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Rating: 
Summary: UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION
Review: As mentioned previously, this is a 3-volume condensation (in English) of a 30-volume Hebrew study. This is obvious if compared with some of the entries in the 1970s Encyclopedia Judaica.It is information not to be found anywhere else, particularly its entries of even the smallest European towns.I found one major fault, and several minor ones.The major fault, and one that I cannot understand, is the complete omission of any cities and towns of Bulgaria, even Sofia!One observation that is debatable, is how many volumes should have been published (and therefore made available to English-speaking readers) and, thus, if made into another volume or two, the obvious space/time limitation would not have been so obvious.Minor criticisms: Rumania, instead of Romania. Many inconsequential and trivial photos; the space could have been used for more detail in places where gross omissions occurred.It is obvious that there is no book like it. The Encyclopedia Judaica is superior for the towns/cities it mentions; but, since EJ covers much else, this set's coverage of so many more towns/cities, makes it unique and essential to anyone who desires this information. Another minor point: Why is Jewabne not mentioned?
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling Memorial
Review: The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust is an index of 6,500 Jewish communities that were destroyed (many completely) by the Nazi regime 1939-1945. It is both a translation and an abridgement of a 30+ volume series in Hebrew, the Pinkasei Kehillot. Entries are generally brief, though major cities (Warsaw, Berlin) get several pages. There are also photographs, both scattered through the work and in a 56-page In Memoriam section at the end. Unlike another reviewer here, I feel that these photographs are not "wasted space," but necessary to help readers understand and connect with the story contained in the volumes. Humans can only process so many statistics -- our brains simply don't deal well with numbers. By putting a picture, a face, on the brief details in this book, the authors make them more real, more compelling. This book is highly recommended as resource for those looking for information on the fate of a particular Jewish community, or seeking to understand the scope of Nazi destruction during the Holocaust. The authors are to be commended.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Memorial
Review: The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust is an index of 6,500 Jewish communities that were destroyed (many completely) by the Nazi regime 1939-1945. It is both a translation and an abridgement of a 30+ volume series in Hebrew, the Pinkasei Kehillot. Entries are generally brief, though major cities (Warsaw, Berlin) get several pages. There are also photographs, both scattered through the work and in a 56-page In Memoriam section at the end. Unlike another reviewer here, I feel that these photographs are not "wasted space," but necessary to help readers understand and connect with the story contained in the volumes. Humans can only process so many statistics -- our brains simply don't deal well with numbers. By putting a picture, a face, on the brief details in this book, the authors make them more real, more compelling. This book is highly recommended as resource for those looking for information on the fate of a particular Jewish community, or seeking to understand the scope of Nazi destruction during the Holocaust. The authors are to be commended.
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