Uploaded July 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Open Road Media celebrates the life of acclaimed writer Bel Kaufman, who passed away on July 25, 2014 at the age of 103.
Kaufman was a bestselling writer, dedicated teacher, and lecturer best known for her 1965 novel Up the Down Staircase, a classic portrayal of life in the New York public school system.
Kaufman was born in Berlin, the daughter of Russian parents and granddaughter of celebrated Yiddish writer Sholom Aleichem. Her family moved to Odessa when she was three, and Russian was her native language. The family also lived in Moscow before immigrating to New York City when Kaufman was twelve. There, she graduated magna cum laude from Hunter College and with high honors from Columbia University. Kaufman then worked as a high school teacher in the city for three decades. The success of Up the Down Staircase launched her second career as a sought-after speaker for events around the country.
Open Road Media celebrates the life of acclaimed writer Bel Kaufman, who passed away on July 25, 2014 at the age of 103.
Kaufman was a bestselling writer, dedicated teacher, and lecturer best known for her 1965 novel Up the Down Staircase, a classic portrayal of life in the New York public school system.
Kaufman was born in Berlin, the daughter of Russian parents and granddaughter of celebrated Yiddish writer Sholom Aleichem. Her family moved to Odessa when she was three, and Russian was her native language. The family also lived in Moscow before immigrating to New York City when Kaufman was twelve. There, she graduated magna cum laude from Hunter College and with high honors from Columbia University. Kaufman then worked as a high school teacher in the city for three decades. The success of Up the Down Staircase launched her second career as a sought-after speaker for events around the country.
