JBI International
Encyclopedia
JBI International, formerly the Jewish Braille Institute, is an international non-profit organization created to assist visually impaired and reading disabled
people around the world by providing access to publications in Braille
, Large Print and Audio. Publications are made available in English
, Hebrew, Hungarian
, Russian
, Polish
, Romanian
, Spanish
and Yiddish. The organization maintains a circulating library of books particularly related to Judaism
and Jewish culture.
borough
of New York City
by Leopold Dubov, with the assistance of Rabbi
Michael Aaronson. JBI was funded in large part by the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, to whom Aaronson appealed on Dubov's behalf for assistance. In spite of its location specific name, it's foundational purposes included compiling a census
of blind Jews throughout the world and publishing a free international Braille magazine of Jewish culture. It also intended to adapt the Moon type
writing system
into Yiddish and Hebrew and to devise an international Hebrew Braille
code. Other focuses included the religious instruction of blind Jewish children and the development of a Braille library for blind Jewish people of all ages.
By 1932, the JBI had begun publication of its monthly The Jewish Braille Review and opened its library. The National Federation, now known as the Women of Reform Judaism, continued to support the JBI, not only financially but through service, developing an international network of members to assist in translating for and disseminating books to its target audience.
, was called upon by JBI to under the first translation of the Hebrew Bible
into Braille. She worked on the task of translation singlehandedly for five years, although proofreaders scrutinized her work, before she completed the first Braille edition of the Hebrew Bible. In 1950, JBI International published the first Braille Torah
.
In 1955, the JBI began a drive to help blind Jewish children achieve maturity in the Jewish faith through direct intervention or correspondence courses. In 1956, the Canadian Jewish Review
opined that, "the insitute has become the source of Jewish culture and learning for the blind", noting that the International Hebrew Braille Code it had created had been used "to supersede and replace several regional Hebrew Braille alphabets that had long been considered inadequate."
, then in her late 70s, sent a message to its dedication ceremony indicating that "With pride, I still read the Jewish Braille Review, which the Institute publishes for the blind, and bless the spirit of sympathy and brotherhood in which it serves both Jews and Christians in many lands." By 1961, it housed in its library there 10,000 books in Braille as well as an extensive collection of audio books. In 1968, it moved again to 110 East 30th Street in Manhattan, where it has remained.
In 1972, when its library consisted of over 20,000 volumes, the new headquarters made press by developing a "touch-and-smell fragrance garden" on its grounds for the benefit of the blind. At that time, the JBI facilities also included a sound studio
wherein it could produce its audio books.
The Institution was renamed in 2001.
Reading disability
A reading disability is a condition in which a sufferer displays difficulty reading resulting primarily from neurological factors. Developmental Dyslexia, Alexia , and Hyperlexia.-Definition:...
people around the world by providing access to publications in Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
, Large Print and Audio. Publications are made available in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Hebrew, Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Yiddish. The organization maintains a circulating library of books particularly related to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Jewish culture.
History
JBI International was founded as the Jewish Braille Institute of America on April 22, 1931 in the ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Leopold Dubov, with the assistance of Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Michael Aaronson. JBI was funded in large part by the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, to whom Aaronson appealed on Dubov's behalf for assistance. In spite of its location specific name, it's foundational purposes included compiling a census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of blind Jews throughout the world and publishing a free international Braille magazine of Jewish culture. It also intended to adapt the Moon type
Moon type
The Moon System of Embossed Reading is a writing system for the blind, using embossed symbols mostly derived from the Roman alphabet...
writing system
Writing system
A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...
into Yiddish and Hebrew and to devise an international Hebrew Braille
Hebrew braille
Hebrew Braille is the system of Braille used by Hebrew readers and speakers. The International Hebrew Braille Code in wide usage throughout the world was devised in the 1930s and completed in 1944. It is based on the standard Braille system, with additional letters devised to accommodate...
code. Other focuses included the religious instruction of blind Jewish children and the development of a Braille library for blind Jewish people of all ages.
By 1932, the JBI had begun publication of its monthly The Jewish Braille Review and opened its library. The National Federation, now known as the Women of Reform Judaism, continued to support the JBI, not only financially but through service, developing an international network of members to assist in translating for and disseminating books to its target audience.
The International Hebrew Braille Code
One of the primary challenges faced by the JBI was the lack of a uniform Hebrew Braille. JBI assembled an international panel to address the problem, and the first iteration of the International Hebrew Braille Code was produced in 1936, undergoing further refinements until its completion in 1944. One of the early masters of the new alphabet, Mrs. Harry A. Cole of Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, was called upon by JBI to under the first translation of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
into Braille. She worked on the task of translation singlehandedly for five years, although proofreaders scrutinized her work, before she completed the first Braille edition of the Hebrew Bible. In 1950, JBI International published the first Braille Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
.
In 1955, the JBI began a drive to help blind Jewish children achieve maturity in the Jewish faith through direct intervention or correspondence courses. In 1956, the Canadian Jewish Review
Canadian Jewish Review
The Canadian Jewish Review was a Canadian weekly newspaper, published in English between 1921 and 1966.The Canadian Jewish Review merged with the Canadian Jewish Chronicle in 1966, to become the Chronicle Review...
opined that, "the insitute has become the source of Jewish culture and learning for the blind", noting that the International Hebrew Braille Code it had created had been used "to supersede and replace several regional Hebrew Braille alphabets that had long been considered inadequate."
Relocation
As the insitutition grew, it relocated several times. In 1953, it moved to 101 West Fiftyfifth Street. In 1959, it relocated its headquarters to East 48th Street of New York City; Helen KellerHelen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
, then in her late 70s, sent a message to its dedication ceremony indicating that "With pride, I still read the Jewish Braille Review, which the Institute publishes for the blind, and bless the spirit of sympathy and brotherhood in which it serves both Jews and Christians in many lands." By 1961, it housed in its library there 10,000 books in Braille as well as an extensive collection of audio books. In 1968, it moved again to 110 East 30th Street in Manhattan, where it has remained.
In 1972, when its library consisted of over 20,000 volumes, the new headquarters made press by developing a "touch-and-smell fragrance garden" on its grounds for the benefit of the blind. At that time, the JBI facilities also included a sound studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
wherein it could produce its audio books.
The Institution was renamed in 2001.