Through our programs, YIVO makes discoveries and treasures from our collections accessible and fosters the creation of contemporary Jewish culture. Explore our upcoming events below.

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Show:       
Wednesday
Oct 30
7:00pm

Two Revolutionary Jews: Leon Trotsky and Chaim Zhitlowsky

Tony Michels analyzes left-wing Jewish politics since the 19th century, focusing on the seminal Jewish Russian revolutionaries Leon Trotsky and Chaim Zhitlowsky and their radically different answers to the predicament of modern Jewry.

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Wednesday
Nov 6
7:30pm

In Search of Greener Fields: Rurality, Nostalgia, and Ideology in Yiddish-American Folksong

Zeke Levine considers themes of rurality in 20th century Yiddish-American folksong amongst Eastern European antecedents and the emerging American folk revival.

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Thursday
Nov 7
7:00pm

The Yiddish Supernatural on Screen

Rebecca Margolis, in conversation with Olga Gershenson, investigates how translated and subtitled Yiddish dialogue in film and television reimagines Jewish lore and tells new stories, where the supernatural looms over the narrative.

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Monday
Nov 11
1:00pm

Jewish Folk Medicine in Eastern Europe

Marek Tuszewicki examines folk healing practices performed by Eastern European Jews and their intersection with modern medical knowledge, in a discussion led by cultural critic and playwright Rokhl Kafrissen.

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Wednesday
Nov 13
7:00pm

Joseph Brodsky: Epitaph for a Centaur, Six Years Later

Join YIVO for a screening of a short film exploring the poet Joseph Brodsky’s Jewish identity, his legacy, and the political undertones of his writing.

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Monday
Nov 18
1:00pm

Jewish Songs and Dances for Piano: Joel Engel's "A krants yidishe folksnigunim" (1924)

Ryan MacEvoy McCullough and Sahun Sam Hong perform Joel Engel’s A krants yidishe folksnigunim (1924): a collection of Jewish folksongs, dances, Hasidic nigunim, and religious melodies in arrangements for piano and four hand piano.

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Wednesday
Nov 20
1:00pm

Representations of the Israeli Experience in Yiddish Prose, 1948–1967

Gali Drucker Bar-Am, in a conversation led by Barbara Mann, describes how Yiddish-Israeli writers played a vital role in shaping Israel’s cultural identity in its early years.

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Wednesday
Nov 20
7:30pm

'Tefilatah' (Her Prayer): The Female Experience Through the Eyes of Male Composers

Join the American Society for Jewish Music and YIVO for a concert offering a beautiful and culturally rich experience of how various male composers from different eras captured the female experience.

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Monday
Dec 2
1:00pm

Yiddish Language During the Holocaust

Through the lenses of cultural history, philology, and literary interpretation, Hannah Pollin-Galay investigates how the Holocaust radically altered the way many Eastern European Jews spoke Yiddish, in a discussion led by Samuel Kassow.

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Thursday
Dec 5
7:00pm

Proof of Identity

This US premiere of the POLIN Museum’s new documentary by Mikołaj Grynberg offers viewers a glimpse into what it means to be a Polish Jew today. Through interviews with the generation that has had no direct contact with the Holocaust survivors in their families, Grynberg’s film reflects on how Holocaust memory has evolved in Poland.

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Tuesday
Dec 10
7:00pm

Burning Off the Page

Join YIVO for the New York premiere of a documentary about Yiddish poet and fiction writer Celia Dropkin, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Eli Gorn and poet Edward Hirsch.

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Thursday
Dec 19
7:00pm

A Very Jewish Christmas: Jewish Sitcom Characters Navigate December

Jennifer Caplan explores several examples of Jewish television characters attempting to survive the holiday season. A kosher Chinese food dinner will follow the presentation.

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Sunday
Dec 29
3:00pm

Hanukkah Concert 2024 - The Andy Statman Trio

This annual Hanukkah concert showcases songs and stories that charm and delight audiences in celebration of this joyous holiday. This year's concert will feature a performance by The Andy Statman Trio.

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Monday
Mar 10
1:00pm

Yiddish Tangos and Klezmer Mambos

Join YIVO for a panel discussion with Ronald Robboy, Sonia Gollance, and Josh Kun, as they explore the remarkable influence of Latin American music and dance on the culture of Yiddish speaking communities in the United States.

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Thursday
May 1
7:00pm

Falafel, Freilach and Frijoles: From Mambo to Borscht

Enjoy a concert performed by Arturo O’Farrill and his Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra featuring Jewish and Yiddish classics in Afro Latin big band versions and Latin classics in Klezmer arrangements.

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