A. Collections and Libraries

The 80,000-volume library of the Leo Baeck Institute (LBI) is recognized as the foremost reference source in the field of German-speaking Jewish history. Rich in rarities ranging from early 16th-century writings to Moses Mendelssohn first editions and dedication copies of works by prominent writers of recent generations, many of the library’s volumes were salvaged from famous Jewish libraries destroyed by the Nazis. The library includes a comprehensive collection of belles lettres written by Jews, extensive material on the “Jewish Problem” and anti-Semitism, and more than 750 periodicals published by Jews from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

The Leo Baeck Institute Archives is the outstanding documentation center of its kind in the world. Thousands of family, business, institutional, and community records touch upon virtually every phase of German Jewish life during the past 200 years. Material in the archives relates not only to famous names of the past; a unique collection of over 2,000 memoirs and more than 30,000 photographs mirrors the life of the average Jew.

One hundred twenty paintings as well as several thousand drawings and prints further enhance the significance of the institute as an impressive repository of the cultural legacy of German-speaking Jewry.

The catalog to the holdings of the library and archives is available online (search.cjh.org). The archival collections are converted for digital access and made available via the LBI website (DigiBaeck at www.lbi.org/DigiBaeck) as well as through InternetArchive (www.archive.org).

B. Programs

At monthly lectures and the annual Leo Baeck Memorial Lecture, prominent speakers share their knowledge on a broad range of subjects.

Every year the institute presents two or three exhibits of material from its collection. Major exhibits utilizing LBI holdings have attracted broad attention nationwide.

The institute is a vibrant research center; its facilities are used by students, scholars, and private individuals from throughout the world. An ongoing public program of lectures, symposia, and international conferences encourages a lively exchange of ideas.

LBI is a partner organization in the Center for Jewish History with YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardic Federation, and Yeshiva University Museum. The web site for the center is www.cjh.org.

C. Publications

The LBI has published well over 100 books in English, German, and Hebrew. The LBI’s London center issues the highly acclaimed Year Book. A variety of scholarly essays in German appear in the Almanach, edited by the Jerusalem Institute. The New York institute publishes the LBI News for its members.

D. Fellowships and Awards

The LBI assists doctoral candidates and younger academics with projects leading to doctoral dissertations or scholarly works. The application deadline for the joint Leo Baeck Institute/German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellowship, the Fritz Halbers Fellowship, and the David Baumgardt Memorial Fellowship is mid November, the deadline for the Gerald Westheimer Career Development Fellowship is March 1. Application forms are available on the LBI’s website.