YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
Shelly Freeman is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in law, political advisory roles, and consulting. Currently serving as Chief of Staff at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research since July 2018, Freeman previously operated as Principal Consultant at Shelly Freeman Consulting from March 2007 to July 2018, specializing in communications, government relations, strategic networking, project management, and relationship management. Notable prior roles include Ministerial Adviser for the State Government of Victoria, where high-level political advice was provided to various ministers, and positions at educational institutions such as Monash University and RMIT University in legal studies. Freeman's legal career includes significant roles at Minter Ellison and the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office, focusing on areas such as administrative law, anti-discrimination law, and privacy law. An academic background includes a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Law from Monash University.
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YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is the leading academic center for East European and Russian Jewish Studies, specializing in Yiddish language, literature, and folklore; the Holocaust; and the American Jewish experience. YIVO preserves, studies, shares, and perpetuates knowledge of the history and culture of East European Jewry to advance scholarship, to strengthen community and lay a foundation of self-knowledge and pride for future generations. Founded in 1925 with support from leading intellectuals and scholars like Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, YIVO was based in Wilno (now Vilna) until forced by WWII to relocate to New York. YIVO is the only prewar Jewish archives and library to survive the Holocaust. YIVO’s archives and library represent the largest and most comprehensive collection of materials on East European Jewish civilization, and receives upwards of 5,000 on-site visits and requests annually. The YIVO archives’ ~23 million items include sound and music collections, theater and art collections, communal and personal records, photographs and films, manuscripts, diaries, memoirs, and correspondence. YIVO’s library has nearly 400,000 volumes in all European languages, and contains the largest collection of Yiddish-language books, pamphlets, and newspapers. YIVO’s Uriel Weinreich Program in Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture, was established in 1968 and is the oldest intensive Yiddish language-learning program. YIVO’s rules for transliteration of Yiddish into English are the standard used by most publishers and academics. YIVO offers adult education and Yiddish language programs, research opportunities, and scholarly publications, including YIVO’s Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe, one of the world’s most comprehensive and free online encyclopedia. YIVO offers lectures, conferences, concerts, theatrical performances, film screenings, and exhibitions, featuring award-winning scholars, writers, performers, artists, and more.