We’ve greatly expanded our Yiddish language course offerings in 2018, and in several ways! For the first time, we offer four levels of instruction - Beginners 1, Beginners 2, Intermediate and Advanced - over four consecutive weeks. Each course meets for 6 hours a day; 4 hours in the morning and early afternoon with the primary teacher, and for 2 additional hours with a second teacher for films, tutoring, help with homework, language games in Yiddish, and more! The courses are taught by some of the best teachers and specialists in the world, in the middle of the uniquely rich cultural program of Yiddish Summer Weimar with its jam sessions, concerts, dances and more that attract participants and audiences of all ages from all over the world.
The four courses build on each other, so you can start at the beginning and go all the way through. Of course you can also take just one or two courses at the level that's right for you. Every Yiddish language course student gets free tickets to all of the Yiddish Summer Weimar events! And if you take all four Yiddish courses in a row, you pay for only three!
So, whether you are interested in Yiddish language and literature for its own sake, or you’re ready to broaden your understanding of Yiddish music through learning Yiddish (highly recommended!), there’s no better time or place to jump right in than Yiddish Summer Weimar in 2018.
Our Yiddish classes are being offered in cooperation with the Seminar for Jewish Studies, University of Halle-Wittenberg. College students can receive credit for their participation. For more information about this, please send an email to: For further questions please refer to course coordinator Andreas Schmitges:
Workshop fees for one week: 460 € Standard / 355 € Reduced / 635 € Sponsor / 180 € under 18 Workshop fees for two weeks: 845 € Standard / 635 € Reduced / 1195 € Sponsor / 285 € under 18 Workshop fees for three weeks: 1230 € Standard /915 € Reduced / 1755 € Sponsor / 390 € under 18 Workshop fees for four weeks: same as three weeks; no additional costs after the twenty-first workshop day.
Beginners1 July 22 - 28 WithJanina Wurbs & Khane-Gele Neuberg One of the foremost Yiddishists of her generation, Janina is an experienced teacher with loads of experience in folklore and music. She has been a part of the Yiddish Summer community for many years and we’re delighted to welcome her back in 2018. Janina will teach this course together with Khane-Gele Neuberg. Khane-Gele is a certified translator and the mother of three Yiddish speaking daughters. With her family, she has been part of YSW for many years now. read more
Beginners1 July 22 - 28 WithJanina Wurbs & Khane-Gele Neuberg One of the foremost Yiddishists of her generation, Janina is an experienced teacher with loads of experience in folklore and music. She has been a part of the Yiddish Summer community for many years and we’re delighted to welcome her back in 2018. Janina will teach this course together with Khane-Gele Neuberg. Khane-Gele is a certified translator and the mother of three Yiddish speaking daughters. With her family, she has been part of YSW for many years now.
If you don’t know the Yiddish/Hebrew alphabet yet, then this course is right for you. The Hebrew alphabet ("square script") is the key to one of the world's richest and most fascinating cultures that originated 1000 years ago in the Rhineland, blossomed in Eastern Europe, and can be found today on every continent – Yiddish culture.
In this intensive course, students quickly and playfully learn to read the Yiddish alphabet, opening the door to all sorts of original Yiddish texts, including songs, poems and short stories. You'll get important tips on pronunciation and start to shmuesn ("shmooze") in Yiddish from the very first lesson, thus developing a feeling for this expressive and musical language. The course also creates an ideal basis for anyone working with Yiddish on stage, especially for singers, actors and actresses. Previous knowledge is not required, and success is guaranteed! In addition, this course will introduce you to the gripping history of the Yiddish language and you'll experience first-hand the richness of Yiddish culture!
If you have any questions about this workshop or whether its level is right for you, please contact course coordinator Andreas:
Workshop fee: Standard 460 € / Reduced 355 € / Supporter 635 € / Under 18: 180 € For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about >> Registrationback
Beginners 2 July 29 - Aug 4 With Mendy Cahan &Janina Wurbs We are glad to welcome Mendy Cahan back to our team of Yiddish teachers! Mendy is well known all over the world for his commitment to Yiddish culture and language. He runs Yung Yidish, a community center and library with 40.000 books in Tel Aviv-Yaffo. He is a native speaker, a singer and actor and a passionate teacher with decades of experience. read more
Beginners 2 July 29 - Aug 4 With Mendy Cahan &Janina Wurbs We are glad to welcome Mendy Cahan back to our team of Yiddish teachers! Mendy is well known all over the world for his commitment to Yiddish culture and language. He runs Yung Yidish, a community center and library with 40.000 books in Tel Aviv-Yaffo. He is a native speaker, a singer and actor and a passionate teacher with decades of experience.
