Vilnius Celebrates 100 Years of the YIVO Institute with Series of Cultural Events

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is marking its 100th anniversary with cultural events in Vilnius, where it was founded. The Institute, which became an authority on Yiddish culture worldwide, will return to its roots with a series of exhibitions, seminars, and lectures on Jewish culture, history, and art.

On March 24th, 2025, the YIVO Institute will commemorate its 100th anniversary. Its founding purpose was to document and study Jewish life in all its aspects, with a special focus on the Jews of Eastern Europe.

“For 100 years, YIVO has preserved the legacy of one thousand years of Ashkenazi Jewish life. Today, it is the worldwide home of Eastern European Jewish history and culture. YIVO’s collections, programming, and educational initiatives tell the story of what we have cherished, what we have endured, and how we have persisted. It is the story from which the future of the Jewish people will be built,” said Jonathan Brent, YIVO’s Executive Director and CEO.

The centennial celebration is marked by various year-round cultural exhibitions, lectures, and events in Vilnius, a city of special importance for Jewish culture, once known as the ‘Jerusalem of the North’ for its significant role in shaping the education and daily life of Eastern European Jews.

For hundreds of years, the Jewish community has significantly shaped the culture, education, religion, and daily life of Eastern European Jews. Their contribution was marked in 1925 when Jewish intellectuals and scholars established the YIVO Institute. It was the region’s first comprehensive centre for higher Jewish learning, serving as a national library, university, and academy.

YIVO quickly became the preeminent authority on Yiddish culture, language, and Jewish scholarship, growing into a mass movement with branches worldwide, from Buenos Aires to Shanghai.

Since 1933, YIVO has operated on Vivulskio Street in Vilnius’s centre, where its memorial plaque is still visible. Until today, Vilnius has preserved its Jewish cultural heritage, visible not only in museums and expositions but also in living objects, such as the Vilnius Choral Synagogue, Jewish Community Centre, and Litvak restaurants, such as Baleboste.

Exhibition of Traditional Jewish Art Heritage
The exhibition “You Shall Not Make an Image: Commandments, Daily Life, and Change,” at the Vilnius Picture Gallery, part of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, highlights the heritage of traditional Jewish art and explores the interconnectedness of coexisting cultures within the artistic space. It also preserves and promotes knowledge of Litvak culture and history. The exhibition is currently open and will run until September 14th.

YIVO staff in Vilnius. Photo by the National Library of Lithuania.

Exhibition: “YIVO Centennial: Origins, Journey, Legacy”
“YIVO Centennial: Origins, Journey, Legacy” at the Judaica Research Centre at the National Martynas Mažvydas Library (Sept-Nov) will explore the highlights of YIVO’s 100-year existence: how it was started, what challenges it faced in the past, and what legacy the Institute is leaving behind.

Exhibition: “YIVO: History and Stories”
“YIVO: History and Stories” at the Museum of Culture and Identity of Lithuanian Jews at the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History (May-Dec) will be about the rich history of YIVO and its main stories that more people need to hear.

Jewish Books from Prof. D. Katz’s Collection
“Jewish Books from Prof. D. Katz’s Collection: Street Displays” at the Jewish Culture and Information Centre (May-Nov) will review and discuss the legacy of Prof. D. Katz, an American-born and Vilnius-based author.

Lectures about YIVO and Jewish Life
Additionally, from April to December, a series of public lectures will be held by the Judaica Research Centre at the National Martynas Mažvydas Library.

The first lecture, taking place in May-June and titled “YIVO Section: Wherever There Is Jewish Life–Global Jewish History from Vilne to the World, 1925–1975”, will thoroughly discuss half a century of Jewish life, starting from the year when YIVO was established in Vilnius.

In August, a lecture, “YIVO in Buenos Aires: Commemorating the Berlin Conference of August 7–12, 1925”, will recall the main aspects of the Berlin Conference, the formal founding of the Institute.

Moreover, a panel on Jewish Autobiographies Collected by YIVO (Sept) will showcase the stories of the main Jewish personalities.

Two more lectures titled “YIVO and the Vilna Community” (Oct) and “YIVO and Independent Lithuania” (Nov) will analyze YIVO’s input and position in Lithuania’s history.

Seminars and conferences
Starting in mid-spring, various seminars and conferences will highlight the main moments of Jewish life.

In mid-April, a traditional seminar, “The Faces of Jewish Literature”, will invite everyone interested to dive into rich and historically deep Jewish literature. In December, the translated monograph by Cecile Kuznitz, an associate professor and director of Jewish studies at Bard College, will be discussed in a special presentation, “YIVO and the Making of Modern Jewish Culture.” YIVO centennial will be highlighted during the “YIVO and the City” conference at Vilnius University (October 21-22).

For the latest information on YIVO’s Centennial activities, visit https://yivo.org/Centennial.

Inside the Vilnius YIVO building. Photo by the National Library of Lithuania.