The NY Times had an article titled An English Talmud for Daily Readers and Debaters about the completion of the Artscroll Schottenstein English Translation of Shas. Here are some interesting tidbits from the article:
- Rabbi Nosson Scherman says the English translation is not intended for yeshiva students, "They'll never study on their own if they use a crutch..."
- ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications invested $21-million in the project.
- The article estimates that 100,000 people learn Daf Yomi World Wide.
- For 14 years, there has been a daily class on the 7:51 a.m. train from Far Rockaway to Penn Station, with 15 to 20 commuters.
- A ceremony to present a virtually complete Talmud set to the Library of Congress was scheduled for Wednesday evening.
- Pesach Lerner the LIRR Maggid Shiur says "There's no question in my mind that the expansion of the Daf Yomi today is a great deal due to the Schottenstein".
- Some of the 72 volumes published so far have already sold 90,000 copies with a list price of $50.
- The last complete English translation was published between 1935 and 1952 by Soncino Press.
- Israeli scholar Adin Steinsaltz is perhaps five years away from completing a 47-volume Hebrew edition aimed largely at secular Israelis. Random House has translated a portion of that in 21 English volumes, but has no plans to publish more.
- The last volume, Yevamot is in galley form and should be ready for the celebration of the conclusion of the Daf Yomi cycle.
- The publishing process costs about $250,000 a volume which is why Art Scroll enlisted donors. - There is a picture in the article of Rabbi Nosson Scherman with a copy of the Steinsaltz Engligh gemorra on his desk.
