An international seminar for teachers on the history of the YIVO Institute took place in Vilnius on June 12–13.
The seminar, held at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library, commemorated the centenary of the YIVO Institute in Vilnius. Its objectives were to enhance teachers’ understanding of Jewish history, to present the virtual museum and the methodological tool ‘The Story of Beba’—based on the story of Beba Epstein, a girl who lived in Vilnius—and to explore practical ways of using YIVO historical sources in education.
The two-day seminar began with an opening by Ronaldas Račinskas, Head of the Secretariat of the International Commission, who introduced distinguished guests, including the Director of the National Library, Aušrinė Žilinskienė; Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein, Ambassador of the State of Israel to Lithuania; Faina Kukliansky, Head of the Jewish Community of Lithuania; Emanuelis Zingeris, Chairman of the International Commission and a signatory of the Independence Act; diplomats from the United States and German Embassies; Vytautas Mitalas, Deputy Mayor of Vilnius; and Jonathan Brent, Director of the YIVO Institute in New York, who initiated the international seminar. Over the course of the event, teachers attended lectures and historical insights by Profs. Egidijus Aleksandravičius and Saulius Sužiedėlis. Presentations by Dr Jonathan Brent and Dr Lara Lempertienė explored the YIVO collections and methodologies for classroom use. Ingrida Vilkienė (International Commission Secretariat) led the visiting teachers on a guided tour of Vilnius entitled ‘The Traces of YIVO History.’ The seminar attracted forty teachers from various Lithuanian towns and townships, all interested in the history of Lithuanian Jews and the educational use of historical sources.
The seminar was organised by the YIVO Institute (USA), in partnership with the Secretariat of the International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania, the National M. Mažvydas Library of Lithuania, Vilnius Municipality, the Goodwill Foundation, and the Lithuanian Jewish Community.
Photos by Vygaudas Juozaitis