Your grandparents spoke Yiddish so your parents wouldn’t know what they were saying.  Your parents may have uttered a phrase (or curse) here or there, but they never read you a classic Yiddish story or taught you a song, told you the difference between a litvak and a galitsyaner, or taught you a hundred ways to make a kugl.

It’s time to break the cycle.  Reclaim your roots and explore the riches of a thousand years of Jewish life. Even if your family had no connection to Yiddish, you can — the Yiddish experience is open for everyone to enjoy.

Yiddishkayt invites you to cross the bridge of generations and become fluent in the culture of your ancestors.  Join the Yiddishkayt Folks-Grupe, a completely new educational experience for young adults.

Be a part of the first-ever Yiddishkayt Folks-Grupe, a three-month Fellowship for young adults dedicated to all aspects of Yiddish culture.

From October to December, the Folks-Grupe (literally: People’s Group) will meet nine times to explore the Jewish experience as seen in Yiddish literature, theater, music, film, food, politics, history and humor.

Fellows will be surrounded by Yiddish culture, learning from both premier scholars and an older generation of native speakers, providing a sense of historical perspective.  Applicants do not need to speak, read, or write Yiddish.  Though the entire Folks-Grupe will be conducted in English (and all materials will be in translation), each session will include a brief lesson on Yiddish language.  Fellows will also work together to create an online Journal, sharing their video, audio, photographs, and writings — helping to document and preserve Yiddish culture.

Criteria

• Applicants must be interested in learning about Yiddish in an informal, social environment.
  
• The Folks-Grupe is open to everyone, you do not need to be Jewish or Ashkenazi to apply.
  
• Applicants should identify as a young adult, roughly between the ages of 22 and 35. 
  
• Applicants must be ready to commit to the full run of the program, with nine sessions from mid-October to December. Sessions (2-3 hours) will be held on weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons, with one or two more extensive Sunday workshops.
  
• The Folks-Grupe is offered free of cost to members of Yiddishkayt. If accepted, Fellows are expected to become members ($36).

Questions

Feel free to contact Yiddishkayt with any questions about the Folks-Grupe or the application. Contact Wesley Pinkham at pinkham@yiddishkayt.org or call 213.389.8880.