Michael Baker Yiddish Scholarship Fund

The International Association of Yiddish Clubs (IAYC) has set up a new scholarship fund in honor of Michael Baker. The purpose of the fund is to enable younger people to attend IAYC conferences. Specifically;

  1. It has awarded two scholarships, valued at $500 each, to attend the Tenth IAYC Conference at the Marriott Hotel in Teaneck, New Jersey from July 6-9, 2006. The scholarshisps covers registration and a shared room. The applicant will furnish his or her transportation.
  2. Winners (click to see their bios) --Asya Vaisman is a PhD candidate in Yiddish at Harvard, and Ahron Taub is Senior Cataloger, Hebraica Team Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
  3. The deadline for submitting the application was February 28, 2006.
  4. To be eligible;
    1. An IAYC club must sponsor the applicant.
    2. Applicants should be under the age of forty.
    3. Applicants should either have a working knowledge of the Yiddish language or be taking a Yiddish class.
    4. The application should consist of two sheets.
      The first should be a cover letter by the sponsoring club that states the applicant's name, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address as well as the club's name and address and its contact person. The second is to be written by the applicant and should be no more than one page. It should include the Yiddish courses taken, the applicant's background in Yiddish culture, and the reasons the applicant should be considered for this award.
  5. Application may be made through E-mail at;
    majpaulww2@sbcglobal.net or by snail mail to

    Paul Melrood, IAYC President
    500 W. Bender Rd. #46
    Glendale, WI 53217
    ………………….

Mike Baker was a key member of our IAYC Board. Roz, his wife, stepped in and chaired the last conference in Minneapolis. Mike’s memory of his love for Yiddish will be kept alive by his generous donation to the IAYC Scholarship Fund.

The selection committee choosing the awardees consists of President Paul Melrood (Glendale, Wisconsin), Past President Dr. Harold Black (Southfield, Michigan), and Morrie Feller, Past Treasurer (Phoenix, Arizona).