Forty public libraries will be selected. Libraries that have participated in past themes of the Public Libraries Program are eligible to apply.
>>Register now for a pre-application webinar on May 21, 2025.
Following an in-person training onsite at the Yiddish Book Center campus in western Massachusetts, selected libraries will organize a reading group to discuss three books of Yiddish literature in translation. Each library will also choose a fourth book that relates to their community.
The Yiddish titles include:
- Tevye the Dairyman by Sholem Aleichem (translated by Aliza Shevrin)
- The Zelmenyaners: A Family Saga by Moyshe Kulbak (translated by Hillel Halkin)
- A Jewish Refugee in New York by Kadya Molodowsky (translated by Anita Norich)
Selected libraries will receive:
- Travel, lodging and meal expenses paid for one reading group facilitator from each library to attend a three-day workshop at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, from Saturday, November 2, to Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
- A curated selection of three Yiddish literature titles (17 copies each) in translation for book club discussion.
- Funding to purchase copies of a fourth book that speaks to their community (participating libraries will purchase these books themselves and can submit for reimbursement or invoice the Yiddish Book Center directly).
- Reading guides and other educational materials related to the Yiddish titles, as well as access to virtual programs (e.g., webinars; pre-recorded interviews; live book talks with authors, translators, and scholars; virtual field trips) offered by the Yiddish Book Center.
- Funding of up to $2,000 to hold events, invite speakers or enhance library programming related to the titles.
- Eligibility to host a small, specially curated traveling exhibit on the history of Yiddish and its role in Jewish life, religion and culture. The exhibit will consist of 4-6 double-sided, full-color panels that will be designed to fit a variety of differently sized and configured spaces. (More details will be shared as they are available).
- Access to an online community of fellow librarians and facilitation for discussion, connection, advice and collaboration.
Please visit the Yiddish Book Center website for more details on what selected libraries will receive.
Applications for the 2025 – 2026 cohort are now open until July 14, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified in August 2025.
This Public Libraries Program theme is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.