Visit Project

Project Details

The first exhibition of the YIVO Bruce and Francesca Cernia Slovin Online Museum, Beba Epstein: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Girl, uses interactive storytelling to contextualize hundreds of artifacts from the YIVO archives, taking the user on a journey of discovery. It is based on the life of a young girl named Beba Epstein, who was born in Vilna, Poland (now Vilnius, Lithuania), in 1922, survived the horrors of the Holocaust, and immigrated to the United States after the war. Her autobiography was discovered in 2017. You will discover that despite her exceptional fate, Beba is not so different from any other young teenager today.

Subjects or Themes

World War II, Holocaust, Jewish History, European History, Immigration

Project Language(s)

English

Time Period

Geographic Location

Project Categories

Content Type

Primary resources, Images, Artifacts, Sound, Animations, Text, Videos, Interactive experiences, Teacher resources

Target Audience(s)

Creators

A project of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

CURATORIAL CONCEPTS, CREATIVE DIRECTION & TEXTS
Karolina Ziulkoski, Chief Curator, YIVO Bruce and Francesca Cernia Slovin Online Museum

RESEARCH & DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT
Olivia Reid, Research and Project Specialist, YIVO Bruce and Francesca Cernia Slovin Online Museum

MAIN SCHOLAR REVIEWER
Dr. Samuel Kassow, Charles H. Northam Professor of History, Trinity College

SCHOLAR REVIEW
Dr. Eva Hoffman
Dr. Antony Polonsky, Emeritus Professor of Holocaust Studies at Brandeis University and Chief Historian at POLIN Museum
Dr. Eddy Portnoy, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

RESEARCH AND SCHOLAR ADVISOR
Roberta Newman

ARCHIVAL ASSETS
Dr. Stefanie Halpern, Director of the YIVO Archives
Vital Zajka, Information Manager in the Archives, Photo Archives & Library, YIVO
Lorin Sklamberg, Sound Archivist, YIVO
Eléonore Biezunski, Associate Sound Archivist, YIVO

EXHIBITION DESIGN
Kiss Me I’m Polish LLC

EXHIBITION DEVELOPMENT
Car of Tomorrow

EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT
Ila Gross

3D MODELS
Melon | Carolina Manenti Saraiva, Cleto Pádua, Diego Biachi de Castria and Luciana Manenti Saraiva

COMICS
Milo Krimstein

TEXT REVIEW
Joe Levit

AUDIO ENGINEER
Rodrigo Piccoli

FAMILY ANIMATIONS VOICEOVER
Ariella Carmen Mañago Alexander

BOOK READINGS VIDEOS | ACTRESS
Yelena Shmulenson

BOOK READINGS VIDEOS | VIDEO SHOOTING AND EDITING
Point of Order Productions

BOOK READINGS VIDEOS | MAKEUP
Ori Gilady

YIDDISH TRANSLATIONS
Myra Mniewski
Sandra Chiritescu

VILNIUS PHOTO SURVEY
Agnieska Avin
Mantautas Šulskus

COMMUNICATIONS AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
Jessica Tauber, Marketing and Communications Manager, YIVO
Alix Brandwein, Web and Graphic Designer, YIVO
Alex Weiser, Director of Public Programs, YIVO

YIVO INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH RESEARCH
Jonathan Brent, Executive Director & CEO
Shelly Freeman, Chief of Staff
Robert Wagman, Chief Financial Officer
Melissa Cohen, Chief Development Officer

Special thanks to:

Michael, Sharon, Noah and Ariel Leventhal for their help and support throughout the development of this exhibition.
Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania for the use of the autobiography of Beba Epstein and for their continued partnership on the Edward Blank YIVO Vilna Online Collections project.
Maryelle Mirvil, teacher at PS 69 Journey Prep, Bronx, NY, for her invaluable support and insights in the development of teaching guides.
Elliot Lefkovitz, Adjunct Professor of History and Holocaust Studies, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership for his guidance and advice.

Year(s)

2020

Host Institution / Affiliation / Project Location

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research

Software Employed

Labor and Support

Partnerships, funding sources, or grant-funding acknowledgement

Beba Epstein: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Girl was made possible by the generous support of Bruce Slovin to the YIVO Bruce and Francesca Cernia Slovin Online Museum