By Adi Weinberg
During her short lifetime, Dr. Hindi Krinsky managed to touch the lives and hearts of hundreds within the Long Island and Brooklyn communities. By dedicating herself entirely to her position as teacher of English Literature at a local high school, she inspired a love of literature and an appreciation of reading in every student she taught. Hindi passed away in 2018, leaving behind an aching family of 6 and a community of educators and students.
In order to fill the gap left behind by this loss, Dovid Kanarfogel, Hindi’s husband, and Leslie Gang, a community member and Hindi’s former co-worker, founded Hindi’s Libraries. This organization works to support youth literacy by donating reading materials to children in underserved communities around the world. The goal of Hindi’s Libraries is to give children the opportunity to fall in love with reading outside of their education in memory of Hindi’s ultimate passion.
Leslie and Dovid, the leaders behind the organization, are responsible for forging new pathways for the cause in fresh and imaginative ways. By collaborating with people and organizations around the world, they have succeeded in donating over 250,000 books to communities spanning across 50 states in the U.S. and 6 different countries.
The books have been distributed to more than 600 recipient organizations with various missions in order to help them give back to the children within their communities. Book drives to support and contribute to Hindi’s Libraries have been organized across the country by individuals dedicated to the cause. The global impact of the organization has succeeded in giving thousands of children the opportunity to access enjoyable reading materials.
As one of Hindi’s former students, I have been personally transformed by my experience learning with her in the year before her untimely passing. Hindi trained me to adopt a new perspective on and appreciation for reading. She formed personal connections to her students by welcoming them into her home and lending books from her personal collection. She encouraged students to view literature as a guide, as we moved through our years in high school.
Image courtesy of Hindi’s Libraries 
Image courtesy of Hindi’s Libraries
Above all, Hindi strongly believed in the magic of words and their ability to inspire and ground people. Hindi taught me to “always keep reading— it will ensure your humanity, your empathy, and your spirit.”
The importance of giving children the opportunity to read for personal enjoyment as an aid for growth and maturation is championed by Hindi’s Libraries. The organization strives to honor Hindi’s memory each and every day by giving the gift of literature to children who would not otherwise have access to it.
Adi Weinberg is from Cedarhurst, New York and is currently a student studying English Literature at Binghamton University. She has been interning with Hindi’s Libraries since June 2021 in order to preserve and honor the memory of her beloved former English teacher. She has also formed a student-run book club at Binghamton University in memory of Hindi in order to spread the joy of literature.
