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NEW SPRING SESSIONS
The Workers Circle is proud to be one of the largest providers of Yiddish language classes in the world. Our classes are designed for every age and skill level, from absolute beginner to total maven. You can join us in-person at our Midtown Manhattan office or online, where you’ll meet Yiddishists from around the globe.
Please note that more classes may be added. For details on course offerings, please contact Kolya Borodulin, the Workers Circle Director of Yiddish Programming, NBorodulin@circle.org or 212.889.6800 ext. 806.
Members of the Workers Circle can register for Yiddish classes at a discounted rate. You can become a member of the Workers Circle before registering for classes here.
All non-member classes are $320 for in-person, and $340 for online, except for the mini courses which are $170.
Please note that all class times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
NO REFUND AFTER THE 2nd CLASS SESSION!
Please note the registration rate does NOT include course books. Click here to purchase books, and if you have any questions please contact books@circle.org.
IN-PERSON CLASSES
Beginners Conversation with Lazer Mishulovin
Mondays: 6:30 – 8:00 pm: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 20, 27, May 4, May 11, 18 June 1, 8, 15
Course Goals: Build skills in speaking and listening comprehension to become conversational in Yiddish.
Course Tools: Practice conversing with fellow students using new vocabulary and cultural concepts.
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is not required.
Beginners I conversation with Motl Didner (5 sessions)
Mondays 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Course Goals: Build skills in speaking and listening comprehension to become conversational in Yiddish.
Course Tools: Practice conversing with fellow students using new vocabulary and cultural concepts.
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is not required.
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Beginners I with Lazer Mishulovin
Wednesdays 3:00 – 4:30 pm: March 4, 11, 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3
Course Goals: Basic comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (Units 1 – 5), supplementary basic reading texts & songs
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is not required.
Beginners II with Sheva Zucker
Monday 1:15 – 2:45 pm: Feb. 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 April 6, 20, 27 May 4, May 11, 18
Course Goals: Basic comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (starting with Unit 9A), supplementary basic reading texts and songs
Additional Info: Knowledge of the Alef-Beys is required
Beginners III (continuation) with Paula Teitelbaum
Wednesdays 3:00 – 4:30 pm: March 4, 11, 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3
Course Goals: Learn basic comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (starting with Unit 9), supplementary basic reading texts and songs.
Additional Info: Knowledge of the Alef-Beys is required, although fluency in reading is not expected. This is a continuation of the Beginners II class from Fall 2019.
Intermediate I with Paula Teitelbaum
Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:00: March 3, 17, 24, 31 Apr. 7, 21, 28 May 5, 12, 19, 26 June 2
Course Goals: Continue learning basic comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (Unit 10B), supplementary basic reading texts and songs.
Additional Info: Knowledge of the Alef-Beys required, although total reading fluency is not expected. This IS a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Intermediate II with Paula Teitelbaum
Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm: March 4, 11, 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3
Course Goals: Continue learning Yiddish with a stronger focus on developing comprehension, speaking, reading and grammar skills in context.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. II by Sheva Zucker (starting from Unit 12B), Motl Peyse Dem Khazns by Sholem Aleichem, abridged and glossed for students (starting from chapter 3).
Additional Info: Taught almost entirely in Yiddish. For students who have a working knowledge of Yiddish or who have completed the Beginners courses. This is a continuation of the Intermediate II class from Fall 2019.
Intermediate III with Paula Teitelbaum
Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:30 pm: March 3, 17, 24, 31 April 7, 21, 28 May 5, 12, 19, 26 June 2
Course Goals: Continue Intermediate study of Yiddish reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. II (starting with Unit 14B) and With Great Pleasure, compiled and edited by Heather Valencia.
Additional Info: Taught almost entirely in Yiddish.
Intermediate III with Sheva Zucker
Wednesdays 6:15 – 7:45 pm: Feb. 19, 26, March 4, 11, 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20
Course Goals: Continue Intermediate level study of Yiddish reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. II by Sheva Zucker (starting with Unit 18A), Motl Peyse dem Khazns by Sholem Aleichem, (starting with Ch.7).
Additional Info: The course is designed for those with approximately 2.5 to 3 years of Yiddish language study. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class but others are welcome to join.
Advanced with Sheva Zucker
Mondays 3:00 – 4:30 pm: Feb. 24, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, April 6, 20, 27, May 4, May 11, 18
Course Goals: Interpret and understand the traditional life of East European Jewry and improve vocabulary, grammar, and conversation skills.
Course Tools: Stories of Vilna by Avrom Karpinovitsh, poetry, newspaper articles, student personal presentations.
