Research & Discovery
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
The LSI mentors, nurtures, and supports the creation and continuation of Litvak Studies courses at academic institutions internationally. On an ongoing basis, the Litvak Studies Institute staff and partners continue work on a curriculum of Litvak Studies that encompasses the religious and secular cultural history of Lithuanian Jewry. Component levels of this academic study plan ranges from introductory survey courses in English to advanced programs focusing on various aspects, including the Vilna Yiddish language tradition, Lithuanian Yiddish and Hebrew literature, and the vast rabbinic literature in Hebrew and Aramaic. Other components include Holocaust Studies and Antisemitism Studies with special reference to Lithuanian Jewry.
Please contact LSI for further information and copies of sample curriculum.
VIDEO ARCHIVES
The LSI engages in videographed expeditions to the last surviving Litvaks throughout the historical homeland (in both the EU and CIS states that now span the territory), all in native Litvak Yiddish, to form a permanent archive complementing those projects in progress now under the auspices of other institutions. As this program activity continues, the archive will form a permanent resource for both education (Yiddish and Litvak culture) and for research (linguistics, folklore, oral history, cultural history and more).
