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Leo Baeck Institute Inc
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 135659965 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · lbi.org
revenue
$7.9M
expenses
$4.0M
net assets
$18.0M
employees
23
program ratio
73%
mission · from form 990

TO STUDY AND PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF GERMAN-SPEAKING JEWRY.

profile · synthesized from sources

Leo Baeck Institute preserves and studies the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry from the Enlightenment to the present. It maintains a major archive and library, supports scholarly research through fellowships and publications, and makes collections accessible worldwide. The institute collaborates with institutions like the Center for Jewish History to digitize and preserve refugee records and promote academic engagement with Jewish history.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $932K
    ARCHIVES - THE INSTITUTE ARCHIVES IS THE OUTSTANDING COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS OF ITS KIND. INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DEPOSITED THEIR DOCUMENTS AT THE LBI. FAMILY PAPERS, COMMUNITY HISTORIES, AND BUSINESS AND PUBLIC RECORDS DATE BACK CENTURIES AND TOUCH UPON VIRTUALLY EVERY PHASE OF GERMAN-JEWISH LIFE. A UNIQUE COLLECTION OF OVER 2,000 MEMOIRS OFFERS RARE INSIGHTS INTO THE LIVES OF GERMAN JEWS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE FROM 1790 TO THE POST-WAR ERA.
  2. #2 $122K
    ARTS AND EXHIBITS - IN ADDITION TO THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS AND BOOKS HELD BY THE INSTITUTE, THE COLLECTIONS INCLUDE OVER 6,000 THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS. OVER ONE-HALF OF THE ART AND OBJECT COLLECTIONS ARE WORKS CREATED BY GERMAN-JEWISH ARTISTS AND/OR BROUGHT OUT OF GERMANY BY REFUGEES. THE BALANCE OF THE MATERIALS ARE OBJECTS THAT THE FAMILIES FOUND IMPORTANT TO TAKE OUT OF GERMANY, INCLUDING RELIGIOUS ITEMS, MILITARY MEDALS, PHOTO ALBUMS, AND MUCH MORE. THE INSTITUTE USES THESE OBJECTS IN EXHIBITIONS WHEN TELLING THE STORY OF GERMAN-SPEAKING JEWRY.
named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Academic Advisory Board
Provides scholarly guidance and expertise to shape LBI's research direction and programming
Archival Digitization Initiative
Collaborative project with the Center for Jewish History to process, preserve, and digitize major refugee and community collections for online access
Visiting Scholars Program
Supports advanced research in German-Jewish history by hosting scholars at LBI centers in New York and Berlin
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Jewish and Cultural Heritage Archives 2 activities
    • Archival and library operations at the Center for Jewish History
      Operates archive and library departments at the Center for Jewish History in New York, conducts freelance archival processing projects, and maintains a physical presence on 16th Street for public and scholarly access.
    • Digitization and archival preservation of German-Jewish historical materials
      Digitizes millions of pages of documents, books, artworks, and archival records—including rare Renaissance-era books, personal correspondence, and organizational records such as those of the American Federation of Jews from Central Europe (AFJCE) and the Research Foundation for Jewish Immigration (RFJI)—to ensure long-term preservation and expanded access for researchers worldwide.
  • Holocaust and Genocide Remembrance Education 2 activities
    • Public exhibitions and cultural events on German-Jewish life
      Produces and hosts exhibitions, book club discussions, podcast series (e.g., 'The Teacher of Theresienstadt'), and annual lectures featuring leading scholars and public figures to promote public engagement with German-Jewish history and culture.
    • Public programming on free speech, democracy, and German-Jewish history
      Organizes public forums, panel discussions, and events that use materials from the LBI collections to examine contemporary issues such as free speech, memory culture, the Holocaust, and authoritarianism through the lens of German-Jewish history, featuring scholars and public intellectuals.
  • Recognition and Awards Programs 1 activity
    • Honoring contributions to German-Jewish historical preservation
      Recognizes individuals for exceptional contributions through the Leo Baeck Medal, the Moses Mendelssohn Award, and an annual lecture series, honoring achievements in cultural, academic, political, and philanthropic spheres related to German-speaking Jewry.
  • Jewish Textual and Educational Publishing 1 activity
    • Research on Jewish intellectual contributions to liberal democracy
      Conducts research highlighting the role of Jewish thinkers in shaping foundational concepts of free speech and religious freedom in liberal democracies, particularly within German-Jewish intellectual history.
  • Research and Scholarly Fellowship Support 1 activity
    • Support for scholarly research on German-Jewish history
      Provides financial support and research fellowships to Ph.D. candidates and academics, including grants of up to $7,500 and multi-month Ismar Elbogen Scholarships at the Center for Jewish History, for work on ethics, Wissenschaft des Judentums, and modern German-Jewish intellectual history.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$7.88M
Contributions & grants$4.22M54%
Program service revenue$3K0%
Investment income$3.70M47%
Other revenue$-41K
expenses
Total expenses$4.01M
Program expenses73%
Admin / overhead26%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$2.06M
Grants paid out$84K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$18.22M
Cash$2.44M
Investments$14.87M
Liabilities$168K
Net assets$18.05M
Liquid reserves51.9 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +40.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 5
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MARKUS KRAH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 35 $266K
FRANK MECKLENBURG DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH 35 $159K
SALLY CARROLL DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION 35 $121K
RENATE EVERS DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIONS 35 $117K
DAVID BROWN DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HISTORY 35 $116K
board members · 20
  • ABRAHAM F LOWENTHAL — TRUSTEE
  • AJ STRASSER — TRUSTEE
  • ALAN WINTERS — TRUSTEE
  • AMY HOUSTON — TREASURER
  • CHARLES E SCHEIDT — TRUSTEE
  • CHARLES HESDORFFER — TRUSTEE
  • DANIELLE SPERA — TRUSTEE
  • DAVID G MARWELL — PRESIDENT
  • DAVID SORKIN — TRUSTEE
  • DAVID W DETJEN — VICE PRESIDENT
  • DENNIS BAUM — SECRETARY
  • EMARY ARONSON — TRUSTEE
  • ERIKA DREIFUS — TRUSTEE
  • HUBERTA VON VOSS-WITTIG — TRUSTEE (THRU 3/2024)
  • JAMES N DREYFUS — TRUSTEE
  • JOAN C LESSING — VICE PRESIDENT
  • JOSEF JOFFE — TRUSTEE
  • JUDITH KENDE — TRUSTEE
  • MARSHA ROZENBLIT — TRUSTEE
  • MICHAEL A BAMBERGER — VICE PRESIDENT
relationships · 15

