YIVO Celebrates Publication of New Translation Series, Yiddish Voices

(New York, NY) – On Monday, December 4, 2023 at 7:00pm (ET), the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research will celebrate the launch of Yiddish Voices, an exciting new series showcasing literary works in new English translations. Three Yiddish Plays by Women, the first volume of the series, brings together plays penned in Russia, Poland, and the United States from over a century ago. Each play grapples with enduring women’s issues, including motherhood, pregnancy and abortion, financial independence, and self-realization.

The launch will include performances of scenes from Three Yiddish Plays by Women, led by Allen Lewis Rickman, and a discussion with editors Alyssa Quint and Elissa Bemporad and translators Rickman and Miro Miniewski.

The Yiddish Voices series, made possible through the generous support from the family of Harriet R. Yassky, will feature translated works that connect today’s readers with Yiddish literature, in its full range of authors, genres, and subject matters. Published in partnership with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and Bloomsbury Academic, each volume presents a rich and engaging literary work in English translation with a well-matched historian’s introduction. Superbly curated by Quint and Bemporad, the series showcases first-time translations of enduring Yiddish texts—memoirs, novels, and plays—whose topics and themes have powerful contemporary resonance.

“It is a joy to welcome into the world Yiddish Voices whose editors have explored the untapped treasures of Yiddish literature and are making them available for a wide readership in English translation. The series is sure to stimulate more academic and general interest, more translations and publications. A wonderful achievement. We are immensely grateful to the family of Harriet Yassky for their generosity in the publication of this landmark series,” said Jonathan Brent, Executive Director and CEO of YIVO.

“This is a fantastic collection, groundbreaking not only because it offers among the first published translations of women playwrights in Yiddish, but also because the plays themselves are moving, surprising, and center on women’s struggles for social and bodily autonomy,” said Jessica Kirzane, Assistant Instructional Professor, University of Chicago.

Three Yiddish Plays by Women is a landmark volume of vital significance to students of women’s history, modern Jewish history, cultural history, and theatre history.

“Harriet was a great believer in the value of Jewish culture and the power of Jewish moral leadership, which these plays exemplify so beautifully,” said Lester Yassky. “We are grateful to YIVO, Alyssa Quint and Elissa Bemporad for enabling us to honor Harriet's memory in this way.”

What:            Celebrating Yiddish Voices: YIVO’s New Translation Series
When:           Monday, December 4, 2023 at 7:00pm (ET)
Where:          Taking place live on Zoom and in person at YIVO Located in the Center for Jewish History (15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011)
Cost:              Free
Reservations Available at:  yivo.org/Yiddish-Voices

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

For more information contact:
Alex Weiser
Director of Public Programs

YIVO

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide. For nearly a century, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression. Our public programs and exhibitions, as well as online and on-site courses, extend our outreach to a global community. The YIVO Archives contains 24 million unique items and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for the study of East European Jewish life in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story