Through our programs, YIVO makes discoveries and treasures from our collections accessible and fosters the creation of contemporary Jewish culture. Explore our upcoming events and join us at YIVO soon.
To do our part to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus, YIVO is temporarily closed until further notice. In place of our regularly scheduled in-person programs during this time we are offering live and pre-recorded programs online. Find out about our upcoming online programs below and be sure to follow us on Facebook, where we are hosting Live check-ins and mini-lectures throughout each week.
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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.
[WY2025] The Lullaby of Second Avenue: Yiddish Urban Theater (Sunday)
Mikhl Yashinsky examines a series of powerful theatrical scenes to explore the motivating forces and inspiration behind their creation.
[WY2025] Alefbeys Workshop
Josh Price prepares students to start learning Yiddish with an introduction to the Yiddish alphabet, basic reading, writing, and pronunciation.
[WY2025] Introduction to Ashkenazi Jewish Foodways
Eve Jochnowitz examines how Ashkenazic foodways, along with the Yiddish language and the rhythms of Jewish practice, formed the medium in which Jewish life was and is lived in the Yiddish world.
[WP2025] Outside the Synagogue: Traditional Songs and Nigunim of Eastern Yiddish Speakers
Michael Lukin explores the various genres of Yiddish folk songs and old Hasidic wordless nigunim, including ballads, folk paraphrases, cumulative songs, lullabies, lyric songs, and “cleaving nigunim,” as well as dance, march, and joy-nigunim.
[WP2025] In the Aftermath of the National Origins Act, 1924-1928
Hasia Diner examines landmark moments in the half decade between the passage of the National Origins Act and the 1929 onset of the Great Depression that shaped Jewish life in America.
[WP2025] Desire in Yiddish Literature
Anita Norich explores a range of familiar and unfamiliar Yiddish stories and poems to consider how Yiddish writers responded to the social and political issues of their day: emigration/immigration, various forms of nationalism, socialism, religious belief, and rejection of religious observance.
[WP2025] Whitewash: Holocaust Distortion in Poland and Beyond
Jan Grabowski sheds light on the origins of Holocaust distortion as well as its impact on Holocaust memory and Holocaust education in Poland, in Europe, and beyond.
[WP2025] Making and Unmaking Jews in our Post-Pandemic Age of Antisemitism
Sander Gilman discusses the ever-shifting meaning of being a Jew in our contemporary debates about antisemitism, looking at the continuities and discontinuities both among those who define themselves as Jewish and those who seek to define Jews, both from within and without.
[WP2025] Jewish Languages
Ilan Stavans tackles questions such as what constitutes a Jewish language, why have some developed more than others, when and where Jewish languages emerge from, and how Jewish languages die, if and when they do.
[WY2025] The Lullaby of Second Avenue: Yiddish Urban Theater (Tuesday)
Mikhl Yashinsky examines a series of powerful theatrical scenes to explore the motivating forces and inspiration behind their creation.
[WP2025] Jewish Intellectuals and the Birth of the Nuclear Era
Alex Wellerstein tracks the key figures, ethical debates, and geopolitical influences of Jewish scientists on the creation, proliferation, and plans for the use of nuclear weapons, beginning with the rise of Jewish prominence in theoretical physics in the early 1900s.
[WY2025] Yiddish Folktales
Vera Szabó studies Yiddish folktales for a glimpse into the spoken language, as well as thoughts, desires, fears, and fantasies of those who told and listened to them.
[WP2025] Encounters with Mephistopheles
Jonathan Brent explores the ultimate source of evil as it has been visualized and understood in the twentieth century by Thomas Mann and Arnošt Lustig whose works evolved out of their immediate experiences with Nazi totalitarianism.
[WP2025] Entertaining America: Jews and Hollywood
J. Hoberman examines the relationship between Jews and Hollywood, as producers, artists, and symbolic figures.
[WY2025] Yiddish Argentina: Countryside, City, Stage, and Tango – A YIVO Centennial Retrospective
Abraham Lichtenbaum delves into the history of the Jewish population, Yiddish language and culture, and YIVO in Argentina.
