American Jewish Year Book

The American Jewish Year Book (AJYB) is an annual academic reference publication devoted to the study and documentation of Jewish life. It began in 1899 under the Jewish Publication Society (JPS), making it one of the longest-running serial publications in the field of American Jewish studies. Its subject matter has included Jewish population data, communal institutions, religious and cultural life, political developments, antisemitism, relations between Jewish communities and wider society, and major events affecting Jews in the United States and around the world. The publication developed through a partnership between the JPS and the American Jewish Committee (AJC). During its early years, the JPS was responsible for publication. The American Jewish Committee became involved in compilation and editorial work in the early twentieth century, and from 1950 through 1993 the two organizations served as co-publishers. Between 1994 and 2008, the AJC was the sole publisher. This institutional history reflects the Year Book’s dual character: it functioned both as a scholarly reference work and as a record of organized Jewish communal activity. By the 1940s, volumes had grown to roughly 200 pages and were regarded as substantial annual surveys of Jewish affairs. The work brought together contributions from specialists in Jewish history, sociology, demography, political science, communal administration, and related disciplines. Over time, its reports and analytical chapters became useful not only to historians and university researchers but also to Jewish organizations, libraries, journalists, educators, communal professionals, and informed general readers. Publication by the American Jewish Committee ended with the 2008 volume. The interruption was associated with the economic difficulties of that period and broader changes in scholarly and reference publishing. The series resumed in 2012 under Springer as an academic book series, appearing in print and online. The renewed publication has been produced in cooperation with the Berman Jewish DataBank and the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. Institutional and philanthropic support has included organizations and academic centers connected with the University of Miami, the University of Connecticut, and the Mandell L. “Bill” and Madeleine Berman Foundation. In its modern form, the American Jewish Year Book continues to combine reference material with commissioned scholarly essays. Arnold Dashefsky of the University of Connecticut and Ira Sheskin of the University of Miami have served as editors of the revived series. The Year Book is particularly valued for preserving longitudinal information: successive volumes allow researchers to trace changes in Jewish population, institutions, identity, communal priorities, and the political environment over more than a century. Historians Jonathan D. Sarna and Jonathan J. Golden have characterized it as an annual record of American Jewish civilization and a major research resource. Although its primary institutional and geographic focus is North American Jewry, its coverage has regularly addressed Jewish communities and developments across the wider world.

The American Jewish Year Book was established in 1899 by the Jewish Publication Society as an annual record of Jewish life and affairs. Its creation reflected the growing need for a systematic reference work covering Jewish institutions, population patterns, communal developments, public controversies, and the wider social and political environment in which Jewish communities operated. From 1899 through 1907, the Jewish Publication Society published the series. In the early twentieth century, the newly established American Jewish Committee became involved in preparing and editing the publication while the JPS continued as publisher. This relationship expanded over time, and from 1950 through 1993 the two organizations were co-publishers. From 1994 through 2008, the American Jewish Committee assumed sole publishing responsibility. The Year Book gradually became more than a simple calendar or directory. Its volumes assembled statistical information, institutional surveys, chronologies, topical essays, and interpretive studies by specialists. By the 1940s, a typical volume was approximately 200 pages and had become a major annual survey of Jewish affairs in the United States and internationally. The publication provided a continuous documentary record during periods that included mass migration, the Holocaust and its aftermath, the establishment of Israel, changes in American Jewish religious and cultural life, civil-rights debates, and transformations in Jewish communal organization. A substantial group of editors contributed to the series over its history. Those identified in reference material include Cyrus Adler, Maurice Basseches, Herman Bernstein, Morris Fine, Herbert Friedenwald, H. G. Friedman, Lawrence Grossman, Milton Himmelfarb, Joseph Jacobs, Martha Jelenko, Julius B. Maller, Samson D. Oppenheim, Harry Schneiderman, Ruth R. Seldin, David Singer, Jacob Sloan, Maurice Spector, and Henrietta Szold. Their work helped maintain the Year Book’s combination of institutional reporting, quantitative documentation, and scholarly analysis. Publication by the AJC ended after the 2008 edition. The interruption occurred during a period of economic slowdown and significant change in the economics and technologies of reference publishing. The series resumed in 2012 under Springer, which published it as an academic book series in both hard-copy and electronic formats. The renewed series was produced in cooperation with the Berman Jewish DataBank and the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. It also received institutional and philanthropic support from centers and colleges associated with the University of Miami and the University of Connecticut, as well as the Mandell L. “Bill” and Madeleine Berman Foundation. The modern series has been edited by Arnold Dashefsky of the University of Connecticut and Ira Sheskin of the University of Miami. Its role remains that of a cumulative scholarly archive as well as a current reference source. Researchers use individual volumes for contemporary data and analysis, while historians use the full run to study long-term changes in Jewish population, identity, institutions, politics, and communal priorities. The Year Book is also consulted by Jewish organizations, journalists, libraries, educators, and public leaders. Its enduring importance lies in the continuity of its coverage: few other publications provide such an extended annual record of North American Jewish civilization.

