
in the education of future generations to the horror of the
time. In addition, it established commemorative sites in Jerusalem
such as the Vale of Communities where the names of the thousands
of communities destroyed in the Holocaust are carved on huge
stone walls, and it recognizes the altruism and bravery of
the Righteous Gentiles.
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life
Before and During the Holocaust
is a rich source of information for students, teachers,
genealogists, and anyone interested in the pageant of Jewish
life through the ages.
About The Authors
Editor in chief Shmuel Spector is an editor, teacher,
and writer. Formerly the Secretary General of Yad Vashem,
he is currently the Director of the Encyclopedia of Jewish
Communities project.
Geoffrey Wigoder served as editor-in-chief of the
Encyclopedia Judaica and was co-editor of the award-winning
Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion, among many other
projects.
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel is a journalist, playwright,
and the author of innumerable novels, essays, and works of
Jewish folklore and mysticism. A fervent spokesman for human
rights, Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.
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| Features
and Benefits |
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* More than 6,500 communities profiled
* More than 80 international contributors
* Published in association with Yad Vashem, the Holocaust
Remembrance Authority of Israel
* 1,824 pages, three volumes
* More than 600 b&w photographs and illustrations,
including a 56-page "In Memoriam" pictorial
supplement
* 17 pages of maps
* Chronology
* Glossary
* Complete bibliography
* Index of communities, including alternate spellings
and pronunciations
* Index of personalities
* Foreword by Elie Wiesel
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