Exhibition Opening: “YIVO: Stories of Vilnius

— Vilnius is not just a city, but an idea
– Jokūbas Zeevas Lackis-Bertoldi

On May 21 at 6 PM, the exhibition “YIVO: Stories of Vilnius” will open at the Rafael Chwoles Gallery of the Lithuanian Jewish Culture and Identity Museum. The exhibition commemorates the 100th anniversary of the YIVO Institute.

In Jewish tradition, Vilnius is called Vilne in Yiddish, and also known as the Jerusalem of Lithuania. This name reflects not only the many synagogues that once operated here but also the special intellectual atmosphere developed over centuries, strongly influenced by the renowned sage Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, better known as the Vilna Gaon.

In this unique environment, in 1925, the YIVO Jewish Scientific Institute was founded to document and study the Yiddish language, Jewish national culture, history, and the expressions of Jewish life worldwide.

The exhibition “YIVO: Stories of Vilnius” invites you to step back into interwar Vilnius and explore YIVO’s work and key personalities. It offers a chance to feel the city where diverse cultures blossomed and coexisted, to learn about the ideas, thoughts, and dreams people shared, to glimpse into their daily lives, and to understand the city’s uniqueness.

Partners:

• Lithuanian National Martynas Mažvydas Library

• YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, New York

Curators: Aivaras Poška, Marta Širokova, Dovilė Čypaitė-Gilė
Exhibition architects: Edita Bružikaitė, Mantas Čekaitis
Graphic design: Evelina Baniulytė, Audrius Deikus
Visualizations: Mindaugas Arlinskas