Between 1884 and 1954, the London Yiddish press published hundreds of feuilletons (urban sketches) by local writers concerning Yiddish immigrant life in London's East End. These short sketches range from satirical and funny to poignant and moving. They cover a variety of themes, such as war between the sexes in the home, political arguments in cafes, and torah scrolls on the streets. Some of the sketch writers were well known in the Yiddish literary community (like Morris Winchevsky, Yosef Haim Brenner, and Esther Kreitman), but others were only locally popular, such as Katie Brown and A. M. Kaizer.
In this talk, Vivi Lachs and Sheva Zucker will perform some of the feuilleton sketches and mull over their themes.
Vivi Lachs is a social historian of London's Jewish East End, a translator and Yiddish pop singer. She is the author of three books on the subject: Whitechapel Noise, London Yiddishtown, and this latest book East End Jews. Vivi is a cultural activist in London, co-runs the Great Yiddish Parade, is the vice chair of the Yiddish Cafe Trust, and is the co-host of the triple-award winning Cockney Yiddish Podcast. She sings the Cockney-Yiddish repertoire with the groups Klezmer Klub and Katsha'nes.
This event is free, but donations are welcome to strengthen our Yiddish programming.