YIVO's 2021 Roundup
We are most grateful to our members and supporters, whose financial support ensured that YIVO was able to continue in its mission and provide enriching content to our global audience. Here are a few highlights:
The Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections Project
YIVO completed the Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections Project (EBYVOC), a historic 7-year, $7 million international initiative to process, conserve and digitize YIVO's divided prewar library and archival collections. These materials, separated by World War II and located in New York and Vilnius, Lithuania, have now been digitally reunited. Comprising approximately 4.1 million pages of archival documents and books, the EBYVOC Project is an international partnership between YIVO, the Lithuanian Central State Archives, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, and the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. The completion of the EBYVOC Project is an epic milestone in the preservation of Eastern European Jewish history and culture. It was completed on schedule and within budget, providing a global audience access to these treasures through a dedicated web portal free-of-charge. We invite you to explore this remarkable collection.
Education at YIVO
YIVO continued to see a strong interest in all things Yiddish as people sought to connect to each other and to their heritage. For the second year in a row, the Uriel Weinreich Program in Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture took place online, with an enthusiastic 92 students from 14 countries. Throughout the year, due to the increased demand, we expanded our seasonal class offerings on the Yiddish language, Jewish history, and Jewish culture. Over twelve hundred students signed up for 74 classes taught by our incredible faculty.
Public Programs
In 2021, we continued hosting programs on Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube with nearly 65 public programs covering a range of Jewish life, history, and culture, including:
- "When I Grow Up" - A Graphic Novel Exploring Interwar Teenage Jewish Life, a book talk focused on New Yorker cartoonist Ken Krimstein's new graphic nonfiction book based on autobiographies from YIVO's archives;
- Nazism, Neo-Nazism, and Music, a lecture exploring how German Nazis used music to help facilitate mass murder during the Holocaust;
- 10 Yiddish Songs by Alexander Krein, a performance of Alexander Krein's Ten Yiddish Songs Op. 49 (c. 1937), performed by singer Lucy Fitz Gibbon with pianist Ryan MacEvoy McCullough; and
- A Taste of Rome's Historic Jewish Cuisine, an online cooking demonstration highlighting some of Rome's best dishes with celebrated cookbook author Leah Koenig.
We also introduced the YIVO Yiddish Club hosted by Shane Baker this year. Each month, Baker is joined by a different guest to discuss their work around a related Yiddish cultural theme. Topics have included puppetry, pop culture, comedy, food, folksong, and more.
We invite you to join us as we continue developing these landmark projects, diverse public programs, and unique educational initiatives. Join or renew your membership today!