“archives”

My search for Stencl over the years has taken me across the globe.

Nov 10, 2024

How do moments of rupture shape the practices of institutions devoted to Jewish history? 

Jun 03, 2024

Baker explores the career of Abraham S. Freidus, a reclusive, pioneering, and Yiddish-theater-loving Judaica librarian. His research reveals the tight nexus that existed a century ago between a small coterie of Eastern European-born Judaica librarians in the United States; their philanthropic patrons of Central European background; and the largely male, Yiddish-speaking readers who frequented the important Jewish libraries of that era. 

Mar 07, 2021

Elena Hoffernberg interviews Gerben Zaagsma about his path to studying Yiddish in the Spanish Civil War; the potency and the frustrations of digital research; and the future of digital studies and Yiddish.

Feb 25, 2020

Sholem Asch’s arrival at the small house at 50 Arlozorov Street in the coastal town of Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv, was to be his final move in over two decades of travels. Six decades later, the house has been carefully restored and reopened as a museum.

Feb 16, 2020

We are interested in pieces that place the recent events at YIVO in the context of discipline-wide trends, historical, economic, scholarly and otherwise, and that help us think through the broader forces that produced this moment and its possible ramifications. 

Feb 09, 2020

Saulė Valiūnaitė offers a glimpse into the storied Velfke's restaurant, a gathering place for Yiddish writers, actors, and artists in interwar Vilne.

Jan 21, 2020

Our new Briv funem arkhiv section will feature short pieces about interesting, significant, funny, or surprising archival finds. 

Sep 22, 2019

An interview with Naomi Seidman, Chancellor Jackman Professor of the Humanities at the University of Toronto, and Basya Schechter, musician and founder of Pharoah’s Daughter, who are working on their compelling project called The Bais Yaakov project.

Jun 05, 2019

David Shneer interviews Rob Adler Peckerar and Alexx Shilling about their project to bring embodied artistic interpretation to bear on a linguistic archive. 

May 20, 2019

May 06, 2019

On taking revenge against negligent editors in the archive. 

Dec 05, 2018

A translation of the introduction of Miriam Schulz's recent book, Der Beginn des Untergangs: Die Zerstörung der jüdischen Gemeinden in Polen und das Vermächtnis des Wilnaer Komitees ("Before the bow that was drawn": The Vilna Komitet and its documentation of the destruction of Polish Jewry).

May 14, 2018

A bulletin produced by the Vilna Komitet in 1939, included in Miriam Schulz's recent book, Der Beginn des Untergangs: Die Zerstörung der jüdischen Gemeinden in Polen und das Vermächtnis des Wilnaer Komitees ("Before the bow that was drawn": The Vilna Komitet and its documentation of the destruction of Polish Jewry), presented here in a new translation. 

May 14, 2018

Feb 12, 2018

In mid-nineteenth century America, early use of postvernacular Yiddish helped Jews locate themselves in the culture. 

Sep 13, 2016

An activity designed to teach archival skills. 

Jun 16, 2016

A librarian discovers that Isaac Bashevis Singer's fans wrote letters as compelling as the novels they loved. 

Jun 14, 2016

Gennady Estraikh speaks with Managing Editor Sarah Ellen Zarrow about the groundbreaking project “A Comprehensive History of the Jews of the Soviet Union,” a seven-year initiative led by researchers in NYU’s Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies.

May 26, 2016

The Leksikon fun der nayer yidisher literatur, which is full of hard-to-find biographical and bibliographical information about Yiddish writers, is tough to access outside institutions or from the far side of a paywall. By methodically translating and posting entries from the Leksikon online, Josh Fogel is working to change that. 

Apr 10, 2016

Turns out Sholem Aleichem was also a classic writer of fan mail. 

Apr 03, 2016

An interview with Stefanie Halpern, assistant curator of the current exhibition on New York’s Yiddish Theater at the Museum of the City of New York.

Mar 29, 2016

In honor of Purim, a fine calligraphed scroll of Yehoash's translation into Yiddish of the Book of Esther, completed by the poet's daughter Chava.

Mar 22, 2016

The fifth and final post in an investigation of an autobiography found in the YIVO archives from 1930s Poland: why do we need to read these autobiographies today?

Jan 31, 2016

The fourth in a series of five posts about an autobiography found in the YIVO archives from 1930s Poland: suicide and the modern library of a maskil.

Jan 24, 2016

The third in a series of five posts about an autobiography found in the YIVO archives from 1930s Poland: the cheder years!

Jan 18, 2016

The second in a series of posts about an autobiography found in the YIVO archives from 1930s Poland: RJ's hatred of women but love for the hasidic tale!

Jan 10, 2016

The first in a series of posts about an autobiography found in the YIVO archives from 1930s Poland.

Jan 04, 2016