YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

Museums, Historical Sites, and ZoosNew York, United States51-200 Employees

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is the leading academic center for East European and Russian Jewish Studies, specializing in Yiddish language, literature, and folklore; the Holocaust; and the American Jewish experience. YIVO preserves, studies, shares, and perpetuates knowledge of the history and culture of East European Jewry to advance scholarship, to strengthen community and lay a foundation of self-knowledge and pride for future generations.

Founded in 1925 with support from leading intellectuals and scholars like Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, YIVO was based in Wilno (now Vilna) until forced by WWII to relocate to New York. YIVO is the only prewar Jewish archives and library to survive the Holocaust.

YIVO’s archives and library represent the largest and most comprehensive collection of materials on East European Jewish civilization, and receives upwards of 5,000 on-site visits and requests annually. The YIVO archives’ ~23 million items include sound and music collections, theater and art collections, communal and personal records, photographs and films, manuscripts, diaries, memoirs, and correspondence. YIVO’s library has nearly 400,000 volumes in all European languages, and contains the largest collection of Yiddish-language books, pamphlets, and newspapers.

YIVO’s Uriel Weinreich Program in Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture, was established in 1968 and is the oldest intensive Yiddish language-learning program. YIVO’s rules for transliteration of Yiddish into English are the standard used by most publishers and academics. YIVO offers adult education and Yiddish language programs, research opportunities, and scholarly publications, including YIVO’s Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe, one of the world’s most comprehensive and free online encyclopedia. YIVO offers lectures, conferences, concerts, theatrical performances, film screenings, and exhibitions, featuring award-winning scholars, writers, performers, artists, and more.

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