Tuesday, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET: Oct. 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25, Dec. 2, 9, 23, 30
Course Goals: This ten-session course will open the gates to hidden corners of Yiddish literature — works that almost never appear in classrooms. Together we will journey through sensational shund novels, forgotten folktales, communal chronicles, moral treatises, heartfelt tkhines, and rare volumes printed in Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. Along the way, you will encounter antique fonts and early Yiddish printings and begin to decipher texts that glow with mystery and strangeness. By the end, you will not only gain confidence in reading Yiddish but also step into the secret chambers of a literature that resists oblivion.
Course Tools: We will engage directly with authentic rare sources — scans of old pages, book covers, and fragments of literature once alive across Jewish Europe. I will provide simultaneous translation into English and Hebrew as needed, ensuring that even when the words feel distant, the meaning and atmosphere remain alive.
Additional Info: A basic ability to understand Yiddish is recommended, though fluent speaking is not required. Thanks to live translation, it is not necessary to catch every word — curiosity and openness are all you need to embark on this journey.
Tuesday, 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET: Oct. 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25, Dec. 2, 9, 23, 30
Course Goals: This ten-session course will open the gates to hidden corners of Yiddish literature — works that almost never appear in classrooms. Together we will journey through sensational shund novels, forgotten folktales, communal chronicles, moral treatises, heartfelt tkhines, and rare volumes printed in Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. Along the way, you will encounter antique fonts and early Yiddish printings and begin to decipher texts that glow with mystery and strangeness. By the end, you will not only gain confidence in reading Yiddish but also step into the secret chambers of a literature that resists oblivion.
Course Tools: We will engage directly with authentic rare sources — scans of old pages, book covers, and fragments of literature once alive across Jewish Europe. I will provide simultaneous translation into English and Hebrew as needed, ensuring that even when the words feel distant, the meaning and atmosphere remain alive.
Additional Info: A basic ability to understand Yiddish is recommended, though fluent speaking is not required. Thanks to live translation, it is not necessary to catch every word — curiosity and openness are all you need to embark on this journey.
