WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)– First Lady Michelle Obama joined the Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Susan H. Hildreth to present the 2014 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to the Yiddish Book Center. In its 20th anniversary year, the National Medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries for service to the community. Aaron Lansky, Founder and President of the Yiddish Book Center, and community member Peter Manseau accepted the National Medal.
As a French-Irish Catholic attending college in Amherst, Massachusetts, Peter Manseau knew little about Jewish culture and Yiddish works before his summer internship at the Yiddish Book Center in 1996. During his time in the program, Peter gained Yiddish language literacy and substantive knowledge of Central and Eastern European Jewish history and culture, which helped to propel his writer’s voice. He found himself immersed in the literature and fascinated by religious culture. He was inspired to write Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter, a semi-autobiographical and semi-historical novel about Yiddish literature and preservation, drawing from his experience at the Yiddish Book Center. The book was a winner of the National Jewish Book Award for fiction and the Sophie Brody Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Jewish Literature, and was shortlisted for the Mercantile Library First Novel Prize. Peter received his doctorate from Georgetown University in religion and is currently a fellow in American religious history at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History .
This year’s ten honorees exemplify the nation’s great diversity of libraries and museums and include a natural history museum, a children’s museum, a natural sciences museum, an aquarium, a botanic garden, public library systems, and a book center, hailing from ten states.
“Museums and libraries serve as anchors and provide invaluable experiences, resources and opportunities for members of their communities. The Yiddish Book Center broadens the understanding of modern Jewish identity by saving Yiddish literature and inspiring a new generation of scholars,” said Susan H. Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. “We are very proud to name the Yiddish Book Center as one of this year’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners.”
The First Lady presented the National Medal to the museum and library directors, as well as to community members from each institution, to recognize the extraordinary contributions they have made on their communities.
She told the winners: “You all are redefining what it means to lead a museum or a library in the 21st century. All across the country –- from Brooklyn, New York, to Independence, Missouri, to Gallup, New Mexico –- you all are putting our — your programs and exhibitions up to help us expand our horizons and connect us with the rest of the world. You offer dynamic classrooms for folks of all ages, from toddlers to grandparents. You serve as a gateway to technology for so many in your communities. And as any mom with young kids will tell you, on a rainy weekend afternoon, you are a welcome haven where kids can learn and explore.”
The Yiddish Book Center also received these kudos from members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation:
“Congratulations to the Yiddish Book Center on receiving the 2014 National Medal for Museum and Library Science. The Center’s work chronicling the Jewish story and educating families about Yiddish and Jewish culture is outstanding. This award is a well-deserved recognition of the Center’s efforts to preserve Yiddish books and literature for future generations.” – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA)
“I am proud to congratulate The Yiddish Book Center on this honor. The Book Center is one of our Commonwealth and our nation’s greatest treasures. The work they do day-in and day-out to preserve this important part of our collective culture is invaluable, and I’m proud to have them in my district.” – U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (MA)
“My warmest congratulations to the Yiddish Book Center for this most prestigious of honors recognizing its outstanding service to Massachusetts and the entire nation. The National Media for Museum and Library Science recognizes America’s greatest museums and libraries, and the Center is taking a well-deserved position in this pantheon. The Center’s work in capturing and preserving Jewish culture and history for the education and enjoyment of those in Massachusetts and beyond is inspirational and enlightening. I thank the Center for its service to the community and look forward to it continuing for many years to come.” – U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (MA)
Selected from nationwide nominations, medal winning museums and libraries demonstrated innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach. Later this year, StoryCorps – a national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans – will visit each winning institution to document stories from their communities. The next deadline for nominating a museum or library is October 15, 2014. Learn more about the National Medal at www.imls.gov/medals.
*
Preceding provided by the Yiddish Book Center and the White House.