David E. Fish­man teach­es his­to­ry at the Jew­ish The­o­log­i­cal Sem­i­nary in New York. His involve­ment with the sto­ry recount­ed in The Book Smug­glers began twen­ty-five years ago when he was invit­ed to con­sult on items dis­cov­ered in a for­mer church in Vil­nius. He is the author of four schol­ar­ly mono­graphs and one textbook.