Unquestionably, Chaim Grade’s archive (“Fight Over Grade’s Archive Gets Messier,” Sept. 24) belongs in the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, an institution that he loved, especially its late head librarian, Dina Abramowicz, a landsman from Vilna. He would visit her often and chat for hours. When, as associate librarian of YIVO, I was speaking with Dina and Chaim Grade phoned, I knew that conversation would be very long.
YIVO specialized in Yiddish literature long before any of the other institutions named in the article. I hope Grade’s collection will not be sold to the highest bidder, but deposited in the archive where it is most likely to be used.
I consider Grade a fabulous writer and understand why his late wife insisted on a translator who would understand his many learned allusions to classic Jewish literature.
Professor of Library
and Information Science
St. John’s University
Queens
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