Every year, the National Authority for Yiddish Culture awards prizes to prominent figures in the fields of arts and literature who contribute significantly to Yiddish language and culture in Israel. In 2022, the Authority's Public Council chose to bestow lifetime achievement awards upon:

Benny Mer - translator, writer, journalist

Mendy Kahana - curator of Yiddish books, founder of the "Young Yiddish" society

Leonid Rakhman - editor and proofreader of Yiddish books

In 2021, the awards ceremony took place in Tel Aviv on November 14. The laureates were:

Moyshe Lemster - poet, writer;

Bilha Rubinstein - literature researcher & translator;

Israel Rudnitsky - writer. editor, translator
The laureates of our third (2021) Yiddish short story content

In 2019, Israel’s National Authority for Yiddish Culture launched the first government-sponsored Yiddish-language writing contest ever held in the Jewish state. 

The third contest took place in 2021. The prize winners were:

Eli Sharfstein - "Dos groyse gevins" ("A Big Win")

Shlomo Lerman - "Tsvey nisim" ("Two Miracles")

Pua Peri - "Meserlekh" ("Little Knives")

During the current coronavirus pandemic,the Authority continues to be committed to the elderly population in Israel, working to provide them with the touch and joy of Yiddish culture. In light of the restrictions, we have been organizing performances by artists in the courtyards of nursing homes and sheltered housing, so that the residents can safely listen and join in the singing from the windows or balconies. 

Pictured below: Nursing homes in Herzliya, Jerusalem, and Rechovot

    Ya'akov Glatstein, American-Yiddish poet: 

"Talk to me in Yiddish, my Jewish land, and I'll certainly address you in Hebrew"

  רעד צו מיר ייִדיש, מײַן ייִדיש לאַנד. 
  און איך וועל צו דיר רעדן עבֿרית ממילא. 
  אַבֿרהם מיט שׂרהן קומען מיר אַנטקעגן 
  פֿון דער מערת־המכפּלה... 

 "גאָט־העלף, זיידע־באָבעשי." 
  אַבֿרהם גייט שווײַגנדיק די גאַס אַריבער. 
"נעם זיך ניט צום האַרצן, יאַנקעלע," 
זאָגט שׂרה, "ער איז מבֿין כּל דיבור." 

"ס'איז אַזוי דאָ אָנגענומען -
מאַנצביל דאַרף ייִדיש שטומען. 
אָבער אַ ייִדענע פֿון ייִדיש־טײַטש 
האָט אויך עפּעס־וואָס צו זאָגן. 
זאָג איך דיר: גאָט־העלף, מײַן קינד, 
זאָלסט מיר אַל־דאָס־גוטס פֿאַרמאָגן. 

גלייב מיר, יאַנקעלע, ס'וועט קומען אַ צײַט 
אין חמשה־עשׂר־לאַנד פֿון ראָזשינקעס און פֿײַגן, 
אַז אַלע עבֿרית־קינדער 
וועלן אויפֿהערן ייִדיש שווײַגן. 

און אַז זיי וועלן זיך צערעדן, 
וועלן זיי, וועט אַ נחת זײַן צו הערן. 
אַזוי וועט געשען, יאַנקעלע מײַן קינד, 
אַ שבֿועה קען איך דיר שווערן." 

דער זיידע אַבֿרהם פֿון יענער זײַט גאַס 
ווינקט צו מיר און פֿאָכעט מיט דער פֿאַטשיילע... 
אָ, רעד צו מיר ייִדיש, מײַן ייִדיש לאַנד, 
און איך וועל צו דיר רעדן עבֿרית, ממילא! 

On November 4, 2021, the 25th annual Yiddish Choir Festival took place at the Ashkelon Congress Center

On July 4, 2021 the Authority held a festive symposium in Tel Aviv, marking the 120th anniversary of the birth of the famous Yiddish poet Itzik Manger.

The full house (everybody wore masks!) enjoyed a lecture by Dr. Aviva Tal

and an artistic performance by singers Rosa Klein and Maxim Levinsky, accompanied by the pianist Regina Dricker.

Some of new Yiddish books issued with the Authority's support:

"Kadia Molodovsky: the Yiddish Writer's Life" by Zelda Cahana-Neuman

Di emese fe'e" ("The true fairy") by Maya Gez"  

Boccacio's "Decameron" in Yiddish translation

The National Authority for Yiddish Culture was established following the Knesset's resolution authorizing it in 1996. 

The Authority's mission includes:

* Deepening acquaintance with and increasing exposure of the Israeli public to Yiddish culture in all of its forms;

* Fostering research of Yiddish culture;

* Promoting the instruction of Yiddish language and literature;

* Encouraging the creation of contemporary works in Yiddish, including literature, poetry, theater, etc.

* Compiling, documenting and cataloguing oral folklore and written culture in Yiddish;

* Publishing selected works both in their original Yiddish versions and in Hebrew translation;

* Organizing events for people of all ages, transmitting Yiddish heritage from generation to generation.

The Authority's activities are focused mainly inside the State of Israel, but it also promotes collaboration with Yiddish cultural institutions around the world.

See two reports on our activity published in the leading Yiddish-language paper "Forverts", NY: from August 21, 2015 and from January 10, 2016.