Landsmanshaftn Project Archives Intern
About the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
The purpose of the YIVO Archives is to identify, acquire, preserve, and make accessible historically significant documents and other materials which reflect the Archives’ origins and development and enhance the Archives’ unique areas of expertise in documenting Jewish life.
The YIVO Archives contains 23 million records. The 2,500 collections that make up the YIVO Archives include manuscripts, letters, printed ephemera, sheet music, posters, artworks and artifacts, photographs, film and videos, and sound recordings. These collections, which together represent the single largest and most comprehensive repository of materials on East European Jewish civilization in the world, focus on a number of important areas including Jewish history, language, literature, and culture in Eastern Europe; World War II and the Holocaust; Jewish educational, political, and labor organizations; and Jewish immigration to the United States, Israel, and other countries in the Diaspora.
About YIVO’s Landsmanshaftn Collections
Landsmanshaftn were societies formed by Jewish immigrants from the same town. They provided social and financial support to members, and served as important community hubs. The YIVO Institute stewards the records of nearly 2,000 landsmanshaftn, and receives more every year. (You can watch this video to learn more about YIVO’s landsmanshaftn holdings.) These records are key genealogical resources, and important primary sources on Eastern European Jewish immigrant life around the world.
About the Landsmanshaftn Collection Portal Project
YIVO is in the process of compiling all landsmanshaftn records into one electronic portal. This resource will contain descriptions of the collections, the town of origin and variant spellings, and related materials in and out of the YIVO Archives to create a “one-stop genealogy shop.” The finished project will be fully discoverable in the catalog of the Center for Jewish History (search.cjh.org). The catalog automatically indexes to Google and other search engines, which is another layer of discoverability and access.
Position Description
This will be a hybrid position. All of the fall semester will be completed remotely, and as much work as possible can be done remotely in the spring. However, as of now, some archival research will be done in-person at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York City. (This is subject to change based on the COVID situation in New York in the spring.)
Responsibilities
- Compile information about landsmanshaftn
- Write collection-level descriptions
- Work with ArchivesSpace, YIVO’s archival management system
Preferred Qualifications
Experience (paid or volunteer) or demonstrated interest in any of the following fields:
- Archives/Special Collections
- Libraries
- Genealogy
Academic background in any of the following fields:
- Archives and/or library and information science
- Jewish studies
- History and/or public history
Proficiency in any of these languages:
- Yiddish
- Hebrew
Compensation
We are hiring two interns. Each internship will last for 100 hours at a rate of $15/hour. The distribution of hours over the course of the academic year is flexible.
How to Apply
To apply please email your cover letter and resume to Hallel Yadin at hyadin@yivo.cjh.org. Applications are due by September 10, 2021.
This position is possible thanks to a John Stedman Memorial Grant from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.