Additional Info: This course will be taught entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced with Kolya Borodulin
Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm: March 17, 24, 31 April 7, 21, 28 May 5, 12, 19, 26 June 2, 9
Course Goals: Read and analyze Yiddish literature, poetry, and songs.
Course Tools: Mishpokhe Karnovski by I. J. Singer, a selection of poetry and songs, additional historical material.
Additional Info: This course is taught entirely in Yiddish.
Beginner Conversation with Alexandra Polyan
Mondays 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 25
Course Goals: Build skills in speaking and listening comprehension to become conversational in Yiddish.
Course Tools: Materials on topics of greetings, family history, food, etc.
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is not required.
CANCELLED
Beginner Conversation with Noah Barrera
Thursdays 7:00– 8:30: March 5, 12, 19, 26 April 2, 23, 30 May 7, 14, 21
Course Goals: We will build conversational skills in speaking and listening comprehension through prepared dialogues. These skills will be reinforced through constructing our own dialogues.
Course Tools: Dialogues from Colloquial Yiddish and accompanying audio. Students will make their own dialogues in class on the basis of the dialogues in CY.
Additional Info: No knowledge of Yiddish and Yiddish alphabet is needed.
Beginners I with Noah Barrera A
Mondays 7:00 – 8:30 pm March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 20, 27, May 4, May 11, 18, 25
Course Goals: Learn basic comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Colloquial Yiddish by Lilly Kahan (Units 1 – 5). Book can be purchased on Amazon here.
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is not required.
Beginners I with Yankl-Peretz Blum
Tuesdays 11:30 am – 1:00 pm: March 17, 24, 31 Apr. 7, 21, 28 May 5, 12, 19, 26
Course Goals: Build basic skills in comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: YiddishPOP.com (Lessons 1.1 through 2.5).
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys not required.
Beginners I with Noah Barrera B
Thursdays 12:00 – 1:30 pm: March 12, 19, 26 April 2, 23, 30 May 7, 14, 21, 28
Course Goals: Learn basic comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Colloquial Yiddish by Lilly Kahan (Units 1 – 5). Book can be purchased on Amazon here.
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is not required.
Beginners I (continuation) with Yankl-Peretz Blum
Sundays 11:00 am – 12:30 pm: March 15, 22, 29 April 5, 19, 26 May 3, 10, 17, 24
Course Goals: Continue building basic skills in comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: YiddishPOP.com (Lessons 3.1 through 4.5).
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is required.
Beginners I with Miriam Koral (continuation)
Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:30 pm: March 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3
Course Goals: Learn the Yiddish alphabet, basic reading, writing, conversational skills, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (From Unit 2)
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is required. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Beginners I (continuation) with Paula Teitelbaum
Thursdays 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 12, 19, 26 April 2, 9, 23, 30 May 7, 14, 21
Course Goals: Practice using the Yiddish alphabet in basic reading and writing. Continue learning conversational skills and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (Review Units 1-4, continue with following units), songs and specialized handouts.
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of the Alef-Beys is required. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Beginners II continuation with Miriam Koral (continuation)
Mondays 6:30 – 8:00 pm: March 16, 23, 30 April 6, 20, 27 May 4, May 11, 18, 25
Course Goals: Continue building skills in reading, writing, conversational skills, and Yiddish grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (from Unit 6) songs and specialized handouts.
Additional Info: Basic reading, writing and conjugation in the present tense required. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Beginners III with Miriam Koral
Wednesdays 1:30 – 3:00 pm: March 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3
Course Goals: Strengthen and improve conversational skills, learn the next level of comprehensive Yiddish grammar (e.g., past tense, cases), enhance vocabulary and reading skills.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (from Unit 8), class-tailored handouts.
Additional Info: Previous knowledge of basic reading, writing and grammar (present-tense conjugation, modifying adjectives, etc.) required. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Intermediate I with Natalia Krynicka
Mondays 11:30 am – 1:00 pm: March 16, 23, 30 April 6, 20, 27 May 4, 11, 18, 25
Course Goals: Build skills in basic comprehension, reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. I by Sheva Zucker (starting with Unit 14), supplementary basic reading texts and songs.
Additional Info: This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
CANCELLED
Intermediate II (continuation) with Noah Barrera
Tuesdays 12:00 – 1:30 pm: March 17, 24, 31 Apr. 7, 21, 28 May 5, 12, 19, 26
Course Goals: Developing stronger comprehension, speaking, reading and grammar skills using a textbook written in Yiddish.
Course Tools: Dovid Goldberg’s Yidish af yidish (continuing w/chapter 3). The book can be purchased on Amazon here.