[WY2025] Contrasting Styles, Common Themes: A Taste of Modern Yiddish Prose
Eugene Orenstein explores the development of a modern Yiddish prose style as seen in stories by Sholem Asch, Dovid Bergelson, Yosef Opatoshu, and Moyshe Nadir.
On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice
Adam Kirsch shows how the concept of settler colonialism emerged in the context of North American and Australian history and how it is being applied to Israel today.
2025 Summer Program Information Session
Have you always wanted to study Yiddish at the YIVO-Bard Summer Program? Are you wondering what it would be like to take the program online or in person? Join faculty and staff of the Summer Program for a brief information session.
[WY2025] Seasons in Yiddish Song
Perl Teitelbaum explores folksongs passed down from generation to generation and songs by beloved poets and composers.
Autocracies in the 21st Century
For the 2025 Winter Program Keynote, Anne Applebaum and Jonathan Brent discuss how autocracies have evolved in the 21st century.
Person Place Thing with Zalmen Mlotek and Steven Skybell
Join YIVO and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene for a recording of the public radio show, Person Place Thing, with actor Steven Skybell and Artistic Director of the NYTF Zalmen Mlotek, hosted by humorist Randy Cohen
“America – A New World for Jewish Children”: An Unknown Letter by Sholem Aleichem in the YIVO Archives
Yael Levi examines an unpublished letter by Sholem Aleichem, situating it within the historical and cultural context of his biography and epistolary legacy, with a particular focus on the pivotal period of Jewish migration and the experience of East European Jewish children in America.
2025 Summer Program Information Session
Have you always wanted to study Yiddish at the YIVO-Bard Summer Program? Are you wondering what it would be like to take the program online or in person? Join faculty and staff of the Summer Program for a brief information session.
2025 Summer Program Information Session
Have you always wanted to study Yiddish at the YIVO-Bard Summer Program? Are you wondering what it would be like to take the program online or in person? Join faculty and staff of the Summer Program for a brief information session.
[SPR2025] Beginner I Yiddish (Sunday)
This weekly class covers the alef-beys and grammar, vocabulary, and conversational basics. It is for those who are new to the Yiddish language or would like a review.
[SPR2025] Intermediate III Yiddish (Monday)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Intermediate II Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Intermediate I Yiddish (Tuesday)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner IV Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Intermediate III Yiddish (Tuesday)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Intermediate II Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Beginner IV Yiddish (Tuesday)
This weekly class develops listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner III Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
The YIVO Library in New York: Personal Reflections on Its History and Collections
Zachary M. Baker offers personal reflections on the legacy of the YIVO Library, focusing on its collections and leading personalities after its move to New York City in 1940.
[SPR2025] The Poetry of Dovid Hofshteyn
Eugene Orenstein analyzes selected texts by Dovid Hofshteyn in order to appreciate the genius of his poetics and the synthesis of his Jewishness and universalism.
[SPR2025] Advanced Topics in Yiddish Literature & Grammar: Autobiographical Writing in Yiddish
This twice-weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Intensive Advanced II Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Intermediate I Yiddish (Sunday)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner IV Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Intermediate II Yiddish
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Intermediate I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Beginner II Yiddish (Sunday Morning)
This weekly class develops listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Beginner III Yiddish
This weekly class develops listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner II Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
2025 Summer Program Information Session - Advanced Levels
Are you thinking of returning to the Summer Program to continue your advanced studies? Join Summer Program faculty and staff for a brief information session about YIVO’s advanced levels.
[SPR2025] Jewish Warsaw
Samuel Glauber uses Jewish Warsaw as a lens by which to study the larger movements that characterized Jewish life in Eastern Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
[SPR2025] Beginner II Yiddish (Sunday Afternoon)
This weekly class develops listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Advanced Topics in Yiddish Literature & Grammar: The Generation Gap
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is is appropriate for Yiddish students at the advanced level.
