With 57 color illus. + 1104 b/w illus. and maps

Recipient of the 2009 Dartmouth Medal Honorable Mention, sponspored by the American Library Association.

Received Honorable Mention for the 2008 PROSE Award in the Multi-volume Reference/Humanities & Social Sciences category, sponsored by the Association of American Publishers.

Winner of the 2008 Judaica Reference Award, given by the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Visit the official site of the YIVO Institute of Jewish Research for information on the organization`s library and archives.


This unprecedented reference work systematically represents the history and culture of Eastern European Jews from their first settlement in the region to the present day. More than 1,800 alphabetical entries encompass a vast range of topics, including religion, folklore, politics, art, music, theater, language and literature, places, organizations, intellectual movements, and important figures. The two-volume set also features more than 1,000 illustrations and 55 maps.



With original and up-to-date contributions from an international team of 450 distinguished scholars, the Encyclopedia covers the region between Germany and the Ural Mountains, from which more than 2.5 million Jews emigrated to the United States between 1870 and 1920. Even today the majority of Jewish immigrants to North America arrive from Eastern Europe. Engaging, wide-ranging, and authoritative, this work is a rich and essential reference for readers with interests in Jewish studies and Eastern European history and culture.