Sholem Aleichem Monument: 2 Years
On June 6, 2023, two years ago, a statue of the great Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem was erected at Tel Aviv University. We are happy to inform our readers about this anniversary.The creation of this monument by the renowned Soviet and Russian sculptor Yuri Chernov (1935 – 2009) and its installation at Tel Aviv University’s campus had been initiated by our website’s founder, Dr. Mark Zilberquit. The sculptor’s grandson, philanthropist and businessman Alexander Chernov, played an important role in this project.
The installation of Sholem Aleichem’s statue signaled the beginning of new studies of Yiddish language and culture under the guidance of Tel Aviv University’s professors who also organize, besides regular classes, annual festivals celebrating their students’ academic achievements. These ongoing scholarly and cultural activities were made possible in 2023 thanks to two charitable foundations, The Heritage Projects Foundation (USA) and Yiddish Heritage Preservation Foundation (Israel). The studies are supported by Mark and Julia Zilberquit Scholarship.
Peter Thoren, Amos Elad, Julia Zilberquit, Mark Zilberquit, Ariel Porad, Leonard Blavatnik, Avi Fisher.
Pictures: Yuval Yosef