Yiddish Book Center
Founded in 1980, this nonprofit organization received a National Medal for Museum and Library Service for its role in preserving the Yiddish language and Jewish culture. The award recognized the center's rescue of more than a million Yiddish books that might otherwise have been lost. Housed in a cool, contemporary structure that mimics a traditional Eastern European shtetl, or village, the collection comprises more than 100,000 volumes. Special programs take place throughout the year. The biggest is Yidstock, a mid-July festival celebrating klezmer and other Jewish music.
