YIVO

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is an independent nonprofit organization devoted to the study of Jewish history, language, and culture, with a focus on Yiddish and East European Jewry. Based in New York City, it maintains archives, libraries, and research facilities used by scholars around the world.

YIVO was founded in 1925 in Vilna (then Vilnius) by Jewish scholars and patrons to collect, preserve, and study Yiddish and East European Jewish culture. Following the upheavals of World War II, much of its material was relocated to the United States, and the institution's work continued in New York from the 1940s onward.

The institute houses extensive collections, including manuscripts, printed books, periodicals, photographs, audio recordings, and other materials related to Yiddish, Hebrew, and the broader spectrum of Ashkenazi Jewish life. Its holdings serve as a major resource for researchers in language, literature, folklore, history, and religious studies.

Beyond preservation, YIVO conducts scholarly research, supports fellowships and lectures, and publishes scholarly journals and books. It also hosts exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, and runs digitization projects, online catalogs, and databases to make its holdings accessible to researchers and the public.

YIVO is widely regarded as one of the leading centers for Yiddish studies and the history of East European Jewry. Through its research, publications, and public programming, the institute contributes to academic scholarship and to broader understanding of Jewish culture and its global dimensions.