Jewishness (Yidishkayt) and Other Problems

Leibush Lehrer was a beloved and prominent teacher, philosopher, writer, and pedagogical theorist in left-wing Yiddish-speaking circles, especially in the United States. Born in Warsaw, Lehrer immigrated to New York in 1919, teaching from that time until his death at the Jewish Teachers Seminary of the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute. He was also deeply involved in the YIVO Institute’s research programs, serving as secretary for the Section on Psychology and Education, member of the National Council for Jewish Education, and longtime principal of the Sholem Aleichem Secondary School. He is perhaps best remembered as the director of the Yiddishist children’s summer retreat Camp Boiberik, a position he held for over four decades.