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YIVO, Liberalism, and the Jewish Response to Fascism

Thursday Dec 22, 2016 6:30pm
Jews sorting books and other documents in the YIVO building, where the Nazis established a sorting center for Jewish cultural treasures looted from YIVO and other Jewish institutions, Vilna, ca. 1942. Members of this sorting team risked their lives to smuggle out and hide materials, some of which were recovered after the war. YIVO Archives.

 
An Evening with Paul Berman, Cecile Kuznitz, and Richard Wolin

Admission: Free

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Founded in 1925 in Vilna (Lithuania, then Poland), YIVO is the only Jewish Institution of Eastern Europe to survive both the Holocaust and Soviet occupations. From its early years in the ‘20s to its looting by the Nazis in 1941, YIVO experienced and responded to the profound political, social, and spiritual transformations taking place throughout Eastern Europe, Russia, and the West. Under enormous political duress and organizational strain, the YIVO Institute maintained the integrity of its mission, and survived the war.

In light of recent political events in the United States, the question of how organizations and individuals respond to the emergence of authoritarianism—how we as a society maintain our integrity, both ethical and intellectual—is more pressing than ever. How, then, did YIVO respond to the rise of Fascist and nationalist movements in the ‘20s and ‘30s? What was the response of Jewish intellectuals then, and what parallels can be drawn to today?

Join us for a panel discussion with Paul Berman, Cecile Kuznitz, and Richard Wolin, moderated by Jonathan Brent, YIVO’s Executive Director, as we consider the diverse responses to the emergence of Fascism throughout the 20th century—and on into the present.

(All event photos by Agneška Avin.)