Additional Info: Taught almost entirely in Yiddish. For students who have a working knowledge of Yiddish or who have completed the Beginners courses. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Intermediate III with Natalia Krynicka
Mondays 1:30 – 3:00 pm: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 20, 27, May 4, 11, 18, 25
Course Goals: Continue learning Yiddish with a stronger focus on developing comprehension, speaking, reading and grammar skills in context.
Course Tools: Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. II by Sheva Zucker (starting with 19).
Additional Info: Taught almost entirely in Yiddish. For students who have a working knowledge of Yiddish or who have completed the Beginners courses. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Intermediate III with Sheva Zucker
Sundays 10:30 am – 12:00 pm: March 8, 15, 22, 29, April 5, 19, 26, May 3, 17, 24
Course Goals: Continue intermediate level study of Yiddish reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Literary text and songs, Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. II by Sheva Zucker (starting with Unit 20A), Motl Peyse dem Khazns by Sholem Aleichem (starting with Ch. 7).
Additional Info: The course is designed for those with approximately 3 years of Yiddish language study.
Intermediate III with David Braun
Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm: March 17, 24, 31 April 7, 21, 28 May 5, 12, 19, 26
Course Goals: Continue learning Yiddish for students who have a working knowledge of Yiddish or who have completed an elementary course.
Course Tools: College Yiddish by Uriel Weinreich (starting with Lesson 25).
Additional Info: Taught almost entirely in Yiddish. For students who have a working knowledge of Yiddish or who have completed the Beginners courses. This is a continuation of the Fall 2019 class.
Intermediate Yiddish Literature with Sheva Zucker
Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 4, 11, 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29, May 6, 13, 20
Course Goals: Students will read and discuss Yiddish literature. Grammar will be taught as it comes up through the readings.
Course Tools: Selected readings from prose writers Tsvi Ayzenman, Reb Nakhmen of Bratslav, and Masha Rolnikayte and poets Celia Dropkin, Itsik Manger, Yankev Glatshteyn, and others.
Additional Info: The course is designed for those with approximately 1.5 to 2.5 years of Yiddish language study. It will be taught entirely in Yiddish. Emphasis is on understanding the texts.
Intermediate-Advanced with Kolya Borodulin: Mit Yidish iber der velt
Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm: March 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27, June 3
Course Goals: Introduce students to key Yiddish cultural figures from past to present. Meet and have a chat in our mame-loshn with contemporary Yiddish writers and poets, teachers, translators, and more.
Course Tools: Texts and multimedia by and about outstanding Yiddishists.
Additional Info: This course is conducted entirely in Yiddish. (This is not a repetition of previous courses.)
Advanced Yiddish with Gennady Estraikh: Anti-fascist Committee
Sundays 10:00 – 11:30 am: March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 April 5, 19, 26 May 3, 17
Course Goals: To explore the lives and work of writers playing central roles in The Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (JAFC) established in the early phase of the Soviet-Nazi war as a propaganda unit, gradually developed links with foreign Jewish organizations and began to act as a body taking responsibility for Soviet Jewish citizens’ interests.
Course Tools: Works from writers playing central roles in the JAFC.
Additional Info: This course is conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced Yiddish with Dovid Katz
Mondays 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 16, 23, 30 April 6, 20, 27 May 4, May 11, 18, 25
Course Goals: To strengthen participants’ powers of expression in Yiddish and in-depth knowledge through emphasis on discussion of stylistics, lexicon, grammar, idiomaticity and the extant variation.
Course Tools: Emphasis is on students’ preparation of short oral presentations each week, with additional in-session readings from Yiddish literary and other texts. Students may (but are not required) to submit short weekly texts in Yiddish for instructor’s comments.
Additional Info: This course is conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced with Miriam Trinh: Yung Yisroel
Tuesdays 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 17, 24, 31 Apr. 7, 21, 28 May 5, 12, 19, 26
Course Goals: To familiarize students with the literary group “Yung-Yisroel” (Young Israel), which was mostly comprised of writers who were Holocaust survivors and made aliyah to Israel, but continued to write in their mame-loshn.
Course Tools: Prose and poetry from Yung-Yisroel writers
Additional Info: This course is conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced Yiddish with Sheva Zucker
Thursdays 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 5, 12, 19, 26 April 2, 9, 23, 30 May 7, 14
Course Goals: Begin advanced level study of Yiddish language, focusing on reading, writing, speaking, and grammar.
Course Tools: Yiddish autobiographies including those of Yoysef Buloff, Shmerke Kaczerginski, Gina Medem, Urke Nachalnik, Sore Shenirer and Esther Rosenthal Shnayderman; Yidish af Yidish by Dovid Goldberg.
