Three Reasons to Join YIVO

Join YIVO's Leadership Forum, A Special Group of Activist Members...

"I want to make Judaism part of my children's fiber. They need to know that Tevye the Dairyman was based on a real person. I want them to see what life was like in simpler times, before electric menorahs. Yes, life was hard, but the holidays were still joyous occasions."

Rita K. Levy, Roslyn, New York

"I was a little girl when I promised my parents that I would never forget. I promised them that Yidishkayt [Jewish culture and tradition] would not end with them. When I said kaddish [memorial prayer] for them 20 years ago, I prayed that I would live a life that would be worthy of the praise and love they bestowed upon me."

Rhona Liptzin, Seaford, New York

YIVO's Leadership Forum members come from diverse backgrounds. Some members are the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Others come from families whose roots in America reach back many generations.

What we all share is a commitment to pass on our Jewish heritage to our children—to our own children and to the children of the Jewish community. Most of us are "baby boomers" and parents. We see ourselves as a "bridge" between our children and the world of their grandparents. We believe that only by understanding the past can we help write a new chapter of Jewish history for tomorrow.

Our New Project: An Educational Program on East European Jewish Culture

As part of this effort, we are currently developing a unique high school curriculum called "Eastern European Jewish Culture: Life, Creativity, and Expression—Educational Program on Yiddish Culture (EPYC)." This program, which is being developed in consultation with educators, will use the rich resources of the YIVO Library and Archives to explore the life and culture of East European Jewry.

For more information about the EPYC program and other Leadership Forum activities, call or email Ella Levine, Director of Development and External Affairs at (212) 294-6128.