Who they work with

  • Center for Jewish History Partner — Collaborated with LBI on the processing and digitization of the AFJCE and RFJI collections.
  • Center for Jewish History Partner — Hosts the Leo Baeck Institute's archives in a shared facility.
  • Center for Jewish History Partner — LBI – New York is a founding partner of the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan.
  • Center for Jewish History Partner — Leo Baeck Institute shares space and collaborates at the Center for Jewish History.
  • Cindy Schweich Handler Partner — Author participating in the LBI Book Club event to discuss her book on Fritz Oppenheimer.
  • Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany Funder — Provided multi-year matching grant funding for the processing and digitization of the AFJCE records.
  • Erna & Heinz Mayer Fund at the LBI Funder — Provided support for the LBI Forum on Free Speech and Democracy series.
  • Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Scholarship Fund (ELES) Partner — Cosponsors the Ismar Elbogen Scholarship to support a research stay at the Center for Jewish History in New York.
  • German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Partner — Jointly provides financial support to American doctoral students and academics for research and publication.
  • Harry Handler Partner — Author and contributor to the book discussed in the LBI Book Club event, providing historical expertise on Fritz Oppenheimer.
  • Jewish Museum Berlin Partner — LBI maintains a branch of its archives at the Jewish Museum Berlin.
  • Jewish Philanthropic Fund Funder — Provided philanthropic funding for the processing and digitization of the AFJCE records.
  • Joshua Malina Partner — New host of the LBI podcast series.
  • Research Foundation for Jewish Immigration Partner — Offshoot of AFJCE whose papers were fully processed alongside the AFJCE collection.
  • Temple Emanu-El Partner — Venue host for the LBI Gala event in New York, NY.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Digital and Collaborative Archival Stewardship for Expanded Access
    methodology: digital_preservation
    By digitizing materials and engaging in collaborative, interdisciplinary stewardship across institutions, LBI preserves endangered cultural heritage and enables global access to research, because digital infrastructure and partnership increase reach, durability, and scholarly utility of archives.
  • Historical Inquiry for Contemporary Democratic Discourse
    methodology: historical_analysis_for_contemporary_insight
    By analyzing German-Jewish historical documents and perspectives, LBI informs contemporary debates on democratic values such as free speech, because historical context enables deeper understanding of current societal challenges.
  • Personal Narrative as Historical Education
    methodology: personal_narrative_historical_education
    By centering individual historical narratives, LBI illustrates how personal agency shapes large-scale historical change, because personal stories make abstract historical forces relatable and pedagogically effective.