Yiddishland Newsletter

Donald Harrison’s Book Talk on Jewish San Diego – in person and on Zoom

Dear Friend of YAAANA and Yiddishland California,

• Join our local expert, Donald H. Harrison, as he discusses the Jewish culture of San Diego in his new book. In the three-volume collection, titled “Schlepping and Schmoozing along The Interstate 5”, Harrison uncovers Jewish testimonials at every exit along the highway. Join us at Yiddishland, California to learn about his process of uncovering these incredible stories.

When: Sunday, August 27, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT (6:00 – 8:00 p.m. CT, 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET)

Where: In person at Yiddishland, 1128 Wall St, La Jolla, CA, and on Zoom

Fee: The sooner you register, the less you pay!

Early Bird Special (until Sunday, August 13): $25 (includes a signed copy of the chosen volume of the book, nosh, and drinks!)

In-person Regular Admission (after Sunday, August 13): $40

Online via Zoom Early Bird Special (until Sunday, August 13): $10

Online via Zoom Regular Admission (after Sunday, August 13): $18

Speaker: Donald H. Harrison is a historian, journalist, editor, and book author. Harrison is the former co-publisher of San Diego Jewish World, yet remains an active contributor to the magazine. Donald has authored many books about Jewish settlers worldwide, including in San Diego, California.

Read the coverage of the event in San Diego Jewish World.

• Start reading and speaking Yiddish without previous knowledge or taking on any enduring stress. If you’ve always wanted to learn Yiddish, this course has your name on it! Beginning with Yiddish literacy, understand the alphabet and Yiddish verbs. After the first lesson, you will have the ability to read a complete sentence in Yiddish. By the end of the course, you will express yourself in Yiddish conversations! 

When: Each Sunday (except Rosh Hashana), Starting on August 27, ending on November 12, 10 – 11:15 a.m. PT (12:00 – 1:15 p.m. CT, 1:00-2:15 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Israel)

Where: Online via Zoom

Tuition: Early Bird Special (before Saturday, August 12): $300 for all classes. Regular pricing (beginning Saturday, August 12): $350 for all classes. Student discounts are available for individual lessons with a university or college ID.

Instructor: Based in Chicago, Avi Fried became enchanted with the Yiddish language in 2015. His deep love of learning came from Rabbi Beney Lappe, the Rosh Yeshiva of Svara. He sees himself as a one-person welcoming committee for Yiddish beginners since 2018.

• Join us in our upcoming yoga class to reactivate the body and mind’s strength and flexibility. Its slow and gentle nature is perfect for beginners and students who want to sink deeper into their practice. The language of instruction is Yiddish with English translation. 

When: Sunday, August 27, 8 a.m. PT (10 a.m. CT, 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. in the UK, 5 p.m. in most of Europe, and 6 p.m. in Israel)

Where: Online via Zoom

Fee: $15 ($10 for students and Early Bird until August 13)

Instructor: Tanya Yakovleva is a qualified yoga teacher (RYT 200) and sees her mission as bringing joy and equilibrium to people through the Mind-Body-Spirit connection.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Zayt gezunt un shtark,

The teams of YAAANA and Yiddishland CA

“Schlepping and Schmoozing along The Interestate 5” – A book Talk by Donald H. Harrison

Join our fabulous local authority on the topic of Jewish San Diego, Donald H. Harrison, as he discusses his new book series – Schlepping and Schmoozing along The Interstate 5, 3 volume collection. Learn about the Jewish stories he discovered at every exit along the freeway and his process of undercovering these stories. Come and hear Donald as he shares how Jewish stories can be found all around us. This event will take place at Yiddishland CA. The ticket price includes a signed copy of the chosen volume of the book and nosh and drink.

When: Each Sunday, August 27, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. PT (6:00-8:00 p.m. CT, 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET, 1:00-3:00 a.m CET)

Where: In person at Yiddishland, 1128 Wall St, La Jolla, Ca and on Zoom

In-person early bird:

Early Bird (before August 12): $25 (until Sunday, August 13), signed copy of book, wine and nosh included.

In-person early bird: (after August 13) $40.

Zoom early bird (until Sunday, August 13): $10 

Zoom regular: $18.

Instructor: Donald H. Harrison

Donald H. Harrison is a historian, journalist, editor and book author. Harrison and his wife, Nancy, are the former co-publishers of San Diego Jewish World Although no longer serving in an editorial role, Donald remains an active contributor to the magazine. Donald has authored a variety of books about Jewish settlers across various places around the world including, San Diego California.

Yiddish: Go Light, Go Easy!
with Avi Fried

This is a class that gets you started reading and speaking Yiddish from the very beginning. No previous knowledge required! If you’ve always wanted to get started with Yiddish, this is the class for you. We will start with Yiddish literacy, learning to read Yiddish (in Yiddish) by learning the alphabet. By the end of the first class, you will be able to read a full sentence in Yiddish. As we progress together, cheering you on – you will learn the whole alphabet and begin to learn how to express yourself. You’ll learn all about verbs, you’ll be able to start a conversation! Talk about the things you want, the things you need.

