Long-time New York resident and real estate investor Irving Langer serves on the board of the Jewish education institute Yeshiva Tiferes Yisroel in Brooklyn. Irving Langer also possesses a personal interest in Judaica collections around the world.
In 2021, one of the oldest scrolls from the Book of Esther entered the Judaica collection at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. The Book of Esther is significant in the Jewish religion and is read aloud during the Purim festival. It is also one of the five most revered stories in the Old Testament.
Also known as a megillah, the scroll was written sometime in the 15th century by a Sephardic scholar. Esther scrolls from the Iberian Peninsula are rare, especially those predating the Spanish Inquisition. It is believed there are only a handful in the world. The scroll was gifted to the National Library by a long-time patron. The medieval Book of Esther is now a part of one of the largest Judaica collections in the world.
Irving Langer is a wine connoisseur who published The Kosher Grapevine: Exploring the World of Fine Wine in 2012. Professionally, Irving Langer has achieved success in the property management and development industry as the founder and CEO of E&M Associates in Brooklyn, New York. Outside of his work, Mr. Langer supports Jewish-focused charitable organizations and maintains a strong interest in Judaica collections.
One of the largest Judaica collections is currently housed at the National Library of Israel. It contains over five million items at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Givat Ram campus. Currently, the library’s Judaica collection includes five secondary collections, as well as a reading room, the Gershom Scholem Library, and a rare books collection. In addition to thousands of Hebrew, Latin, and Arabic manuscripts, the library’s rare books collection contains printed books from the 15th and 16th centuries.
For additional information on the National Library of Israel and its collection of rare books, visit http://www.web.nli.org.
Real Estate Executive and Author
Irving Langer 