Cecille (Tsirl) Kuznitz, Assistant Professor of Jewish History and Director of Jewish Studies at Bard College, discusses her book YIVO and the Making of Modern Jewish Culture: Scholarship for the Yiddish Nation (Cambridge University Press), the first history of the YIVO Insitute. Originally published in 2014, the book recently came out in a new softcover edition in 2017. Further publication info is available here: http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/history/twentieth-century-european-history/yivo-and-making-modern-jewish-culture-scholarship-yiddish-nation

The interview was conducted by Sholem Beinfeld, a regular contributor to the Yiddish Voice, co-Editor in Chief of the Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary and Professor of History, Emeritus, Washington University, St. Louis.

Excerpts of the historic radio show that YIVO produced and broadcast in New York City on WEVD in the 1960's and '70's are presented at the end. These are courtesy of the recent "WEVD" podcast, a recent product of today's YIVO Institute and its Sound Archive. To find the podcast, search for "WEVD" in iTunes or any other podcast search system. YIVO website: https://www.yivo.org

Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Outro/incidental music: AFN VEG SHTEYT A BOYM performed by Itzhak Perlman, Dov Seltzer, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Air Date: Mar 7, 2018