YIVO Hosts New York Premiere of Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm
(New York, NY) – On Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 7:00pm ET, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research will host the New York premiere of SWEDISHKAYT: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm. The documentary film follows YidLife Crisis comedy duo Jamie Elman and Eli Batalion on a visit to Sweden where they unearth a hidden treasure trove of Jewish culture. The premiere will take place at YIVO (15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, located in the Center for Jewish History building). The boychiks from Montreal will introduce the film, followed by a Q&A with YIVO's Senior Academic Advisor & Director of Exhibitions, Eddy Portnoy.
Though Sweden might seem like the last place on earth where Yiddish would hold the status of a protected minority language, the film follows Elman and Batalion as they discover the country’s little-known Jewish history and community. Through their exploration they trace stories of the earliest Jewish immigrants to discovering how Yiddish, an almost-forgotten language, became a protected government-recognized language in Sweden.
“A peek into the lives of our brothers and sisters in the Jewish diaspora, our new film covers the last 250 years of Jewish life in Sweden and a glimpse into their modern-day vibrant community, all in time for the end of 2025, the year that Sweden is officially celebrating 250 years of Jewish life. It's uncanny timing, or as we say in YIVO-speak, bashert,” said Elman.
Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm is a warm and funny portrait of a community that thrives on resilience and reinvention, celebrating the quirky, surprising ways that language and identity continue to evolve. It is a love letter to Jewish happiness, unity, and the delightful discoveries waiting just beyond our comfort zones. With their unique blend of humor and heart, Elman and Batalion remind us that sometimes the most exciting connections pop up where you least expect them—and that Jewish joy is truly universal!
“We're excited and tickled pink (and given our Swedish and Jewish film, pickled pink) to be premiering our latest documentary film Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Since we had the New York premiere our last documentary Chewdaism: A Taste of Jewish Montreal with YIVO, you can say officially say this is…TRADITION,” said Batalion.
This program is co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Sweden in New York, Reboot, the Yiddish Book Center, and Yiddish New York.
What: SWEDISHKAYT: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm
When: Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 7:00pm ET
Where: In person at YIVO, Located in the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011)
Cost: Early Bird Pricing (Before December 1): General Admission $10 / YIVO Members & Students $5
After December 1: General Admission $15 / YIVO Members & Students $10
Reservations Available at: yivo.org/swedishkayt
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
For more information contact:
Shelly Freeman
Chief of Staff
About YidLife Crisis
Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman — the duo of cultural comedians known as YidLife Crisis — are filmmakers and performers from Montreal. With over 25 years of credits across television, theater, music, and film including Mad Men, House MD, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, their work has been showcased at prominent film festivals, including Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, and SXSW. A shared passion for Jewish comedy led them to create “YidLife Crisis,” the first Yiddish-language sitcom, which humorously explores the complexities of modern Jewish life. The show has received several awards and amassed over four million online views, inspiring live performances across North America and Europe. Their documentary works, including the Global Shtetl series, Narishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Krakow, Chewdaism: A Taste of Montreal, and Swedishkayt: YidLife Crisis in Stockholm, continue to explore and celebrate Jewish identity and humor worldwide.
YIVO
The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of Eastern European Jewry worldwide. For 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 global outreach and enable us to share our vast resources. The YIVO Archives contains more than 24 million original items, and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for such study in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story