Yiddish Language Classes
Monday to Friday – 12:00-1:15pm ET
Queer Yiddish Camp offers all levels of Yiddish language courses from Complete Beginner to Advanced.
Yiddish language classes take place daily, Monday to Friday, 12:00-1:15pm ET.
COMPLETE BEGINNER
Yiddish From The Beginning
Teacher: Avi Fried
This course teaches the Alef-Beys (the Yiddish alphabet) and how to read Yiddish, in Yiddish. We start with vowels and gradually add consonants. You will be able to read a complete Yiddish phrase by the end of the first class. We will get acquainted with Yiddish verbs and articles. This course will prepare you for anywhere you choose to go with your Yiddish learning!
BEGINNER
Queer Yiddish: Conversing and Poetic Exploring
Teacher: Janina Wurbs
Immerse yourself in the intersection of queer identities and Yiddish culture in this engaging course. “Queer Yiddish: Conversing and Poetic Exploring” creates a welcoming space for participants to explore and discuss queer experiences through poetry and songs. Open discussions will allow for personal reflections and connections. Join to connect amongst each other and with Queer Yiddish Heritage.
INTERMEDIATE
Intermediate Yiddish through Story and Song
Teacher: Abby Howell
In intermediate Yiddish, we will improve our reading comprehension, grammar, and conversation by studying short stories and poetry by beloved Yiddish writers in a supportive and collaborative environment. This course is best-suited to students who are familiar with the grammar concepts from the textbook, and who can read and understand sentences in Yiddish with the help of a dictionary.
ADVANCED
Advanced Yiddish Through Radical Song and Prose
Teacher: Elya (Zissel) Piazza
This course will emphasize Yiddish language acquisition through the close study of Yiddish music and writings from the leftist political tradition. Grammar and vocabulary will be studied in context and as questions naturally emerge from the material. This course will emphasize listening comprehension and “shmues,” i.e. discussion. Optional written homework will be assigned.
The registration form will ask students to demonstrate their Yiddish knowledge. Students are placed in the appropriate level accordingly. You are always welcome to switch levels if you try a course and feel it is is too easy or too challenging.
Yiddish Arts & Cultural Courses
Monday to Friday – 1:45-3:00pm ET
Arts, cultural, and history courses are taught in English about Yiddish culture.
Arts, cultural, and history classes take place daily, Monday to Friday, 1:45-3:00pm ET.
YIDDISH DANCE
Aleyn-tsuzamen: Dancing by Yourself with Others
Teacher: Sarah Myerson
Klezmer music makes you want to dance, but following the leader in a circle or line isn’t your thing? You love dancing, but don’t want to hold hands with other people? Maybe you prefer to dance seated in a chair? In this workshop, we’ll take advantage of the remote online learning platform to work on our solo expressive dancing. We’ll learn various elements of traditional Yiddish/klezmer dance, and use them as inspiration to develop our own styles. This course is open to everyone, including those who have never before danced Yiddish. Musicians are highly encouraged to participate; learning to dance will give you a deeper understanding of how to play klezmer music. Please bring a tikhl (small handkerchief) if you have one. Lomir tantsn – let’s dance!
TKHINES
Tkhines: Prayers by and for Women, Trans, and Gender Non-Conforming People
Teacher: Noyem Berl
Yiddish Tkhines are Ashkenazi supplications that were regularly written, prayed by, and centered the experiences of women, trans, gender non-conforming people, and poor and working class people of all genders. We will dive into some of the historic practices surrounding tkhines, and sing new tkhines songs that were culled from the archives and created by contemporary songwriters. We will also spend time in khevrusa (pair study) translating Yiddish tkhines into English, and study them as source texts that may give us some clues into how gender-marginalized people expressed their spiritualities.
ASHKENAZI TEXTILES
Di Froyen Velt: Eastern European Textile Heritage within the US
Teacher: Elena Solomon
Communal textile traditions are often tied to land, which provides the source materials to work with. What do traditional textiles look like for a diasporic people? This course explores handmade, mundane textiles within the US during the Great Migration of 1892-1924 from Eastern Europe and how migration influenced what was made. Primary sources will be a main focus of this course. We will read a contemporary autobiography for information about textiles used in the Pale, magazines for Jewish American women, and a pamphlet from a Jewish craft fair. Textiles will be viewed within the course as a microcosm of the contemporary sociopolitical scene within the American Eastern European Jewish community.
