About Us:
The Museum of Yiddish Theater received is provisional charter from the Regents of the State of New York on December 13, 2010. It is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. At the present time it is a virtual museum.
Its mission and purposes are as follows:
a) To establish a Museum of Yiddish Theater, for which there is now no institution, to preserve the fast-fading legacy of Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films for future generations and scholars;
b) To preserve and document the historic legacy of Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films by: 1) documenting the production of plays, musicals, broadcasts and films; 2) collecting scripts, books, programs, photographs, posters, costumes, newspaper articles, advertisements, recordings, films, letters, contracts, scores and other material relevant to the historical record; 3) collecting and taking oral histories, such as interviews with living actors and others who performed, produced or attended Yiddish Theater; 4) other vital material, such as instrumental parts, sheet music, diaries that help reconstruct the history of the Yiddish Theater, and to encourage its continuance through contemporary creativity.
c) Documenting the history of the Hebrew Actors’ Union – American’s first theatrical union on which all other theatrical unions were based and its relationship to them.
d) Documenting the transition made by many Hebrew theater actors, producers, musicians, stage designers, directors to the American theater, radio, television, recordings and films and the important influence they had in America.
e) Creating from the Museum’s collection, from the artifacts of the Hebrew Actors’ Union and supplementary materials from YIVO, Jewish museums and other organizations – such as the American Jewish Historical Society and the American Society for Jewish Music – a permanent exhibit and a series of temporary exhibits that depict the world of Yiddish Theatre, radio, recordings and films.
f) Making the Museum of Yiddish Theater the primary site for the study of Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films and an important New York City location and world-wide scholarly and tourist destination.
g) Establishing a web-based Research and Media Center within the Museum to provide the public and scholars with information about Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films.
h) Offering educational programs, workshops and lectures for all ages, given in classrooms at the Museum’s Research and Media Center and making them available on podcasts and through other media around the world.
i) Through performances, allowing visitors to experience live Yiddish Theater within the larger context of the Museum.
j) Collaborating with other museums, archives and organizations such as YIVO in documenting and articulating the history of Yiddish Theatre, radio, recordings and films.
k) Creating touring exhibitions that can be lent to other museums, schools and institutions in this country and abroad.
l) Licensing use of proprietary materials for the Museum and selling replications in the Museum’s gift shop and elsewhere.
Its mission and purposes are as follows:
a) To establish a Museum of Yiddish Theater, for which there is now no institution, to preserve the fast-fading legacy of Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films for future generations and scholars;
b) To preserve and document the historic legacy of Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films by: 1) documenting the production of plays, musicals, broadcasts and films; 2) collecting scripts, books, programs, photographs, posters, costumes, newspaper articles, advertisements, recordings, films, letters, contracts, scores and other material relevant to the historical record; 3) collecting and taking oral histories, such as interviews with living actors and others who performed, produced or attended Yiddish Theater; 4) other vital material, such as instrumental parts, sheet music, diaries that help reconstruct the history of the Yiddish Theater, and to encourage its continuance through contemporary creativity.
c) Documenting the history of the Hebrew Actors’ Union – American’s first theatrical union on which all other theatrical unions were based and its relationship to them.
d) Documenting the transition made by many Hebrew theater actors, producers, musicians, stage designers, directors to the American theater, radio, television, recordings and films and the important influence they had in America.
e) Creating from the Museum’s collection, from the artifacts of the Hebrew Actors’ Union and supplementary materials from YIVO, Jewish museums and other organizations – such as the American Jewish Historical Society and the American Society for Jewish Music – a permanent exhibit and a series of temporary exhibits that depict the world of Yiddish Theatre, radio, recordings and films.
f) Making the Museum of Yiddish Theater the primary site for the study of Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films and an important New York City location and world-wide scholarly and tourist destination.
g) Establishing a web-based Research and Media Center within the Museum to provide the public and scholars with information about Yiddish Theater, radio, recordings and films.
h) Offering educational programs, workshops and lectures for all ages, given in classrooms at the Museum’s Research and Media Center and making them available on podcasts and through other media around the world.
i) Through performances, allowing visitors to experience live Yiddish Theater within the larger context of the Museum.
j) Collaborating with other museums, archives and organizations such as YIVO in documenting and articulating the history of Yiddish Theatre, radio, recordings and films.
k) Creating touring exhibitions that can be lent to other museums, schools and institutions in this country and abroad.
l) Licensing use of proprietary materials for the Museum and selling replications in the Museum’s gift shop and elsewhere.