YIVO's 2023 Roundup

We are most grateful to our members and supporters, whose generous financial support ensured that YIVO was able to continue in its mission to provide enriching content to our global audience. Here are a few highlights:

Education at YIVO

Over 1,000 students from 25 countries signed up for 82 classes taught by our incredible faculty. Once again, the Uriel Weinreich Summer Program took place both in person and online, enabling 82 students from 20 states and 12 countries to participate.

Public Programs

In 2023, we hosted 80 public programs, which had over 21,000 registrations from 29 countries. Taking place in person and on Zoom, these programs covered a range of Jewish life, history, and culture, including:

• Shir Hashirim — An Operetta by Rumshinsky and Shor, a performance of a reconstructed musical comedy featuring several interlocking love triangles that include an aging composer along with his children and their lovers and friends;
• Remembering Vilna: The Fortunoff Archive’s New Podcast, a discussion exploring the third installment of Those Who Were There: Voices from the Holocaust, a podcast from the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. This new 10-episode season, titled Remembering Vilna: The Jerusalem of Lithuania, was produced in partnership with YIVO;
• Max Weinreich and the Meaning of Yiddish, a panel discussion, moderated by Kalman Weiser and featuring Naomi Seidman, Kenneth Moss, and Jeffrey Shandler, exploring Max Weinreich’s legacy in the field of Yiddish studies; and
• Women in Music Events with Carnegie Hall, a series during Women’s History Month in March celebrating women’s outstanding contributions to music. YIVO hosted three events : Molly Picon as Lyricist, American Jewish Women and New York Opera Culture, and Chana Mlotek: Celebrating a Life of Yiddish Song.

Exhibitions

In 2023, we mounted two exhibitions. The first, After the End of the World: Displaced Persons and Displaced Persons Camps (the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme and Professor Debórah Dwork, together with the YIVO Archives, the United Nations Archives and Records Management Services) opened at United Nations Headquarters in New York City in January 2023. The second, Palestinian Yiddish: A Look at Yiddish in the Land of Israel Before 1948 (curated by Eddy Portnoy, YIVO’s Senior Academic Advisor and Director of Exhibitions) is currently on view at YIVO in the Center for Jewish History building.

YIVO Archives and Library

Two million pages of archival materials were made available online, 30,000 visits to online finding aids and over 350,000 visits to our digital resources were made, and 40,000 complimentary reference photos taken for patrons around the world. YIVO also held another session of its How to Do Research at YIVO, a series in which YIVO archivists Hallel Yadin and Ruby Landau-Pincus provide overviews and how-to guides for newcomers and help researchers access the collections more easily. Sessions have touched on how to use YIVO's databases effectively, how an archive differs from a library, key terminologies associated with archives and libraries, how to access YIVO’s digitized holdings, and how to pursue research projects.

YIVO Learning and Media Center

The YIVO Learning and Media Center held 8 pilot visits for 133 students and visitors this year, introducing them to YIVO’s institutional history, YIVO’s Library and Archives, and select aspects of Jewish and Yiddish history and culture. Several more pilot visits are scheduled for early 2024.

2024 promises to be another exciting year as we continue developing landmark projects, diverse public programs, and unique educational initiatives. Join or renew your membership today!