Congress Recognizes YIVO Institute's 100 Years of Preserving Jewish History and Culture

This resolution is Congress’s way of hitting the pause button to formally recognize the 100th anniversary of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Think of it as a huge, official birthday card from the U.S. government, acknowledging YIVO’s century-long effort to save and share the history, culture, and language of East European Jews.

The Archive That Survived the Unthinkable

Founded in 1925 in Vilna, Poland (the "Jerusalem of Lithuania"), YIVO was dedicated to studying Jewish life in a region that would soon be decimated. The resolution highlights a powerful fact: YIVO is the only major archive from that era and region to survive the Holocaust, having strategically moved its operations to New York City in 1940. This isn't just history; it’s a story of cultural resilience. For anyone who values historical documentation—whether you’re a teacher, a researcher, or just someone who understands the importance of primary sources—this archive is irreplaceable.

Bigger Than You Think: 24 Million Items

What makes this recognition significant is the sheer scale of what YIVO protects. The resolution notes that the institute holds over 24 million items. To put that in perspective, that’s a massive collection that includes the world’s largest stash of Yiddish books, newspapers, and pamphlets, along with 400,000 books in other European languages. Crucially, it also houses the largest collection of primary Holocaust materials outside of Yad Vashem in Israel. This means that for researchers, students, and journalists trying to understand the 20th century, YIVO isn't a niche resource—it's a critical global hub for documentation.

Making History Accessible to Everyone

For the digital-native audience, the resolution highlights YIVO’s current work that actually impacts how we access information today. YIVO is a leading U.S. center for research, and it’s actively working to digitize millions of historical documents through projects like the Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections Project. This effort is about more than just preservation; it’s about democratization. Instead of having to fly to New York to look at fragile documents, a student in the Midwest or a historian overseas can access these critical records online. This move ensures that this vital history remains alive and accessible, connecting the past to future generations of scholars and the public. Since this is a commemorative resolution, it carries no regulatory weight or financial requirements for the public, acting purely as a strong statement of support for cultural preservation and historical education.