YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research YIVO had a special focus on the Jews of Eastern Europe, but collected books, manuscripts and other artifacts from Jewish communities around the world.
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Dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression through public programs, exhibitions, classes, and more. The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research was founded by scholars and intellectuals in Vilna, Poland, in 1925 to document and study Jewish life in a

ll its aspects: language, history, religion, folkways, and material culture. It grew to be a beloved communal institution with active members from Buenos Aires to Shanghai. World War II and the Holocaust forced YIVO’s relocation to New York in 1940. Its collections in Vilna were looted by the Nazis. Jews were forced to sort through YIVO's materials and many risked their lives to smuggle some of the rare treasures to hiding places in the Vilna Ghetto. With the help of the U.S. Army, YIVO was able to recover some of the materials that the Nazis seized and begin its work anew in America. After the war, some of the materials hidden in the ghetto were recovered, but needed to be rescued once again, this time from the Soviets. A courageous Lithuanian librarian, Antanas Ulpis, kept them hidden for over 40 years. Rediscovered in 1988, these materials are now held in the Lithuanian Central State Archives and Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. Today, YIVO’s collections are the primary source of the documentary history of East European Jewry and the surviving record of millions of lives of Jewish victims of the Holocaust. YIVO brings treasures from its library and archives to broad audiences via a rich array of programs, including lectures, concerts, and exhibitions; adult education and Yiddish-language programs and courses; books and scholarly publications; and fellowships for scholars. In 2015, YIVO launched The Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Collections Project, a $7 million, 7-year landmark digital initiative to reunites YIVO’s divided prewar library and archival collections and remants of the famed Strashun Library through a dedicated web portal. It is a partnership between the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, the Lithuanian Central State Archives, and the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.

“If you guys were two or three days later, I wouldn’t have made it.”
09/01/2026

“If you guys were two or three days later, I wouldn’t have made it.”

For decades, Hilbert ‘Hibby’ Margol kept quiet about what he saw in 1945. Now, at 102, the WWII veteran is racing to tell his story while he still can

On the 120th anniversary of her birth, we remember renowned folklorist and singer Ruth Rubin, whose work preserved more ...
09/01/2026

On the 120th anniversary of her birth, we remember renowned folklorist and singer Ruth Rubin, whose work preserved more than 2,000 Yiddish folksongs. Join us next week for a special discussion with Isabel Frey, Miriam Borden, and moderator Mark Slobin as they examine the enduring impact of her life's work.

Join us for a discussion featuring new scholarship drawing on Ruth Rubin's work by Isabel Frey and Miriam Borden, moderated by Mark Slobin, in honor of what would have been Rubin's 120th birthday.

“I sometimes neglected my own safety and stayed in the lesson because I didn’t want to miss anything studying Yiddish.”
09/01/2026

“I sometimes neglected my own safety and stayed in the lesson because I didn’t want to miss anything studying Yiddish.”

In Lviv, where Jewish headstones were once quarried for pavement, YIVO's new program opens the Yiddish world to young Ukrainians

Perl Teitelbaum guides advanced Yiddish students through the next stage of their language study, balancing formal gramma...
08/31/2026

Perl Teitelbaum guides advanced Yiddish students through the next stage of their language study, balancing formal grammar with active conversation and increasingly confident reading.

This weekly standard class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Advanced I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.

Advanced Yiddish study opens new opportunities to engage more confidently with literature, conversation, and complex lan...
08/30/2026

Advanced Yiddish study opens new opportunities to engage more confidently with literature, conversation, and complex language while learning alongside a community of dedicated students from around the world.

This fall, YIVO is offering four levels of advanced Yiddish classes.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, most of our programs are free or low-cost. But sustaining this work—bringing...
08/30/2026

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, most of our programs are free or low-cost. But sustaining this work—bringing leading scholars, artists, and thinkers to audiences everywhere—requires real resources. Your support will fuel new initiatives, reach new audiences, and connect new generations to their heritage.

Your support will fuel new initiatives, reach new audiences and connect new generations to their heritage.

Nina Warnke leads students into the next stage of Yiddish with practical conversation, reading, writing, and listening a...
08/29/2026

Nina Warnke leads students into the next stage of Yiddish with practical conversation, reading, writing, and listening alongside songs, poems, stories, and proverbs connected to the High Holidays.

This weekly class develops listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.

"This will involve using AI to find patterns in looted art and investigating whether those patterns are replicated in ar...
08/29/2026

"This will involve using AI to find patterns in looted art and investigating whether those patterns are replicated in art databases where no looted art has heretofore been identified. We have only scratched the surface of how AI can assist in provenance research."

More than 100,000 artifacts stolen by N***s have never been returned to their owners. Researchers are turning to artificial intelligence to help.

08/28/2026

“University presidents and boards of governors must make antisemitism a priority on their to-do list.” https://ow.ly/biZQ50ZxHWy

08/28/2026

An iconic part of Ruth Rubin's live performances were loose-leaf binders that she used to organize and present folk materials to the audiences of her time. She consulted them for song lyrics, quotes, and historical information. Find out more about Ruth Rubin's legacy by joining us on 9/10 for an exploration of the her pioneering fieldwork.

Address

15 W 16th Street
New York, NY
10011

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+12122466080

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