Hope is Stronger than Life: The Vilna Ghetto Diary of Zelig Kalmanovich

Zelig Kalmanovich (1885-1944) was a Yiddish linguist, translator, and a central member of YIVO’s pre-war Vilna staff. Kalmanovich kept a vivid diary during his time in the Vilna Ghetto describing daily life, the hopes and efforts of the people to retain humanity, and his thoughts about the future of the Jewish people and Jewish culture. A new publication by the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History in Vilnius, Lithuania unites fragments of his diary from YIVO’s collection in New York and their collection in Vilnius for the first-ever publication in English of this important testimony. Translated by Olga Lempert, the book contains essays providing background and context from editors Stanislovas Stasiulis and Saulė Valiūnaitė.

Join YIVO for a panel discussion celebrating this publication featuring editors Stasiulis and Valiūnaitė, joined by Dr. Lara Lempertienė, head of the Judaica Department at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, and moderated by professor Samuel Kassow.