28 July 2025

Echoes of Vilnius in Buenos Aires. The Jewish Research Institute in Argentina

On 7 August at 18:00, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania is hosting an event dedicated to the centenary of the YIVO Jewish Research Institute. Silvia Hansman, director of the Buenos Aires branch of the YIVO Institute (Fundación IWO), will present the history and influence of this lesser-known yet extremely important YIVO branch on Jewish communities and culture in Latin America.

Established in 1925 alongside the centres in Vilnius, Berlin and New York, Argentina is also celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year. Join us to find out what has been achieved over the past century!

Silvia Hansman is a historian, Yiddish manuscript translator and archivist with thirty years' experience of leading archival projects in Argentina and the US. Since 2002, she has directed the archives of the IWO organisation in Buenos Aires. Following the 1994 terrorist attack on the Buenos Aires Jewish Community Centre, which killed 85 people and severely damaged the IWO library and archives, Hansman organised the rescue and restoration process.

In 2023, she became director of the Fundación IWO.

S. Hansman has taught at the International Seminar on Yiddish Cultural Diversity, organised by the Argentine IWO and Tres de Febrero University. She has also taught at the National University of Quilmes and is a senior expert at the Institute of Theatre and Music Arts at the University of Buenos Aires.

Her lecture is part of the National Library's year-long YIVO Centennial Programme. It is the third in a series of lectures forming part of an international academic forum, which is attended by researchers from Israel, Great Britain, Argentina, Poland, the United States and Lithuania.

The event will take place on the second floor of the Statehood Space at the National Library.

The lecture will be held in English.

The event is partly funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

Briefly about the event

Date

7 August

Time

18:00

Duration

1,5 hours

Place

Statehood Space, 2nd floor

Attendance

free

Organiser

Judaica Research Centre of the National Library

Supporter

the event is partly funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture

More information

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Important

the event may be photographed and/or filmed
the event will be held in English