About us

Yiddishland California in La Jolla is a traveling cultural center and  museum created by the non-profit organization Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America (YAAANA), registered in the State of California. People of all ages and backgrounds are invited to attend our programs. Yiddishland California’s mission is to expand awareness of the beauty and joy of Yiddishkeit and to preserve and advance Yiddish language and culture within the US and worldwide. Our events and offerings include concerts, performances, language and art classes, lectures, exhibits, and much more. You can join us from near and far in-person in San Diego and in Lower Baja California as well as online. As we are expanding our reach, we are happy to provide guest speakers and performers for other locations within the US, Mexico and Europe.

Our long term project is to create an immersive, shtetl-inspired, multigenerational community for Yiddish and non-Yiddish speakers alike. We envision a mixed-usage community that will incorporate  guest rooms and a living museum, where we will host cultural, artistic public and private events, as well as Yiddish cultural retreats and language courses.

YAAANA is classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization according to the standards of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Our EIN is 85-2064877, and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. 

Some of Yiddishland California’s artwork is currently featured at UC San Diego Hillel. Tours are available by appointment. Feel free to book a tour here below.

We are hoping to create a mixed-usage community that will incorporate six guest rooms and a museum, detailing the history of shtetlekh (small Jewish towns in Eastern Europe) and of Yiddish-speaking Jews in California. Please click here to learn more.