[SPR2025] Advanced II Yiddish (Sunday Afternoon)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Advanced I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Advanced II Yiddish (Sunday Evening)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Advanced I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Beginner II Yiddish (Monday)
This weekly class develops listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Intermediate IV Yiddish (Monday Morning)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Intermediate III Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Advanced I Yiddish
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Intermediate IV Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Intermediate IV Yiddish (Monday Afternoon)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Intermediate III Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Beginner I Yiddish (Monday In-person)
This weekly class covers the alef-beys and grammar, vocabulary, and conversational basics. It is for those who are new to the Yiddish language or would like a review.
[SPR2025] Beginner I Yiddish (Monday)
This weekly class covers the alef-beys and grammar, vocabulary, and conversational basics. It is for those who are new to the Yiddish language or would like a review.
[SPR2025] Beginner IV Yiddish (In-person)
This weekly class enhances listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner III Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Beginner I Yiddish (Tuesday)
This weekly class covers the alef-beys and grammar, vocabulary, and conversational basics. It is for those who are new to the Yiddish language or would like a review.
[SPR2025] Beginner II Yiddish (In-person)
This weekly class develops listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills. It is primarily for students who have completed Beginner I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
[SPR2025] Beginner I Yiddish (Tuesday In-person)
This weekly class covers the alef-beys and grammar, vocabulary, and conversational basics. It is for those who are new to the Yiddish language or would like a review.
[SPR2025] Readings in Yiddish Prose
Read, listen to, and talk about short stories, essays, journalistic writing, folklore, and more from a literary and linguistic point of view with Vera Szabó.
[SPR2025] Beginner I Yiddish (Thursday)
This weekly class covers the alef-beys and grammar, vocabulary, and conversational basics. It is for those who are new to the Yiddish language or would like a review.
[SPR2025] Victims, Refugees, Soldiers: East European Jews at War
Aleksandra Jakubczak explores the complex and often precarious experiences of Jews in Eastern Europe, a region marked by centuries of military conflict and shifting political power.
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.
The YIVO Sound Archive and the Klezmer Revival
YIVO sound archivist Eléonore Biezunski tells the story of the Max and Frieda Weinstein Archive of YIVO Sound Recordings in relation to the revitalization of klezmer music since the mid-1970s.
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.
The Making of a Historian of East European Jewry and the Holocaust: Lucy S. Dawidowicz and the YIVO in Vilna, New York, and Offenbach
This talk by Nancy Sinkoff will explore the influence of the YIVO on Lucy S. Dawidowicz (1915-1990), a postwar American Jewish public intellectual and historian, who was central to the field that is now called “Holocaust Studies.”
New Trends in YIVO Scholarship
Join YIVO for a panel discussion sharing new research on various historic YIVO initiatives featuring presentations by William Pimlott, Kamil Kijek, and Nicolas Vallois, followed by a conversation led by Jessica Kirzane.
2025 Study Tour of Lithuania & Poland
Join YIVO for an enlightening journey to Lithuania and Poland. Reclaim your heritage as you examine the life that was lived in these lands. View the remarkable history of old Warsaw, Kraków, Vilnius, and Białowieża.
YIVO in America
Join us for a celebration of YIVO’s 100th anniversary with a conference focusing on how YIVO’s founding vision for Jewish social sciences has been realized in America since its headquarters shifted to New York City in 1940.
2025 Study Tour of Imperial Cities in Central Europe
Come and explore the rich history of Hungary, Austria, and Germany through a uniquely Jewish lens. This tour will visit beautiful synagogues, unrivaled museums, and landmarks of Jewish religious life and secular genius.
2025 Study Tour of Northern Italy
Join YIVO on a journey of discovery across northern Italy, exploring the fascinating, troubled, and glorious history of Italian Jews in the northern tier, unfamiliar to most of us.