The numbers tell the story:
PINKAS, or “ledger” – the Jewish community’s record book – chronicles of the life of the community – dates, births, deaths…
Three volumes in English – 1,824 pages – up to 300 photographs – condense nearly 30 volumes of a project spanning more than 25 years – involving 100s of researchers and historians – and 1,000s of Jewish communities in more than 20 countries……

The names tell the story:
The changes in governments and control of certain areas led to a dizzying confusion in place-names and variants, as many communities changed hands many times.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JEWISH LIFE includes an EXTENSIVE CROSS REFERENCE OF ALL NAMES, making it a more useful reference text for genealogists, historians and researchers.

The maps tell the story:
THE BOXED SET of THREE VOLUMES in ENGLISH include alphabetical listing of communities (A-J; K-Sered; Seredina-Z) showing the largest communities, beginning with the arrival of the first Jews to the particular location and then details the community’s history through WWI, the inter-war decades, and the Holocaust, including its immediate aftermath. Each section is preceded by a short introduction describing the main events and background. Index of personalities, places, organizations and institutions.

“This newly published work will be a treasured addition to libraries, a literary and historical gem uncovering Jewish roots emanating from the myriad towns and villages from which only some were fortunate enough to leave before the calamity of the Holocaust.” [Herman Taube, Moment, October 2002].

“One of the most important literary projects in English on the history of the Jewish people…” [Globes, February 8]

“This majestic set… abridged from a 30 volume set… chronicles Jewish life before and during the Holocaust. Arranged alphabetically by town, thousands of entries explore centuries of Jewish life… But the encyclopedia offers more than statistics: the numbers come to life through more than 600 black and white photographs. This three volume set is a required acquisition for libraries and anyone interested in Jewish studies.” [Publishers Weekly, July 30, 2001]

“…superb translation project… this extraordinary history of a people chronicles the lives, habits and customs of more than 6,500 thriving communities. Based on more than 30 years of research, it involves the work of 80 international contributors and includes more than 600 black and white photographs and 17 pages of maps. The pictorial supplement of scenes from the Holocaust reminds us of a world gone awry.” [Brian Coutts and Tamara McConnell, Library Journal, April 15, 2002]

“An outstanding tribute to the vanished communities as well as a valuable document… a valuable resource for students, scholars, genealogists and anyone interested in modern history.” [Chicago Booklist, October 1, 2001]

 

Below are two sample entries in PDF format taken from the Encyclopedia of Jewish Life. To view a file in PDF format, you need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free application distributed by Adobe Systems. If you have questions about PDF and how to print this document, please visit Adobe's customer support page.

Kastoria	Myslenice
1.70MB	1.47MB

THIS FORMS THE MOST COMPLETE RECORD OF THE RICHNESS, DIVERSITY AND DYNAMISM OF JEWISH LIFE BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST.
For more information, please contact: publications.marketing@yadvashem.org.il