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March 24 marks exactly 100 years since the famous YIVO Institute for Jewish Research was founded in Vilnius. On this occasion, the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania has opened an exhibition at the Ministry titled "Friends of YIVO: the Vilnius YIVO Institute and the Jewish World of the Interwar Period."

At the exhibition opening, Gabija Grigaitė-Daugirdė, Lithuania's Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, noted that Lithuania, having experienced language and press bans, especially values and protects cultural heritage. The YIVO Institute is a long-standing partner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Lithuania to in the USA, and the Consulate General in New York. She emphasized the  contribution of the Lithuanian intellectuals - Ona Šimaitė and Antanas Ulpis - in preserving the cultural heritage during the Nazi and Soviet occupation. The Member of the Seimas and signatory to the Act of Independence of Lithuania Emanuelis Zingeris, who participated in the event, spoke about the almost lost invaluable Yiddish language heritage and emphasized that institutions such as the YIVO could only thrive in free democratic countries. The exhibition was presented by one of its authors, Dr. Lara Lempertienė, the head of the Judaica Research Centre.

YIVO was founded to preserve and study the history and culture of Eastern European Jews worldwide. The 100th anniversary of the Institute is included in the Seimas resolution on the commemoration of anniversaries of events and personalities important to Lithuania in 2025.