The Yiddish Book Center has received a $5 million check from two New Jersey donors, putting the nonprofit closer to its $50 million fundraising goal.
According to a news release, the Yerushe — The Yiddish Book Center’s 40th Anniversary Campaign — is angling to raise the cash by 2020 to build up its endowment, preserve texts and amplify its mission to promote Jewish learning, using both Yiddish and English texts.
The gift was made by David and Sylvia Steiner of West Orange, New Jersey.
“The preservation of Yiddish and the whole Yiddish culture is important,” David Steiner, who is a longtime member of the Center’s Board of Directors, said in a statement. “It reminds me of my youth. It reminds me of all the beginnings of our people. I think it’s important to preserve that heritage.”
The center, founded in 1980, is located 1021 West St. in Amherst.