YIVO Announces 2023 Yiddish Civilization Lecture Series

(New York, NY) – The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is pleased to announce this year’s Yiddish Civilization Lecture Series, a nine-part series taking place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 22 to July 25. The series will introduce audiences to the breadth and depth of Yiddish civilization in Eastern Europe, New York, and around the world. Tuesday lectures will be delivered in English and Thursday lectures will be delivered in Yiddish.

The lectures will cover topics ranging from history and historiography to literature, poetry, and theater, and feature some of the field’s leading scholars: Kenneth B. Moss, Daniela Smolov Levy, Marion Aptroot, Jonathan Boyarin, Glenn Dynner, Chaya Nove, Avi Blitz, Miriam Trinh, and Shachar Pinsker. All lectures will be hosted on Zoom.

The lecture series was first conceptualized as an extension of YIVO's Uriel Weinreich Summer Program in Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture, the longest running Yiddish intensive program in the world. The 6-week Summer Program offers Yiddish language classes from beginner to advanced levels and a wide variety of cultural and enrichment activities.

In addition to being part of the Summer Program curriculum, the lectures are also open to the general public and are free of charge.

To register and learn more about the lecture series go to summerprogram.yivo.org/LectureSeries.

What:             Freedom, Wholeness, and Social Responsibility in Modern Yiddish Culture
When:            Thursday, June 22, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Kenneth B. Moss
Language:     Yiddish
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Moss

What:             Who Says Opera Is Always Long? Opera Excerpts for Yiddish Speakers in Early Twentieth-Century America
When:            Tuesday, June 27, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Daniela Smolov Levy
Language:     English
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Levy

What:             Libes briv (18th C.): Isaac Wetzlar’s Call for Reform of Jewish Society and Education
When:            Thursday, June 29, 2022 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Marion Aptroot
Language:     Yiddish
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Aptroot

What:             Reb Zalmen, or The Aleksanderer Shtibl in Warsaw
When:            Thursday, July 6, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Jonathan Boyarin
Language:     Yiddish
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Boyarin

What:             The Hasidic Revival on the Eve of the Holocaust
When:            Tuesday, July 11, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Glenn Dynner
Language:     English
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Dynner

What:             Between Tradition and Trend: Popular Culture and Language Use among American Hasidim
When:            Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Chaya Nove
Language:     Yiddish
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Nove

What:             The Tsenerene: The Most Popular Yiddish Book in History
When:            Tuesday, July 18, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Avi Blitz
Language:     English
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Blitz

What:             Chaim Grade’s Two Faces - Poetry and Prose
When:            Thursday, July 20, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Miriam Trinh
Language:     Yiddish
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Trinh

What:             When Yiddish was Young in Israel
When:            Tuesday, July 25, 2023 | 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
Lecturer:       Shachar Pinsker
Language:     English
Where:           On Zoom
Cost:               Free
Register:        yivo.org/YCLS2023-Pinsker

For more information contact:
Alex Weiser
Director of Public Programs

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