New Centennial Coffee Table Book: 100 Objects from the Collections of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
(New York, NY) – In celebration of its centennial year, the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is thrilled to announce the publication of 100 OBJECTS FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE YIVO INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH RESEARCH, available June 22, 2025. This beautifully illustrated book offers a captivating journey through Jewish history presenting 100 remarkable objects drawn from the YIVO Archives and Library.
2025 marks 100 years since YIVO was founded to preserve and document the rich cultural heritage and history of Jewish life, particularly that of Eastern European Jewry. Today, YIVO is recognized as the world’s largest and most comprehensive archive dedicated to the study and preservation of East European Jewish civilization.
The book features insightful essays by 57 leading scholars, including Samuel Kassow, Barbara Kirshenblatt- Gimblett, Anita Norich, David Roskies, Naomi Seidman, Ilan Stavans, and many others, and contributions from YIVO’s own expert staff.
"Small but powerful, each of these objects asks questions, provokes, drives memory and reflection, and causes us to dream," said Jonathan Brent, YIVO's Executive Director & CEO. "These hundred objects are the objects of daily life and daily ritual, and show the remarkable physical, intellectual, and spiritual creativity that has defined Jewish survival over centuries."
Edited by YIVO's Director of Collections, Stefanie Halpern, this elegant coffee table book brings to life unique manuscripts, photographs, objects, and other ephemera from YIVO's unparalleled collections. With a preface by Jonathan Brent and essays from leading scholars in the field, the book chronicles YIVO’s pivotal role in documenting and illuminating key moments in modern Jewish history and culture through its 100 years of collecting. The essays explore a wide spectrum of Jewish life, spanning beliefs and customs, history, the written word, performing and visual arts, labor, youth, the Holocaust and its aftermath, immigration, and YIVO’s own storied legacy.
"Archives and libraries are powerful places. They can create history or erase it," said Halpern. "Collecting and preserving records is a decisive act that shapes what stories we think matter and which individuals, families, organizations, and even nations can have their stories told."
"This book shares but a fraction of the treasures YIVO contains," said Halpern. "It stands as a celebration of YIVO's one hundred years of collecting. It is a showcase of the products of our unwavering devotion to preserving the remnants of our Jewish past, and it represents our continued commitment to protecting these materials for the future."
100 OBJECTS FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE YIVO INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH RESEARCH is now available for pre-order online at the YIVO Store and will be available for purchase during YIVO’s Centennial conference, YIVO in America, taking place at YIVO (located in the Center for Jewish History building located at 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011) on Sunday, June 22, 7:00pm-9:30pm ET and Monday, June 23, 10:00am-9:30pm ET. Both in person and zoom participation is available. The conference will explore how YIVO’s founding vision for Jewish social sciences has been realized in America since its headquarters shifted to New York City in 1940.
View highlights from the book.
For any media inquiries please contact:
Shelly Freeman
Chief of Staff
YIVO
The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, now in its Centennial year, is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East 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 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