What CENTRO PRIMO LEVI does

Centro Primo Levi is a New York-based nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of Primo Levi and the history, culture, and current affairs of Italian Jewry. Its mission centers on public education, Holocaust remembrance, and scholarly support through a portfolio of integrated programs: public lectures and academic seminars, the annual Giorno della Memoria reading of deportation names at the Italian Consulate, the recurring online monthly Printed Matter (ISSN 2572-5580), the in-house CPL Editions publishing imprint, and the Bookhouse — a shared bookstore, printshop, and reading room co-located within the American Sephardi Federation at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York). The organization also maintains specialized digital research resources including j-italy (a database of Italian Jewish studies), the Thesaurus of Italian Jewish Music, an online video library, CPL Minidocs short documentaries, and educational archives on the persecution of Jews in Italy.

The center serves scholars and researchers studying Italian Jewish history and the Holocaust, the general public attending free cultural programming, and partner institutions including NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò, CUNY Calandra Institute, the Italian Consulate General in New York, the Italian Cultural Institute, and Magazzino Italian Art. Programs are predominantly free and open to the public, with the organization funded by a concentrated base of roughly a dozen named individual donors and family foundations (Viterbi Family, Lily Safra z'l, Bennett/Polonsky, Kalikow, Slovin, Milano, Ghilardi, and others) plus ongoing support from the Cahnman Foundation. Pricing is "pay-as-you-go" in the loose sense of optional event contributions; only a single $10 Printshop event contribution request is documented, indicating minimal earned revenue.

Operationally, the organization runs on a lean 1–10 person team and is editorially led by Alessandro Cassin (Director of Printed Matter) with graphic concept by Jonathan Wajskol and co-editorship by Natalia Indrimi. There is no evidence of AI/ML, proprietary technology, API integrations, venture funding, or parent company ownership. The competitive position rests on brand association with Primo Levi, a dense institutional co-programming network, and specialized editorial and archival assets that would be costly for new entrants to assemble.

Name

CENTRO PRIMO LEVI

Legal name

Centro Primo Levi

Website

https://primolevicenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centro Primo Levi is a New York-based nonprofit cultural center that preserves and advances Italian Jewish heritage and Primo Levi's legacy through free public programs, academic seminars, the Printed Matter online journal, CPL Editions publishing, and the Bookhouse bookstore in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural and Educational Services (Italian Jewish Heritage)

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE), Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Italian Jewish cultural heritage
• Holocaust remembrance education
• Academic publishing
• Cultural research resources
• Public humanities programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centro Primo Levi is a New York-based cultural and educational organization that offers public programs, academic seminars, fellowships, library resources, exhibitions, films, and research tools focused on Italian Jewish history, culture, and the legacy of Primo Levi. It operates the Bookhouse bookstore and printshop, publishes the Printed Matter online monthly, and releases books through its CPL Editions imprint. The center collaborates with major New York cultural institutions to deliver free public programming and scholarly resources.

Product overview

Centro Primo Levi is a cultural and educational organization offering public programs, academic seminars, library resources, exhibitions, films, and research tools about Italian Jewry. The organization operates several integrated offerings: Printed Matter (an online monthly publication), Bookhouse (a bookstore and printshop in partnership with the American Sephardi Federation), CPL Editions (a publishing imprint), a Video Library, and various research resources including the Thesaurus of Italian Jewish Music, j-italy database, and educational materials on the persecution of Jews in Italy. The center also organizes events, lectures, book launches, and commemorations including the annual Giorno della Memoria ceremony.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Printed Matter: Centro Primo Levi's online monthly dedicated to the work of Primo Levi, Italian Jewish history, culture and current affairs. Director: Alessandro Cassin, Graphic Concept: Jonathan Wajskol - ISSN 2572-5580
• Bookhouse
• CPL Editions
• The Ottoman Catalog
• Printshop
• CPL minidocs
• j-italy

