The Blood Libel Then and Now: The Enduring Impact of an Imaginary Event

When: Sunday, October 9th, 2016 | 9:30am-5:30pm
Where: YIVO at the Center for Jewish History | 15 West 16th Street • New York, NY 10011

Tickets are $25, $20 for Members and Students
Reservations Available at: yivo.org/Blood-Libel-Conference

New York, NY – The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research will be exploring the impact of the blood libel over the centuries in a wide variety of geographic regions with a focus on how this genocidal cultural memory was created, elaborated, and transmitted. The accusation that Jews committed ritual murder, known as the blood libel, has been the basis for some of the most hateful examples of organized antisemitism around the world since its fabrication in the Middle Ages. The program, which will be taking place at the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street), will include presentations from scholars from around the world: Elissa Bemporad, Raphael Israeli, David Kerzer, Hillel Kievel, E.M. Rose, Magda Teter, and Barbara Weissberger. Talks will examine well-known incidents and accusations, and address questions about motivations and the historical and cultural contexts of individual accusations. They will address the sources for the accusations, their impact on affected Jewish communities both in the short and the long term, and they will consider how these accusations have been treated in popular culture and learned commentary.

Co-sponsored by Center for Jewish History, American Sephardi Federation, and Yeshiva University Museum

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