Additional Info: The course is designed for those with approximately 3 to 3.5 years of Yiddish language study. It assumes you have finished Yiddish: An Introduction to the Language, Literature & Culture, Vol. II by Sheva Zucker or the equivalent. This course is conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced Yiddish with Avrom Lichtenbaum: Yiddish Authors from “Khof-to-Kuf”
Thursdays 2:45 – 4:15 pm: April 2, 9, 23, 30 May 7, 14, 21, June 4, 11, 18
Course Goals: To familiarize students with ten little known Yiddish authors of prose, poetry, and essays.
Course Tools: Works from Izzi Kharik, Zishe Landoy, Mendl Man, H. D. Nomberg, Shlomo Suskovitsh, Y. Efroykin, S. Palme, Shikl Fishman, S. L. Tsitron, and Aba Kovner.
Additional Info: This course is conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced with Avrom Lichtenbaum: Mayse
Thursdays 6:30 – 8:00 pm: April 2, 9, 23, 30 May 7, 14, 21, June 4, 11, 18
Course Goals: To explore the mayses (stories) that have influenced generations of Jewish educators, from the sentence “Mayse shehoya kakh hoya/the thing that happened was this”.
Course Tools: Mayses from the Tanakh, Tsene-rene (Yiddish chumash) with integrated mayses, Mayse-bukh, Elieh Bochur, Glikl Hamil, Hasidishe Mayses, and Megale Tmirin.
Additional Info: This class will be conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced Literature with Yitskhok Niborski: Early 20th Century Short Story Writers
Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:30: March 18, 25 April 1, 22, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3
Course Goals: To explore the works of five writers who first began to write during the generation of classical Yiddish writers. Each published in a variety of genres, but all of them primarily published short stories and each was a master of the form. The selected short stories all take place in Eastern Europe, although several of them had been written in America. Grounding the selection of stories in this time period and this place will help us to grasp the development of the Yiddish short story.
Course Tools: Works from Avrom Reyzen (1876-1953), Zalmen Wendroff (1879-1972), Yoyne Rozenfeld (1880-1944), Dovid Bergelson (1884-1952) and Moyshe Nadir (1885-1943).
Additional Info: In this course we will only read works written up to the year 1918.
Advanced Yiddish with Leyzer Burko: Bashevis in the Underworld
Sundays 11:00 am – 12:30 pm: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Course Goals: This class will explore the underworld novels of Isaac Bashevis Singer which were printed serially in the Forverts, but never appeared in Yiddish in book form. Students will be among the first readers to enjoy these works in over forty years. Here Bashevis offers another perspective on the impoverished and infamous Krochmalna Street of his youth.
Course Tools: Shoym (Scum in the English translation), Di gest, and Yarme un Keyle (about a prostitute and a pimp).
Additional Info: This class will be conducted entirely in Yiddish. Special attention will be paid to Bashevis's use of Polish-Yiddish dialect and of underworld slang from Warsaw.
Advanced Yiddish with Ber Kotlerman: Once the Movies Were Silent in Yiddish
Monday 12:00 – 1:30 pm: March 16, 23, 30 April 6, 20
Course Goals: To discuss the origins of Yiddish silent filmmaking, centered around the 1910-1920 period and Jewish life in the Pale of Settlement in tsarist Russia.
Course Tools: Yiddish silent films from 1910-1920.
Additional Info: This class will be conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced with Shane Baker: Peretz, Bashevis Singer and the Anxiety of Influence
Mondays 2:00 – 3:30 pm: March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13
Course Goals: To compare and contrast stories from I.L. Peretz and Isaac Bashevis Singer to see how Bashevis Singer transmutes Peretz’s themes for his own work.
Course Tools: I.L. Peretz’s Monish and Di Tayve tsu kleyder, Issac Bashevis Singer’s “demon” tales Mayse Tishevits and Der Shpigl
Additional Info: This course will be conducted entirely in Yiddish.
Advanced Yiddish with Michael Wex: Kotzk in Yiddish Literature
Thursdays: 1:00 – 2:30 pm: March 12, 19, 26 April 2, 9
Course Goals: Take a look at the role played by Kotzker hasidism, the figure of Menakhem-Mendl, the Kotzker Rebbe, and the figures of some of his disciples in pre-WWII and post-war Yiddish literature.
Course Tools: Joseph Opatoshu’s “In Poylishe Velder”, Sholem Asch’s “Der Tilim Yid”, and Menashe Unger’s “Pshishke un Kotsk.”
Additional info: This course will be conducted entirely in Yiddish.
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Members of the Workers Circle can register for Yiddish classes at a discounted rate.
You can become a member of the Workers Circle before registering for classes here.