Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
The Leo Baeck Institute (LBI) New York began in an unexpected place—a former Manhattan apartment of Leonard Bernstein, where the institute stored historical books and documents in repurposed furniture. Their mission? To collect, preserve, and make accessible the invaluable history of German-speaking Jews. At first, the focus was on gathering publications, memoirs, and periodicals, but over time, LBI expanded into one of the world's most significant repositories of Jewish history. Thanks to the work of pioneers like Max Kreutzberger and Irmgard Foerg, LBI now holds thousands of rare volumes and archival materials, ensuring that these stories live on.
🏢 Building at 1239 Broadway in Manhattan, New York
📸 Leonard Bernstein by Jack Mitchell CC BY-SA 4.0
📸 Max Kreutzberger, the LBI’s 1239 Broadway office, ca. 1958. LBI Archives
He became one of the first directors of the LBI New York. He built the LBI New York into a scholarly institution in its first ten years.
📸 LBI’s first librarian Irmgard Foerg at LBI’s first office on 1239 Broadway, New York, 1960. LBI Archives
📖 Paul Christian Kirchner, Jüdisches Ceremoniel, Nürnberg, 1726. Rare books collection at the LBI Library
lbi.org
#JewishHistory #LBI #NYC #PreservingHeritage #HistoryMatters
The Leo Baeck Institute (LBI) New York began in an unexpected place—a former Manhattan apartment of Leonard Bernstein, where the institute stored historical books and documents in repurposed furniture. Their mission? To collect, preserve, and make accessible the invaluable history of German-speaking Jews. At first, the focus was on gathering publications, memoirs, and periodicals, but over time, LBI expanded into one of the world's most significant repositories of Jewish history. Thanks to the work of pioneers like Max Kreutzberger and Irmgard Foerg, LBI now holds thousands of rare volumes and archival materials, ensuring that these stories live on.
🏢 Building at 1239 Broadway in Manhattan, New York
📸 Leonard Bernstein by Jack Mitchell CC BY-SA 4.0
📸 Max Kreutzberger, the LBI’s 1239 Broadway office, ca. 1958. LBI Archives
He became one of the first directors of the LBI New York. He built the LBI New York into a scholarly institution in its first ten years.
📸 LBI’s first librarian Irmgard Foerg at LBI’s first office on 1239 Broadway, New York, 1960. LBI Archives
📖 Paul Christian Kirchner, Jüdisches Ceremoniel, Nürnberg, 1726. Rare books collection at the LBI Library
lbi.org
#JewishHistory #LBI #NYC #PreservingHeritage #HistoryMatters
