YIVO Learning and Media Center Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

In the beginning of summer 2025, YIVO hosted a special gathering to celebrate the grand opening of its new Learning and Media Center. This evening was the culmination of over two years of work from YIVO’s staff. The YIVO Learning and Media Center (YLMC) began its pilot phase in May of 2023 with its first visit from The Frisch School; from that date, the YLMC hosted visiting groups from high schools, universities, and synagogues and crafted lessons that drew from YIVO’s vast archival holdings.

YIVO’s new learning lab and its construction have been in process since early 2023, and during that time, YIVO worked with several firms to ensure that the YLMC would give visitors the special feeling of visiting YIVO’s archival stacks. Representatives from Beyer, Blinder, and Belle Architects, Pure + Applied, and RoundSquare Builders attended the ribbon cutting ceremony along with educators who had taken part in the pilot phase, and friends and staff of YIVO. Executive Director & CEO Jonathan Brent and YIVO Board Chair Ruth Levine made remarks at the beginning of the evening, followed by YLMC Director Alex Weiser. Follow- ing these remarks, Alex Weiser, Director of Collections Stefanie Halpern, and YLMC Educator Susannah Trubman demonstrated features and activities that visiting groups will enjoy in the new YIVO space. First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro was given a spe- cial tour during the ribbon-cutting ceremony and toasted to the YLMC’s future.

The new YLMC has a dedicated classroom space, an audio/ visual station, and a poster-making corner. The space features archival objects from YIVO’s collections, a cozy library nook with Yiddish and English books, and a rotating exhibition space that is currently hosting The Door Slams Shut: Jews and Immigration in the Face of American Reaction.

The YLMC is currently open by appointment for visiting groups. Are you interested in bringing a class to visit the YIVO Learning and Media Center? Contact Susannah Trubman to schedule your visit today!