LITERARY TRANSLATION
Beser in the Original: A Yiddish-to-English Literary Translation Workshop
Teacher: Sebastian (Zekhariye) Schulman
It’s often said that the act of translation implicitly queers the text, muddling normative relationships between author, meaning, and authenticity. With an eye towards these questions, in this participatory workshop we’ll explore how great works of literature written in one language become masterpieces in another. Through a series of creative writing exercises and close readings, we will learn how translators combine cultural expertise, sensitive reading skills, and versatility in writing to create new works in English. We’ll look into the differences in translating prose, poetry, and drama; take time to workshop students’ own works-in-progress; and discuss the practicalities of publishing Yiddish-in-translation today. While the focus will be on translating Yiddish literature into English, the techniques we’ll learn will be applicable to translation from any language into English. Students should be able to read literary works in Yiddish at a high intermediate or advanced level and have some aptitude and interest in creative writing in English. No prior experience in translation is necessary.
Students can select which course they want to take on the registration form, as well as their second choice if their first choice is full. Early-bird registrants will be given priority. Some course options fill up quickly, so register early to avoid disappointment!
Camp-Wide Programming
The first Sunday of the intensive, November 3 will be the opening program. This includes:
- 12:00-1:00pm ET: A full orientation to the program where students meet their teachers, program staff, and receive an overview of the program schedule and orientation to the platforms we use during our two weeks together.
- 2:00-3:30pm ET: The Queer Lefty Yiddish Futures Zine launch! This event is part of our public programing and will be open to non-intensive participants – invite your friends and colleagues!
The second Sunday of the intensive, November 10 will feature our mid-intensive programing.
- 2:00-3:30pm ET: A panel discussion on Reclaiming Marginalized Jewish Languages. This panel is part of our public programing and will be open to non-intensive participants – invite your friends and colleagues!
- 6:00-7:00pm ET: A shmooze with our friends in Australia (8:00-9:15am AET) – good morning!
The final Sunday of the intensive, November 17 will be our closing programing including a graduation ceremony & student talent show! This program will not be open to the public but program participants are welcome to invite their friends & family to come watch them perform and graduate.
Plus, enjoy unlimited access to program-wide and class-specific Slack channels, as well as a 24/7 virtual video hangout space where you can come ask homework questions, practice your Yiddish, and get to know your fellow participants between classes!
What Participants Said…
“I adored all of the classes. My teachers were all enormously passionate and warm.” — Beginner Yiddish participant
“Wonderful teachers; they were so knowledgeable and personable.” — Intermediate Yiddish participant
“All of my teachers had such expansive and deep knowledge. I learned so much in these two short weeks.” — Beginner Yiddish participant
“Queer Yiddish Camp was the most fun I have ever had learning a language.” — Beginner Yiddish participant
“Queer Yiddish Camp opened my eyes to the world of Yiddish literature and poetry.” — Intermediate Yiddish participant
“Those hours of dancing felt like a connection to my cultural heritage.” — Beginner Yiddish participant
“QYC showcased how vibrant and active the Yiddish speaking community is, especially in terms of Queerness.” — Intermediate Yiddish participant
“Thank you so much for building this space where I could really bring my whole self.” — Intermediate Yiddish participant
“We learned a great deal and became a lot more confident in our studies, and made very meaningful connections, near and far. It was a highlight of the year and will be a treasured memory for a long time to come.” — Intermediate Yiddish participant
Program Fees
Queer Yiddish Camp strives to be financially accessible to folks from all levels of financial security while being able to compensate our teachers and staff fairly for their labor.
The full cost of the program per participant is $800 USD.
We offer numerous discounts and financial aid options, which you can apply for when you Register, supplemented by contributions from those who are able to pay higher than the standard tuition amount.
