Upcoming Yiddish Classes

ייִדיש שפּראַך לעקציעס

ייִדיש איז דאָך אַזױ שײן. . .

Yiddish awakens the silent echo of forgotten shtetl, a living language that touches the roots of the soul, opening to stories that still resonate in the hearts of those that seek more than words. Yiddish is so beautiful!

NEW Yiddish for Absolute Beginners: Reading and Writing the Alef-beys

This 5-session course is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Yiddish. We will begin by learning the letters of the Yiddish alphabet (alef-beys), focusing on both reading printed text and writing by hand. As the course progresses, we will practice reading short dialogues and simple texts. By the end of the course, students will be able to read and write the letters—two distinct skills— introduce themselves, and use common greetings. We will also learn with Yiddish songs.

Sundays, March 23, 2025 – May 4, 2025
10:30–12:00 p.m. PT / 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET / 7:30-9:00 p.m. in Central Europe

Online via Zoom

Yiddish for Absolute Beginners 2: Basic Grammar and Conversation

This course is designed for students who are already familiar with the Yiddish Alef-Beys and have had approximately 5 to 20 hours of prior Yiddish instruction (A1.1–A1.2). In addition to the alef-beys, participants may already be able to introduce themselves, use basic greetings, or recognize a few common verbs. The course is open to those who are looking to continue their Yiddish language journey.Through texts, audio-visual materials and engaging exercises participants will deepen their knowledge of the language.

Sundays, March 9, 2025 – April 20, 2025
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. in Central Europe

Online via Zoom

Yoga in Yiddish Series: Heart, Blossoming, Energy 

Join us for a three-part yoga series that combines gentle, grounding yoga with the beauty of Yiddish. Each class is designed to foster wellness and happiness, perfect for beginners or seasoned practitioners looking to deepen their practice. With themes of heart, blossoming and energy, these sessions offer a nurturing way to connect mind and body while focusing on intentionality and well-being. Instruction will be in Yiddish, with English translation provided.

23rd March, 27th April, 25th May
8 – 9 a.m. PT / 10 – 11 a.m. CT / 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET / 4 – 5 p.m. UK / 5 – 6 p.m. Central Europe

Online via Zoom

Yiddish is old and new, pious and rebellious, stateless but international. It was born about a millennium ago in what is today Germany, called Ashkenaz in Jewish texts. It has travelled to wherever Ashkenazi travelled, immigrated, or were exiled. Once the language of millions of Jews, Yiddish is still spoken as a native language by more than a million people. It is studied and spoken by Jews and non-Jews around the world who want to access the vast legacy of literature, music, religious and folk traditions, politics and history, theater, film, and humor that exist only in Yiddish. While Yiddish is written using the Hebrew alphabet, it is a Germanic language, so it is relatively easy for English-speakers to learn.

We have been fortunate to be able to offer our students the rare opportunity to study Yiddish from beginner to advanced. Our classes include reading circles, conversation classes, theater workshops, classes for children, literary analysis, song workshops, and even Yoga. We’ve also organized intensive programs in Yiddish language and culture and a Yiddish teachers’ committee. Please explore some of our past offerings below, and check out our upcoming activities and events calendar for future classes.

SOME OF OUR PAST CLASSES

Please click on any image to learn more.

Past class: Yiddish for Absolute Beginners poster, with the photo of the teacher Julia Koifman
Past event banner that reads Learn Yiddish through Songs: Food and drinks.
Past class: Intermediate-Advanced Yiddish class poster with a photo of the teacher Julia Koifman
Past event poster that reads Learn Yiddish through Songs with Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh: Tavern Part 2, with an image of a tavern.
Past class banner advertising Yiddish Art Classes for Children, with an image of a palette and brush, and a photo of the artist Preet Srivastava.
Past event banner advertising Yiddish for Advanced Students, with photos of Miriam Isaacs, Sheva Zucker, and Daniel Galay.
Past events poster advertising Workshops on Yiddish Dialects, with an image of a dialect map.
A past class poster advertising Sha un shtil: a New Yiddish Theater Experiment, with photos of the guest speakers: Mike Burstyn, Yelena Shmulenson, Avi Hoffman, Eleanor Reissa, and Uri Schreter.
A past event poster advertising Not Your Usual Intensive Winter Yiddish Language and Culture Program, with photos of the instructors: Avi Fried, Hershl Glasser, Janina Wurbs, Miriam Isaacs, Ekaterina Kuznetsova, Mike Burstyn, Ruthie Solomon, Tatyana Yakovleva, Shane Baker, and Mark Garellek.
A past event banner advertising Conversational Yiddish for Beginners, with a photo of the teacher Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh.
Past event banner that reads Learn Yiddish through Songs: Food and drinks, with images of a tavern and a bowl of matzo ball soup.
Past event poster advertising Yiddish Syntax, with the photo of the teacher, Katerina Kuznetsova.
A past event banner advertising Yoga in Yiddish with Tanya Yakovleva, Sunday, January 28 at 8 a.m. PT.
Past event banner advertising Yiddish Shmueskrayz, with a photo of the teacher Tamara Gleason Freidberg.
Past event banner advertising conversational Yiddish for Beginners, with a visual of two people lying on the beach, considering taking the class.
Past event poster advertising Yiddish through songs, with a photo of Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh.
A past event banner advertising Yiddish shmueskrayz with Tamara Gleason and Arturo Kerbel, Thursdays October 6 - November 17, with photos of the teachers.
A past event poster advertising Yiddish for Kids, Sunday, March 30, 2022, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m., with an image of children and one adult studying.
Past event poster advertising Let's Talk Yiddish Grammar! with Katerina Kuznetsova, with a photo of the teacher.
A past event poster advertising imigratziye-geshikhtes durkh yidishe oytobiografiyes, Uprooting, leave taking perhaps forever, new dreams and hopes, by Sheva Zucker, with two historical photos and a photo of the teacher, with logos of YAAANA and Yiddishland.
A past event poster advertising Friling glaykhnakht, yoga spring equinox, hosted by Tanya Yakovleva, March 31sh, 8 a.m. PT on Zoom, with YAAANA logo.
A past event poster advertizing Yoga farn hartzn, yoga for the heart, with Tanya Yakovleva, February 25th, 8 p.m. PT on Zoom.
Past event poster advertising a leyenkrayz for intermediate and advanced students with Tanya Yakovleva, with a photo of the teacher.
A past event for Yiddish for Life: An In-Person Course for Beginners
A past event poster advertising Yiddish Love and Erotic Vocabulary Event, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 6:00 p.m., with a silhouette of a couple embracing with the sun setting into (or rising from) the ocean in the background.
A past event poster advertising Water Element Yoga in Yiddish with Tanya Yakovleva.
Past event poster advertising Yiddish for Beginners I with Arturo Kerbel, with a photo of the teacher.
A past event poster advertising Not Your Usual Intensive Summer Yiddish Language & Culture Program, May 31 to June 20, 2021, with the logo of the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America.
A past event poster advertising Not Your Usual Intensive Summer Yiddish Language & Culture Program, May 31 to June 20, 2021, with the logo of the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America.
A past event poster advertising the Yiddish Teachers Committee: Content-Based Learning, with an image of Rebecca Margolis.
A banner advertising a talk about Chagall by Jennifer Stern
Past event poster advertising Yiddish Alef Beys Crash Course.
A past event poster advertising the class Yiddish for Clever Kids, Yidish far kluge kinder, with an image from the Simpsons of a group of children.