Products and services

• Printed Matter Online monthly publication featuring essays, interviews, and books commentary dedicated to Primo Levi, Italian Jewish history, culture, and current affairs. Directed by Alessandro Cassin with graphic concept by Jonathan Wajskol. Aimed at scholars, researchers, and the general public interested in Italian Jewish culture.
• Bookhouse An intimate physical bookstore, printshop, and reading room located at the American Sephardi Federation featuring books on pre-nation-state era, Ottoman and Mediterranean history and culture. Open to the public on Thursdays 10am-5pm and by appointment. Aimed at readers, scholars, and the general public interested in Italian Jewish, Ottoman, and Mediterranean heritage.
• CPL Editions Publishing imprint of Centro Primo Levi that produces books related to Italian Jewish history, culture, and the legacy of Primo Levi, including titles such as The Renegade by Ariel Toaff and Mine is the Golden Tongue. Sold through the Bookhouse and partner channels.
• The Ottoman Catalog Catalog offering books and materials related to Ottoman history, Mediterranean culture, and related topics. Available through the Bookhouse and associated channels.
• Printshop Letterpress printshop at the Bookhouse offering hands-on printing workshops and services using woodblocks, hand-set type, and manual printing presses. Includes a Print Shop celebration event with a $10 contribution request.
• CPL Minidocs Short documentary films produced by Centro Primo Levi covering Italian Jewish history, culture, and related topics. Distributed online via the center's website.
• Video Library Online archive of videos including performances, lectures, interviews, and documentaries related to Primo Levi and Italian Jewish culture. Available freely online.
• Thesaurus of Italian Jewish Music Online resource for cantors, scholars, and the general public documenting Italian Jewish musical traditions with a searchable database at jewishitalianmusic.org.
• j-italy Online resource for Italian Jewish studies providing a research database related to Italian Jewish history, culture, and literature at j-italy.org.
• The Persecution of the Jews In Italy Educational resource documenting the persecution of Jews in Italy during the Holocaust and Fascist period, providing historical context and primary materials.
• Americordo Resource related to American-Italian Jewish connections and cord recordings, available through the center's website.
• Unpublished Archive of unpublished materials related to Italian Jewish history and culture, accessible through the center's website.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Sephardi FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentro Primo Levi is headquartered at the American Sephardi Federation building at 15 West 16th Street. The Bookhouse is a shared space within ASF. Both organizations collaborate on programming and cultural events.
• Dan Wyman BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan Wyman Books operates from the Bookhouse space, a collaborative arrangement within the shared bookstore environment at the American Sephardi Federation.
• NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli MarimòcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrequent co-presenter of programs and events including the annual Giorno della Memoria commemorations, Primo Levi centennial programming, and academic lectures.
• Italian Consulate General in New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for annual Giorno della Memoria ceremony reading names of deported Jews. Holds ceremonies at the Consulate on Park Avenue.
• CUNY Calandra InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Italian American cultural programming and academic events.
• Magazzino Italian ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCold Spring, NY museum that co-presents programs with Centro Primo Levi, including Primo Levi commemoration events and performances.
• Center for Jewish HistorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouses the Bookhouse space where Centro Primo Levi operates. Provides institutional infrastructure and archival resources.
• Italian Cultural InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of programs including Primo Levi at 100 centennial events and cultural programming.
• Martin E. Segal Theater Center (CUNY)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Playwright in Residence Program and theatrical performances.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Primo Levi International Foundation: International foundation focused on preserving the legacy of Primo Levi through publishing, education, and remembrance. Direct overlap in subject-matter authority and programming with Centro Primo Levi, though headquartered in Italy.
• Magazzino Italian Art: Cold Spring, NY museum dedicated to Italian and Italian Diaspora art that collaborates with Centro Primo Levi on commemorative performances and exhibitions. Comparable in combining Italian cultural authority with philanthropic and programming models.
• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research: A New York-based Jewish research and cultural institution with a comparable mix of archives, scholarly publications, and public programming, also housed at the Center for Jewish History. Overlaps in audience of scholars and readers of Jewish historical material.
• Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò (NYU): NYU's primary Italian cultural programming outpost and a frequent co-presenter with Centro Primo Levi. Comparable in delivering Italian cultural events, lectures, and exhibits to New York academic and general audiences.
• Leo Baeck Institute: Fellow Center for Jewish History tenant focused on the history of German-speaking Jewry. Shares the archival, scholarly publishing, and public-program model and the same institutional address and audience base as Centro Primo Levi.
• CUNY Calandra Institute: Academic center for Italian American studies that co-presents programs with Centro Primo Levi. Highly comparable mission in Italian cultural programming, public events, and scholarly publishing.
• American Sephardi Federation: Hosts Centro Primo Levi at its 15 West 16th Street building and co-presents cultural programming. Both are small Jewish cultural nonprofits in New York with a shared Sephardi/Mediterranean heritage focus and a programming-plus-publishing model.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Jewish History: The umbrella institution that houses both the American Sephardi Federation and Centro Primo Levi's Bookhouse. Operates as a much larger aggregator of Jewish heritage archives, libraries, and programming, providing the institutional infrastructure that Centro Primo Levi relies on.
• The Jewish Museum: Major New York institution for Jewish art and culture exhibitions, education, and public programming. Comparable audience and mission space, but at much larger scale and with broader scope than Centro Primo Levi's Italian Jewish focus.
• Italian Cultural Institute of New York: Official Italian government cultural body in New York and a core programming partner. Operates at much larger scale with facilities, funding, and a broader programming remit, but overlaps significantly with Centro Primo Levi on Italian-Jewish cultural events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-primo-levi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CENTRO PRIMO LEVI