We trust you to make a contribution in line with your degree of financial security, keeping in mind your access to resources and support from family and community as well. Work-trade positions and Bursaries are also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be queer to come to Queer Yiddish Camp?
Queer Yiddish Camp welcomes folks of all genders and sexual orientations that wish to learn in a queer-normative / queer-centering community.
Do I have to be Jewish to come to Queer Yiddish Camp?
Queer Yiddish Camp welcomes non-Jews who wish to respectfully engage with our cultures. You are integral to our queer Yiddishist communities.
Queer Yiddish Camp acknowledges that Yiddish is a language that belongs to Jews from many cultural and racialized backgrounds including Ashkenazi Jews who are Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and all Jews of Color, white, white-passing, and Jews from mixed cultural or racialized backgrounds. Our community includes Mizrahi, Sephardi, and other non-Ashkenazi Jews choosing to learn Yiddish.
You are Jewish enough! And also, you don’t have to be.
Do I need to know the alef-beys (the Yiddish alphabet) to come to Queer Yiddish Camp?
Nope! Queer Yiddish Camp does not require you to know any Yiddish, not even the alef-beys (Yiddish alphabet) to join our program. For that reason we provide a course for Complete Beginners that teaches the alef-beys!
Can I register for just some of the classes?
At this time we are opening registrations for full program sign-ups. But don’t worry, if you can’t make certain classes you can watch all the recordings up to 1 month after the end of the program.
What if the classes don’t work for my time zone?
We tried our best to create a schedule that worked for multiple time zones and multiple teachers’ schedules (who live on 3 different continents across 5 time zones). But don’t worry, if you can’t make certain classes you can watch all the recordings up to 1 month after the end of the program.
Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes. All sessions will be recorded and made available to all program participants for 1 month after the end of the program. Regardless of which level of Yiddish language courses or which Yiddish culture/history courses you were registered in, you will be able to access the recordings from the entire program.
Can I watch recordings from classes in which I wasn’t officially registered?
Yes, the entire program’s recordings will be available in a secure folder for 1 month after the end of the program. Curious about a class happening at the same time as one you’re already taking? You’ll be able to access the recording.
What if there’s more than 1 class at the same time that looks interesting?
The entire program’s recordings will be available in a secure folder for 1 month after the end of the program. Curious about a class happening at the same time as one you’re already taking? You’ll be able to get the recording.
What technology do I need to attend Queer Yiddish Camp?
Queer Yiddish Camp recommends you have access to a desktop or laptop computer rather than phone or tablet for use during the program to be able to access all of Zoom’s features, as well as a reliable Internet connection.
We recommend that you download the latest version of Zoom, on which all classes as well as community programming will run, and we also recommend you download the Slack app, which is a text-based forum-type application available in both desktop and phone versions. This is where participants can connect with each other between classes and receive important messages from their teachers.
Will there be homework? Will there be grades?
Some teachers may assign homework between classes to give participants a chance to continue deepening their Yiddish practice in between classes. It is entirely optional; you will not be graded on any aspect of the program. Queer Yiddish Camp believes in a stress-free learning environment that doesn’t put a value judgement on people’s learning experiences.
Do I have to buy a textbook?
No, all learning materials will be provided by your course instructor or workshop facilitator through the Slack application and/or through email.
What expenses are associated with attending the program?
Tuition is sliding scale $400-800 USD, with some work-trade positions and scholarships available.
We do not charge an application fee but your spot in the program is not held until we receive your tuition or have approved your work-trade or bursary application.
All course materials are provided by your course instructor or workshop facilitator.
You must arrange your own access to a computer, reliable Internet connection, and download the Zoom and Slack applications (both of which are free).
I noticed there are less course options than last intensive. Why is that?
Although each student will take one language course and one arts/cultural/history course for the whole intensive (instead of 2 language and 2 cultural), we expanded the number of sessions each course meets, allowing a deeper dive into the material. This was based on your feedback after the 2022 and our attempts to make the course schedule easier to understand!
Are these questions really frequently asked?
No, every question in the FAQ is entirely made up, including this one. We just like anticipating your needs. ♡