YIVO Institute Honors Theodore Bikel

New York, NY (June 18, 2015) – On June 18, two legends came together as the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research celebrated the life of Theodore Bikel – world-renowned actor, singer, author, and activist – and announced the creation of the Sholem Aleichem Family Legacy Collection. Bikel, the foremost interpreter of Aleichem’s work, received the YIVO Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to popularizing Yiddish culture at the organization’s 13th Annual Heritage Gala, which took place at YIVO’s headquarters at 15 West 16th Street.

Writer and critic Leon Wieseltier presented Bikel with his award, and musical guests Lorin Sklamberg (The Klezmatics), Daniel Kahn, and Shura Lipovsky honored one of the world’s most beloved singers – a founder of the Newport Folk Festival whose long musical career encompasses folk, opera, orchestral, Yiddish and Israeli music. To the audience’s delight, Bikel joined the musical performance for several songs. Academy Award nominated director Murray Lerner created a film tribute for the event featuring never-before-seen footage from Bikel’s performances at the Newport Film Festival. Artistic Director of New York's Center for Traditional Music and Dance Ethel Raim, media personality and author Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and founding director of Storahtelling Inc. and the spiritual leader of Lab/Shul Amichai Lau-Lavie also spoke at the event.

Bikel has long been associated with Sholem Aleichem’s most famous creation, Tevye the Milkman. Now 91, Bikel has played the role on stage more than 2,000 times. In addition to creating two musical plays about the great Yiddish author, the actor has explored Aleichem’s work in a critically acclaimed film, Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholem Aleichem, which was released in 2014 and has been shown at Jewish film festivals around the world.

“We were thrilled to honor this great performer, who exemplifies YIVO’s mission:  to make Yiddish language and culture come alive, and to bring them to audiences around the world,” said Jonathan Brent, YIVO’s executive director. “In particular, no one has done more to popularize the work of Sholem Aleichem. It is fitting that we recognized Theodore Bikel as we introduced the Sholem Aleichem Family Legacy Collection at YIVO.”

The collection was donated in memory of Bel Kaufman, Sholem Aleichem’s granddaughter, by her children, Thea and Jon Goldstine. It includes rare family treasures, such as a photo album with never-before-seen photographs, as well as writings by the author’s daughter and granddaughter. (Kaufman wrote the best-selling novel Up the Down Staircase, and her mother, Lala Rabinowitz Kaufman, was also a writer.) Members of the Kaufman family attended the event. In May 2016, YIVO is mounting an exhibition featuring materials from the Sholem Aleichem Family Legacy Collection, on the 100th anniversary of Sholem Aleichem’s passing.

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