• 2012

  Series returns under Springer

  [1]American Jewish Year Booken.wikipedia.org

  Springer revived the Year Book as an academic series, distributing it in print and online in cooperation with Jewish demographic and social-science institutions.

• 2008

  Publication pauses after the AJC edition

  [1]American Jewish Year Booken.wikipedia.org

  The final volume published by the American Jewish Committee appeared during a period of economic and technological disruption in academic publishing.

• 1994

  American Jewish Committee becomes sole publisher

  [1]American Jewish Year Booken.wikipedia.org

  The AJC took sole publishing responsibility for the Year Book after the earlier co-publishing period.

• 1950

  JPS and AJC begin co-publishing

  [1]American Jewish Year Booken.wikipedia.org

  The Jewish Publication Society and American Jewish Committee operated as co-publishers, a relationship that continued through 1993.

• 1907

  American Jewish Committee joins the publication effort

  [1]American Jewish Year Booken.wikipedia.org

  The American Jewish Committee became involved in publishing and editorial work in partnership with the Jewish Publication Society.

• 1899

  First American Jewish Year Book volume

  [1]American Jewish Year Booken.wikipedia.org

  The Jewish Publication Society initiated the annual publication, originally known as the American Jewish Year Book or American Jewish Year Book Record in some historical references.

A scholarly, data-rich annual record of Jewish civilization and communal affairs, positioned between an academic journal, a statistical reference work, and an institutional yearbook.

• Academic annual reference publication · 1899

  American Jewish Year Book annual volumes

  The core offering is a recurring scholarly volume documenting Jewish demographic, institutional, cultural, religious, political, and social developments. Individual editions combine statistical material, surveys, chronologies, and commissioned chapters by subject-matter experts. The accumulated run provides a longitudinal source for studying changes in Jewish communities, organizations, identity, and public life.

• Digital academic publication · 2012

  American Jewish Year Book online series

  Since the series was revived under Springer, the Year Book has been made available in electronic form alongside printed editions. Digital distribution makes the volumes accessible through academic publishing and library channels and supports research across the historical archive.

• Historical research archive · 1899

  American Jewish Year Book archive

  The archive consists of historical volumes extending back to the late nineteenth century. It is used as a documentary source by historians, social scientists, Jewish communal organizations, journalists, libraries, and researchers examining the development of Jewish life in North America and beyond.

• 2012

  Revival as a Springer academic book seriesStrategy

  Background

  Publication by the American Jewish Committee ended with the 2008 volume amid financial pressure and changes in the publishing sector.

  Action taken

  Springer relaunched the Year Book in print and online, working with the Berman Jewish DataBank and the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry.

  Aftermath

  The publication resumed its role as an annual scholarly reference source, with support from academic institutions and philanthropic organizations.

  Source

1. 1American Jewish Year Booken.wikipedia.org
2. 2American Jewish Year Book series pagespringer.com