No. 191 Winter 2000-2001 NE W S Exhibit Opens “YIVO at 75: Milestones and Treasures” IVO's first exhibition at its Archives,” Board Chairman period in the United States. The Ynew home —“YIVO at 75: Bruce Slovin commented. “In story of Eastern European Milestones and Treasures”— this show there are many Yiddish language, literature and YIVO Institute opened in October at the Center amazing items — original culture is told as an integral part fo r for Jewish History. The exhi- manuscripts by the Yiddish of YIVO’s story. Je w i s h bition celebrates the breadth of writers Isaac Bashevis Singer “Visitors will see original items Re s e a rc h YIVO’s history. It also chronicles and Sholem Aleichem; a letter that should not be missed!” the role YIVO played in Jewish from Leo Frank to Abraham Mohrer noted. “Included are an scholarship and communal life Cahan of the Forward, written 1848 copy of the Tsena U’rena in Europe and the United States. in 1914 from a jail cell in Georgia (Yiddish Biblical commentary “This is our inaugural exhi- before he was lynched by a and stories, primarily used by bition and I want everyone to mob; and an illustrated ketubah women), Lemberg, Latvia; a come and see these treasures (marriage contract) from handmade Hanukkah menorah from the YIVO Library and Singapore, from 1889.” from Poland, 1872; and a 1929 Curated by letter from Albert Einstein to YIVO archivist historian Simon Dubnow, Fruma Mohrer indicating his support for the and designed fledgling YIVO Institute.” by Paul Hunter The exhibition catalog, edited of Artel Exhibi- by Fruma Mohrer and Roberta tions, the show Newman (English), and Dr. traces YIVO’s Hershl Glasser and David history from its Rogow (Yiddish), is available founding in from the bookstore of the Center Vilna, Lithua- for Jewish History. “YIVO at 75: nia in 1925, Milestones and Treasures” runs Visitors to YIVO’s through the until April 27, 2001, Monday inaugural exhibit. Holocaust and through Thursday, 9 a.m. to the post-1940 5 p.m. Claims Conference Awards $250,000 for YIVO Encyclopedia he Conference on Jewish Material Claims in Eastern Europe. Conceptualized by Dr. Gershon TAgainst Germany has approved an allocation Hundert, Montreal Community Professor of of $250,000 toward the cost of research for The Jewish Studies at McGill University, this two- YIVO Encyclopedia ofII the VHistoryV andOO Culture of Jews volume work is to be the definitive documentation of the history and culture of East European Jewry CONTENTS: before, during and after the Holocaust. Hold the Chairman’s Message . .2 Summer Program . .12 "I want to thank the Claims Conference for this Da t e YIVO’s Stolen Art . .3 Lecture Series . .14 grant," Executive Director Dr. Carl Rheins, noted. Yivo’s Annual Retirement Planning . .4 YIVO Events Schedule . .16 "Their support of The YIVO Encyclopedia is a Benefit Dinner Academic Advisory Library . .18 tremendous step forward for the project. We are Tuesday Council . .5 Preservation Efforts . .20 proud to have them as partners in the hard work ahead. The time is right to collect the fruits of this April 17, 2001 Autobiographies Project .6 Music Archive . .21 Leadership Forum . .7 New Accessions . .22 new era into a comprehensive information source Pierre Hotel Zamler Project . .10 YIVO Donors . .26 to be used by both academics and the lay public." New York City Project Judaica . .10 Letters . .30 [continued on page 5] For YIVO’ s SpringYY Public Programs Schedule, See Pages 16-17 Message from the Chairman of the Board A Busy Year at YIVO his has been a busy year at YIVO. We are firm, and a Yiddish enthusiast who also has joined Tproud to welcome Charles J. Rose to the YIVO the YIVO Leadership Forum committee. We are Board. He is a General Partner of Bentley Capital proud to have his experience and enthusiasm. Management, Inc., an investment management Congratulations are in order for Dr. Arnold Richards, our devoted YIVO Board member and former Chair, on his receiving the Mary S. Bruce Slovin Sigourney Award in December in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the field of YIVO News psychoanalysis. Mazel tov also to YIVO Board Founded in 1925 in Vilna, Poland as the Yiddish member Dorothy Payson and her husband Scientific Institute and headquartered in New Martin on their 40th wedding anniversary. Each York since 1940, YIVO is devoted to the history, is a good friend to YIVO and to the Jewish com- society and culture of Ashkenazic Jewry and to munity, and we are grateful to have them with us. the influence of that culture as it developed in the Americas. Today, YIVO stands as the preeminent “At 75 years old YIVO is vigorous center for East European Jewish Studies; Yiddish language, literature and folklore; and the study of and looking forward.” the American Jewish immigrant experience. Let me also say that I am pleased to have Dr. A founding partner of the Center for Jewish History, Adina Cimet on board to begin work on the YIVO holds the following constituent memberships: Educational Program on Yiddish Culture (EPYC), • American Historical Association • Association a