A Jewish Refugee in New York: Rivke Zilberg's Journal

Join the Yiddish Book Center in person to hear expert Sebastian Schulman give a talk on the book A Jewish Refugee in New York: Rivke Zilberg's Journal by Kadya Molodovsky. A copy of the book will be provided to early registrants. Please register below.

A Jewish Refugee in New York: Rivke Zilberg's Journal by Kadya Molodovsky

Rivke Zilberg, a 20-year-old Jewish woman, arrives in New York shortly after the Nazi invasion of Poland, her home country. Struggling to learn a new language and cope with a different way of life in the United States, Rivke finds herself keeping a journal about the challenges and opportunities of this new land. In her attempt to find a new life as a Jewish immigrant in the US, Rivke shares the stories of losing her mother to a bombing in Lublin, jilting a fiancé who has made his way to Palestine, and a flirtatious relationship with an American "allrightnik."

In this fictionalized journal originally published in Yiddish, author Kadya Molodovsy provides keen insight into the day-to-day activities of the large immigrant Jewish community of New York. By depicting one woman's struggles as a Jewish refugee in the US during WWII, Molodovsky points readers to the social, political, and cultural tensions of that time and place.

Sebastian Schulman, director of special projects and partnerships with the Yiddish Book Center. Prior to joining the Center in his current role, Sebastian served as the executive director of KlezKanada, a leading organization in Yiddish arts and culture located in Montréal, Québec. An alum of the Center’s Summer Internship Program, he has previously worked at the Center as the director of the translation fellowship program and as a development officer. Sebastian is also a writer, editor, and literary translator from Yiddish and other languages, with work appearing with independent presses and literary journals throughout North America. He holds degrees in Jewish Studies and History from McGill University and Indiana University, Bloomington.

Presented as part of the Yiddish Book Center's Public Libraries Program, in partnership with the ALA and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Made possible by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

The Yiddish Book Center’s Public Libraries Program brings Yiddish literature in translation to public libraries across the United States to deepen their engagement with Yiddish literature and Jewish life, religion, and culture, and to foster vibrant cross-cultural dialogue and discussion in their communities.   

Each year, the Center works with 40 libraries in communities across the United States. The current theme is Between Two Worlds: Exploring Jewish Culture and Religion through Yiddish Literature. Visit yiddishbookcenter.org.

The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to support the public library by providing funding, advocacy, programming, services, and materials that enrich the diverse community it serves. Visit santafelibraryfriends.org.

For accommodations such as translations, ASL interpreters, or disability needs, please email library@santafenm.gov or call the Library.