General Interest Classes  

Don’t worry – if you aren’t a singer, dancer or musician and don’t speak Yiddish, there are still plenty of classes you can enjoy.

Mamas, Yentas and Khazntes: Jewish Women on 78 rpm Recordings/AM1 Henry Sapoznik

Recordings from the golden age of Yiddish music compare and contrast how Jewish women were portrayed on Yiddish records and how they fared on discs issued for a mainstream gentile audience.

Women in Yiddish Popular Music/PM1 Pete Sokolow

Through film, recordings and interviews, Pete Sokolow will explore the role of Jewish women in professional Music. Of particular interest will be his interview during class with legendary 95-year old pianist/entertainer Shirlee Paul (nee Palnitzki).

Meetings With Our Masters: Felix Fibich/AM1 Judith Brin Ingber with Felix Fibich

Join dance historian Judith Brin Ingber as she and legendary dancer/choreographer Felix Fibich discuss his long fascinating career in creating and expanding the language of modern Yiddish dance.

Daytsh af tselakhis (“German Be Damned!”): Psychological & Social Origins of Yiddish/AM2 Michael Wex

Why Yiddish is not and has never been German. Open to anyone interested in this topic.

Wexology: Women in Yiddish/ PM1 Michael Wex

We will look at the ways in which women are portrayed in Yiddish and at the language's attitudes to women's minds, bodies and social roles. We'll have a look at the idea of Yiddish as a "women's language" and also investigate aspects of the spoken language subject matter, vocabulary, features of syntax and morphology associated with female speakers. Knowledge of Yiddish is not necessary, though it also doesn't hurt.

What Women Want (When They Write Yiddish Literature)PM1 Anita Norich

Why do women tend to write poems rather than novels or short stories in Yiddish? Who are the female writers in the Yiddish literary tradition? What do they write about? We'll answer such questions by reading some stories and poems (in English translation), with particular emphasis on Anna Margolin, Kadya Molodovsky, Malka Heifetz-Tussman and others. Bring your own favorites as well and be prepared for lively discussions!

Klezmer Overview/PM2 Sherry Mayrent

Take a trip through the sonic world of the shtetl. This class examines the Jewish vocal sources of klezmer style, the modes that comprise traditional melody, as well as harmonic and rhythmic elements in traditional Yiddish instrumental music. For both musicians (instrumental and vocal) and non-musicians wishing to listen to the music with a more educated ear.

Yente Encounters with Lilith/PM2 Miriam Isaacs

We will explore the legend of Lilith, the original uppity woman, and the archetypical yente as seen in folklore, film, poetry and prose.

Jewish Cooking/AM1 & PM2 Anne Rosenzweig (2 sections, each limited to 15 students)

Celebrated restaurateur Anne Rosenzweig returns to offer a new insight into traditional Yiddish cuisine. (2 sections, each limited to 15 students)

Yiddish Songs of War and Women’s Lives/AM2 Adrienne Cooper with Marilyn Lerner

The development of Yiddish folk and composed songs coincided with periods of unprecedented historical upheaval and violence. Women’s particular experience of war in Yiddish song produced a repertoire of terror and beauty, grief and hope – a music of heroism. A repertoire class for all.

Women's Voices - Our Lives are in Our Songs/PM2 Susan Leviton

Build your repertoire as we mine a treasure-trove of songs packed with cultural and historic insights into Jewish values and experiences, including songs of the cradle, love and courtship, immigration, labor struggles and social justice, and the Holocaust, as well as contemporary songs that reflect 21st century realities and sensibilities.