YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is the leading academic center for East European and Russian Jewish Studies, specializing in Yiddish language, literature, and folklore; the Holocaust; and the American Jewish experience. YIVO preserves, studies, shares, and perpetuates knowledge of the history and culture of East European Jewry to advance scholarship, to strengthen community and lay a foundation of self-knowledge and pride for future generations. Founded in 1925 with support from leading intellectuals and scholars like Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, YIVO was based in Wilno (now Vilna) until forced by WWII to relocate to New York. YIVO is the only prewar Jewish archives and library to survive the Holocaust. YIVOs archives and library represent the largest and most comprehensive collection of materials on East European Jewish civilization, and receives upwards of 5,000 on-site visits and requests annually. The YIVO archives ~23 million items include sound and music col...