YIVO Presents first of its kind conference: Yiddish Anarchism

(New York, NY) – The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research presents a first of its kind conference, Yiddish Anarchism: New Scholarship on a Forgotten Tradition. The conference highlights emerging new scholarship on the forgotten world of Yiddish-speaking anarchists. The conference will take place on Sunday, January 20, 2019 from 10:00am – 8:00pm at the YIVO Institute (in the Center for Jewish History, 15 W 16th Street).

Yiddish-speaking Jewish anarchists were once a pillar of the American anarchist movement before World War II. Centered in New York City, Jewish immigrant radicals loudly voiced their opposition to capitalism, organized religion, and the state. Yiddish-speaking anarchists built militant unions, published anarchist newspapers, and created other organizations to further their cause. Many famous anarchists were linked to this movement, including Johann Most, Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and Rudolf Rocker.

For many years, anarchism was a significant force within the Yiddish cultural landscape. Among other accomplishments, Yiddish-speaking anarchists played a pivotal role in unions like the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU). The most successful and enduring Yiddish anarchist newspaper in the U.S. was the Yiddish language, Fraye arbeter shtime (The Free Voice of Labor).

In the 1930s a second generation of bilingual Jewish anarchists emerged, including Sam and Esther Dolgoff, and Audrey Goodfriend, whose influence is still felt in today’s anarchist movement.

Despite the importance of Yiddish anarchism to the histories of both the U.S. Left and the Jewish community, it has been largely forgotten and occupies only a small space in historical scholarship. This conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars whose multilingual research examines the origin, evolution, and contributions of Jewish anarchism in New York City and beyond. 

Scholars presenting will include Kenyon Zimmer, Tom Goyens, Anna Elena Torres, Mark Grueter, Nina Gurianova, Reynolds Hahamovitch, Lilian Türk, Diana Clarke, and Anatole Dolgoff.

View the full conference schedule

Program: YIDDISH ANARCHISM: New Scholarship on a Forgotten Tradition
When: Sunday, January 20, 2018, 10:00am – 8:00pm
Where: YIVO at the Center for Jewish History | 15 West 16th Street • New York, NY 10011
Tickets are Free | Reservations Available at: yivo.org/Anarchism

The conference is co-sponsored by In geveb: A Journal of Yiddish Studies, Immigration and Ethnic History Society, Labor and Working Class History Association, Tamiment Library at NYU, Working-Class Studies Association, Yiddish Book Center

For any media inquiries please contact:

Alex Weiser
Director of Public Programs
(212) 294-6152

About YIVO

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide. For nearly a century, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression. Our public programs and exhibitions, as well as online and on-site courses, extend our outreach to a global community. The YIVO Archives contains 24 million unique items and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for the study of East European Jewish life in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story