pre-college curriculum that the Leadership for Jewish Studies • Association of Jewish Libraries Forum committee has initiated and championed. • Council of Archives and Research Libraries in Thanks to the committee members for their hard Jewish Studies • Research Library Group (RLG) work and enthusiastic farsightedness. The Leader- • Society of American Archivists and • World ship Forum is holding its first event, “Find Your Congress of Jewish Studies. Heritage at YIVO” on January 18, 2001 (see p. 5). Outreach has been the focus of this important Chairman of the Board: Bruce Slovin year — with the new Cultural Events Series and Executive Director: Carl J. Rheins renowned lecturers such as Deborah Lipstadt and Director of Development Yehuda Bauer, the film premieres, the musical and External Affairs: Ella Levine programs, and our inaugural “YIVO at 75: Director of Finance and Administration: Milestones and Treasures” exhibition in the Center Andrew J. Demers for Jewish History. As an organization, at 75 years Chief Archivist: Marek Web old YIVO is vigorous and looking forward. Head Librarian: Aviva Astrinsky YIVO is a living and vital entity. Please join us. Our Jewish tradition of involvement begins Head of Preservation: Stanley Bergman with you. Editor: Elise Fischer Yiddish Editor: Hershl Glasser Production Editor: Jerry Cheslow Contributors Erica Blankstein, Nikolai Borodulin, Krysia Fis h e r , Shaindel Fogelman, Marilyn Goldfried, Leo Gree n b a u m , Yeshaya Metal, Esther Mishkin, Chana Mlotek, Fruma Mohrer, Roberta Newman, Cori Robinson, David Rogow, Yankl Salant, Daniel Soyer, Yermiyahu Ahron Taub, Steven Wander 15 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011-6301 Phone: (212) 246-6080, Fax: (212) 292-1892 www.yivoinstitute.org e-mail to Yedies: [email protected] YIVO Board member Dr. Arnold Richards speaking after receiving the Mary S. Sigourney Award in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the field of psychoanalysis. 2 YIVO News Winter 2000-2001 Message from the Executive Direc t o r Recovering YIVO’s Stolen Art Collection n the recent Swiss Banking Settlement, Special Settlement Fund, after payments are made to IMaster Judah Gribetz’s plan to distribute surviving Nazi victims, to some of the educa- $1.25 billion in payments from Swiss banks and tional projects that have been submitted to the corporations is a significant step for thousands of Special Master. individual Holocaust survivors who have fought YIVO's interest in seeking restitution also led Dr. Carl J. Rheins for decades to recover their pre-war savings. The me and Professor David Fishman to accept an Gribetz distribution plan accepted by Federal invitation from Walter Schwimmer, Secretary Judge Edward Korman on General of the Council November 22, 2000, also of Europe, and Andrius has significance for YIVO. “Reclamation of an important Kubilius, Prime Minister Between 1935 and 1938, part of our Yiddish cultural of the Republic of the Institute developed an heritage seems closer now Lithuania, to go as an impressive art collection official delegation to the in Vilna under the direc- that this new legal groundwork International Forum on tion of Dr. Otto Schneid. has been established.” Holocaust-Era Looted It contained more than Assets held October 100 original artworks by 3-5, 2000, in Vilna. The such artists as Marc Chagall, Mane Katz, I. Forum was attended by 37 countries and by 17 Ryback, Mark Antokolski, Yankl Adler, Maurycy non-governmental organizations. Gottleib, B. Kratko, and Chaim Nisn Tyber. This The meeting was convened 1) To provide a art collection and the works in it together reflected forum to discuss the possibility of compiling an the Jewish community’s support for YIVO’s inventory of looted cultural assets, including those museum. Each work in the collection was either restored to their rightful owners; and 2) To donated by the artist (Chagall, Katz, Cuckierman), establish international legislative guidelines for by a distinguished citizen (Dr. T. Symchowicz, the implementation of such a process. Sofia and Joseph Weitzman, Mieczyslaw Zagajski), During the Forum, YIVO met with U.S. Deputy or a community group active in supporting YIVO Secretary of Treasury Stuart Eizenstat, head of the (YIVO Friends from Lodz, Ida Kaminska 20th American delegation, and with Monica Dugot, Anniversary Committee). Deputy Director of the Holocaust Claims The collection itself was a valuable assemblage Processing Office (Art Claims) of the New York of work by contemporary artists, but it also State Banking Department, to present YIVO’s incorporated religious art and Jewish ritual cultural properties restitution claims. objects. Taken altogether, the YIVO art museum Although no solid evidence on the whereabouts collection was a snapshot of the nature and vitality of YIVO’s stolen art collection has appeared, two of the living YIVO community, one interested in resolutions adopted at the Vilna Forum provide preserving and studying all aspects of Jewish life some hope for the future restitution of the and culture — political movements, personal collection.