This is a class that gets you started reading and speaking Yiddish from the very beginning. No previous knowledge required! If you’ve always wanted to get started with Yiddish, this is the class for you. We will start with Yiddish literacy, learning to read Yiddish (in Yiddish) by learning the alphabet. By the end of the first class, you will be able to read a full sentence in Yiddish. As we progress together, cheering you on – you will learn the whole alphabet and begin to learn how to express yourself. You’ll learn all about verbs, you’ll be able to start a conversation! Talk about the things you want, the things you need.

When: Each Sunday (except Rosh Hashana), Starting on August 27, ending on November 12.

10 – 11:15 a.m. PT (12:00 – 1:15 p.m. CT, 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Israel)

12 classes: Each class runs 1 hour 15 minutes. (The last 15 minutes reserved to digestion/reflection)

Where: on Zoom

In-person early bird:

Tuition: $350 all classes.

Early Bird (before Saturday, August 12): $300 all classes. 

Students: $300 all classes. In order to obtain the student discount please upload your university or college ID as a PDF, JPG or PNG file by using the form below.

Instructor: Avi Fried

Avi Fried became enchanted with the Yiddish language in 2015. He received his deep love of learning from Rabbi Beney Lappe, the Rosh Yeshiva of Svara (The Traditionally Radical Queer Yeshiva). He sees himself as a kind of one person welcoming committee for Yiddish beginners since 2018. He lives in Chicago.

Strength, Flexibility and Yiddish
Energy Yoga in Yiddish (with English Translation)

In this yoga class we will progressive reactivate the body and mind to develop strength and flexibility. The slow and gentle nature of this class is perfect for beginners and is also great for other students who can sink deeper into their practice. The language of instruction is Yiddish with English translation.

When: Sunday, August 27, 8 a.m. PT (10 a.m. CT, 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. in the UK, 5 p.m. in most of Europe, 6 p.m. in Israel)

Cost: $15 ($10 for students and Early Bird until August 13)

General admission (after June 1), $132 for 6 sessions or an individual class for $30

Where: Online via Zoom

Instructor: Tanya Yakovleva

Tetyana (Tanya) Yakovleva is a Yiddish lecturer of the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America (YAAANA) and a literature lecturer at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. She studied Comparative Literature, Classical, Slavic, Jewish, and Media Studies at the universities of Kharkiv, Regensburg, Bari, and San Diego and received her PhD in Slavic and Jewish Studies from the University of Regensburg in 2019. Tanya is a certified yoga teacher (RYT 200) and sees her mission in bringing joy and equilibrium to people through the Mind-Body-Spirit connection.

Let’s talk about Yiddish grammar!
Zoom Meeting with Katerina Kuznetsova

We are once again offering a series of workshops focused on different grammatical aspects. These workshops will help you put together all the fragmented information you have learned about such topics: Yiddish nouns, verbs, and syntax. They are designed specifically for native English speakers to explain the core differences between English and Yiddish grammar. All the workshops are a combination of theory and practice, and include a personal feedback on the homework assignment.

When: Sept 9th at 9 a.m. PT and Nov 12th at 9 a.m. PT

Where: on Zoom (online)

Cost: Grammar workshops package: $180 early admission (before September 15) / $220 general admission check out the individual pages for the costs of each class/workshop. Students’ discounts are available for individual classes with an official university or college ID.

Instructor: Katerina Kuznetsova

Katerina Kuznetsova has been teaching Yiddish (language, grammar, and literature) since 2020. She was born in Moscow where she studied Literature, Pedagogics, and Religious Studies. In 2016, Katerina graduated from the MA program in Yiddish Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She lives in Berlin, where she co-founded the initiative Yiddish. Berlin – a group of artists and activists that organizes cultural events involving Yiddish literature and culture.

Conversational Yiddish for Beginners

This 6-session class will be focused on conversational Yiddish. You will learn everyday greetings and basics of Yiddish conversation, as well as a few simple Yiddish songs.

When: Thursdays, starting on October 12, ending on November 16, 2023, 6:00-7:30 p.m. PT (8:00-9:30 p.m. CT, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET).

Cost:

Early Bird (until September 28): $130 for 6 classes, single class for $25

General Admission (after September 28): $150 for 6 classes, single class for $30

Zoom Early Bird (until September 28): $125 for 6 classes, single class for $20

General Admission on Zoom (after September 28): $145 for 6 classes, single class for $25

Where: At Yiddishland CA, 1128 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA, 92037, and on Zoom.

Facilitator:

Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh. She is a PhD candidate in the Slavic Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is working on her dissertation on Yiddish Theater in Communist Warsaw. Originally from Poland, Jana holds a Master of Arts degree in Polish Philology and Jewish Studies from the University of Wrocław. Jana is not only a practicing academic but also an active theater artist and critic. She is an actor, director, playwright, and producer of Yiddish theater. In October 2017, she moved to San Diego and launched the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America (YAAANA) and Yiddishland California.a