Past Exhibits
Lillian Goldman Reading Room
Mon-Thu: 9:30am-4:30pm
Fri: 10:00am-2:00pm by appointment only
Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute
Mon-Thu: 9:30am-4:30pm
Free Exhibit Spaces
Mon – Wed: 9:30am – 4:30pm
Thu: 9:30am – 8:00pm
Fri: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Sat: Closed
Sun: 11:00am – 5:00pm
Ruth's Bookstore
Mon – Wed: 9:30am – 4:30pm
Thu: 9:30am – 8:00pm
Fri: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Sat: Closed
Sun: 11am – 5pm
Make sure to check our holiday closures prior to visiting.
Last entry to the Center for Jewish History Exhibitions, Reading Room, and the Genealogy Institute is 1 hour before closing. The last call to page items in the Reading Room and Genealogy Institute is 3pm.
Built by the people, for the people, YIVO’s remarkable archive stands as a testament to generations of volunteers, scholars, and everyday Jews who worked to preserve the 1,000-year-old culture of Ashkenazi Jewry. This expansive exhibition honors the zamlers (Yiddish for collectors) who gathered the books, documents, art, and ephemera that now form YIVO’s extraordinary holdings. Featuring over seventy artifacts across six thematic sections, visitors will journey through the evolution of Yiddish literature, the performing and visual arts, immigration, the Jewish labor movement, and the inspiring story of YIVO itself.
This exhibit closed on
Tuesday, February 10, 2026