Mendy’s and Janina’s course is designed for people who know the Alef-beys or have participated in a Beginners course at YSW or elsewhere.
The setup for this course is a little different from the other ones. Mendy will teach 3 hours in the afternoon, focussing more on spoken language, conversation and learning Yiddish through songs while Janina will teach the 3 hours in the morning, with the main topics being reading, writing and Yiddish Grammar. Through this structure, students will engage with language exercises, Yiddish texts, writing practice and conversation in Yiddish. Watch the speed of your own progress and expect an intensive week that combines hard work and fun!
Workshop fee: Standard 405 € / Reduced 315 € / Supporter 555 € / Under 18: 180 € For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about >> Registrationback
Intermediate Aug 5 – Aug 11 With Yuri Vedenyapin, Diana Matut & Mendy Cahan Yuri Vedenyapin is an actor, singer, ethnographer and Yiddish lecturer who, for years, has taught the language at Harvard University. He is a natural teacher, beloved by his students for his humour and brilliance, and he regularly tours the world to teach Yiddish language and culture. Yuri will teach the morning sessions. The two-hour afternoon sessions will be led by the singer, scholar and Yiddishist Diana Matut on the first three days. Mendy Cahan, who taught the Beginners 2 course, takes over the afternoon session starting on the fourth day. read more
Intermediate Aug 5 – Aug 11 With Yuri Vedenyapin, Diana Matut & Mendy Cahan Yuri Vedenyapin is an actor, singer, ethnographer and Yiddish lecturer who, for years, has taught the language at Harvard University. He is a natural teacher, beloved by his students for his humour and brilliance, and he regularly tours the world to teach Yiddish language and culture. Yuri will teach the morning sessions. The two-hour afternoon sessions will be led by the singer, scholar and Yiddishist Diana Matut on the first three days. Mendy Cahan, who taught the Beginners 2 course, takes over the afternoon session starting on the fourth day.
This course is designed for people who are comfortable reading in Alef-beys, have a good command of basic Yiddish grammar, and can carry on simple Yiddish conversations on a range of topics. This will be an intensive Yiddish course covering not only grammar but also a wide variety of literary, musical, and audiovisual materials. It will provide students with an immersion experience – the best way to learn a foreign language and become completely familiar with a cultural universe.
Workshop fee: Standard 460 € / Reduced 355 € / Supporter 635 € / Under 18: 180 € For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about >> Registrationback
AdvancedAug 12 – Aug 18 WithAvraham Lichtenbaum & Yuri Vedenyapin We’re extremely honored to welcome Avraham Lichtenbaum for the first time in Weimar. Avraham, like many world-renowned Yiddish teachers, comes from Buenos Aires and was in his youth a student of Pesakh Fiszman (z”l), the original founder of the Yiddish language program in Weimar. Like Pesakh, Avraham is an incredibly talented and empathetic pedagogue, and we are looking forward to delightful times with him! read more
AdvancedAug 12 – Aug 18 WithAvraham Lichtenbaum & Yuri Vedenyapin We’re extremely honored to welcome Avraham Lichtenbaum for the first time in Weimar. Avraham, like many world-renowned Yiddish teachers, comes from Buenos Aires and was in his youth a student of Pesakh Fiszman (z”l), the original founder of the Yiddish language program in Weimar. Like Pesakh, Avraham is an incredibly talented and empathetic pedagogue, and we are looking forward to delightful times with him! The two-hour afternoon sessions will be led by actor, singer, ethnographer and former Harvard University lecturer Yuri Vedenyapin, who also teaches the Intermediate course. This course is designed for those participants who are already advanced in reading and writing Yiddish and want to improve their vocabulary and grammar. It also includes reading and analyzing short literary texts by important Yiddish authors like Mendele Moykher-Sforim, Sholem Aleichem, Isaac Leib Peretz and Sholem Asch.
Workshop fee: Standard 405 € / Reduced 315 € / Supporter 555 € / Under 18: 180 € For information about the Standard, Reduced and Supporter fees >> read about >> Registrationback
