In 1925 Hebrew University opened in Jerusalem. At the same time scientific research institute in Yiddish – YIVO (in Yiddish – Jidiše visnšaftleche organizacie; later – Jidišer visnšaftlecher institut) – opened in the so-called North Jerusalem – Vilnius. The founders of YIVO – Max Weinreich and Zalman Reisen – made it their primary mission to collect and preserve cultural and ethnographical heritage in Yiddish. Research work began only after collecting substantial archives. The creation of YIVO archives became a public initiative, voluntary organizations of collectors of Yiddish cultural non-material heritage gathered many members of local Jewish communities. YIVO became the first scientific institution, which prioritized the Yiddish language, and it raised national self-awareness between the Jews of Eastern Europe. The Institute marked the symbolic establishment of secular Jewish culture in the Yiddish-speaking cultural area. After four years of intensive work, archives of YIVO were moved from the humble apartment of Max Weinreich to the new splendid building dedicated to YIVO in Vilnius. Researchers of YIVO produced more than 100 volumes of social and humanitarian scientific studies, which were evaluated for its scientific objectivity and contribution to the standardization of the Yiddish language. Teachers of Yiddish language, local and foreign scholars came to YIVO to learn, and YIVO established postgraduate studies for the young scholars from around the world.

Soviet occupation during the Second World War marked the beginning of an end of Vilnius YIVO. In 1940 YIVO organization was split and its activities were constantly monitored, it influenced refocusing YIVO work to New York, where one of its branches was already established before the war, and where the leader of YIVO – Max Weinreich – unexpectedly found himself during the war in Europe. Unfortunately, due to the war situation, YIVO archives and library were left in Vilnius, and during the later Nazi occupation, these cultural treasures were systematically destroyed, and only a small part of these unique documents and artefacts survived this destruction.