Leyṿiḳ House

Leyṿiḳ House (Beit Leyvik) is a cultural center located at 30 Dov Hoz Street in central Tel Aviv, Israel. It serves as the home of the Association of Yiddish Writers and Journalists in Israel and is a focal point for Yiddish language and culture. The center hosts social, educational, and cultural activities aimed at preserving the Yiddish language and its cultural world. It is named after the Yiddish poet H. Leivick (Leivick Halpern), a native of Russia who spent most of his life in the United States. The building was initiated in 1969 and inaugurated in May 1970. It was funded by donations from institutions and individuals, with Golda Meir heading the public committee for its establishment under the auspices of President Zalman Shazar. The center organizes courses, lectures, workshops in schools and kindergartens, film screenings, music performances, poetry readings, plays, academic conferences, and the Rubinlicht Prize ceremony. Its archive supports research on Yiddish language and literature, particularly the history of Yiddish in Israel and its interactions with Hebrew. The H. Leivick Publishing House, associated with the center, has published about one hundred titles since 1970, including prose, poetry, and research in Yiddish, as well as translations from Yiddish to Hebrew and Russian and bilingual editions. As of 2021, the chairman is Daniel Galay. The center also maintains an online presence through its website, Facebook, and YouTube channel.

The establishment of Leyṿiḳ House began in 1969, aiming to serve as the center for the literary and cultural activities of the Association of Yiddish Writers and Journalists in Israel, replacing the association's previous home located in a basement on Dov Hoz Street. Donations totaling about half a million lirot were collected for the construction of the building. It is named after the writer H. Leivick (Leivick Halpern), a pillar of Yiddish poetry, born in Russia who spent most of his days in the United States. The initiators of the house were: association chairman Moshe Gross-Zimmerman, poets Avraham Sutzkever and Yosef Papirnikov, journalist Mordechai Halamish, and writer and linguist Mordechai Tsanin, who served as its first chairman. The construction was funded by donations from institutions and private individuals (Meir Weisgal was among the prominent donors) on a plot where the home of Habima actor Yehoshua Bertonov previously stood; he sold the property and moved with his family to Holon. The public committee for the establishment of the house was headed by Golda Meir and operated under the auspices of President Zalman Shazar. Leyṿiḳ House was inaugurated in May 1970. The chairman of Leyṿiḳ House, as of 2021, is Daniel Galay. In the early 2000s, the basement of the building was allocated for several years to the Yung Yiddish association for the collection and preservation of Yiddish books; the association later moved to another location. The center organizes courses and one-time lectures in Yiddish and on topics from Yiddish culture. The institution also organizes educational workshops in schools and kindergartens to expose the younger generation in Israel to the heritage of Eastern European Jewry. Among the cultural events held there: film screenings, music performances, poetry readings and plays, academic conferences, and the Rubinlicht Prize ceremony. The archive of Leyṿiḳ House serves research purposes on Yiddish and its literature, with emphasis on the history of Yiddish in Israel and the interactions between Yiddish and Hebrew. The H. Leivick Publishing House, adjacent to Leyṿiḳ House, publishes prose, poetry, and research books in Yiddish, as well as translations from Yiddish to Hebrew and Russian and bilingual editions. Since its establishment in 1970, it has published about one hundred titles.

• 2021

  Daniel Galay serves as chairman.

• 1970

  Leyṿiḳ House inaugurated in May.

• 1970

  H. Leivick Publishing House established.

• 1969

  Establishment of Leyṿiḳ House initiated.

A cultural and educational center dedicated to Yiddish heritage, serving as a hub for Yiddish literature and culture in Israel.

• Yiddish language courses

  Courses and lectures in Yiddish and on Yiddish culture.

• Educational workshops

  Workshops in schools and kindergartens to expose youth to Eastern European Jewish heritage.

• Cultural events

  Film screenings, music performances, poetry readings, plays, academic conferences.

• Rubinlicht Prize ceremony

  Annual award ceremony held at Leyṿiḳ House.

• H. Leivick Publishing House

  Publishes prose, poetry, and research in Yiddish, translations, and bilingual editions.

1. 1הפורטל לגיל הזהב: בריאות, תרבות וזכויות לגיל השלישי | יידיש לייבleyvik.org.il
2. 2מטיילים בנחת: המלצות לנופש וטיולים לגיל הזהב | יידיש לייבleyvik.org.il
3. 3אודות - יידיש לייבleyvik.org.il
4. 4Leyṿiḳ House - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5בית לייוויק - Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org