People of a Thousand Towns: An Interactive Map

The Learning and Media Center has many new activities and lessons that we are excited to share. Among those we are most proud of is our new People of a Thousand Towns interactive map. On a 75-inch touchscreen display, visitors can explore a map populated by small green dots. Each small green dot represents a town or city in our collection, and upon selecting one of these dots the visitor can view up to nine photos from this locale. Each photo is accompanied by a caption, for example: “A group of yeshiva students” or “A gathering of the Bundist youth group Tsukunft.”

The collection shows the insides of traditional wooden synagogues, studio portraits of families, and views of towns completely unrecognizable from their present day. The map is currently a work in progress; beginning with the area of and surrounding Poland, there are plans to expand the map with towns and images in other areas of Eastern Europe, as we continue to digitize our photographic collections.

The YLMC is currently open by appointment for visiting groups. Are you interested in bringing a class to visit the YIVO Learning and Media Center? Contact Susannah Trubman to schedule your visit today!