Register for Bossie Dubowick YiddishSchool

Register by March 27!

Cost: $875 for Yiddish Book Center members; $950 for nonmembers.

Each individual participant must register separately. You can register as a non-member or become a member and then register for Bossie Dubowick YiddishSchool.

Not sure which unit is right for you? Our registration form asks about your language background, and we review your answers to ensure you are placed in the right level. You can also email [email protected] with questions before registering.

Cancellation Policy: Cancel by March 27 to receive a full refund, minus a $50 processing fee. If you cancel by April 14, you will receive a refund of 50 percent of your original payment. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a refund for the alphabet course or for cancellations after April 14.

Course Offerings:

Beginner:
Unit 1: Sholem-aleykhem!
Unit 2: In klas
 

Intermediate:

Intermediate High: Abi gezunt – bakent zikh mit “Mamele”!

Unit 1: Sholem-aleykhem!

Who should take this course?
This course is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Yiddish. Students should study the Yiddish alphabet prior to the course start date.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: 

• Greet people and introduce yourself 

• Describe activities during a typical day and a typical week  

• Have polite conversation  

• Count objects and buy certain items at a store   

Culture: Folksongs, brief history of Yiddish

Materials: Students will need to purchase a copy of In eynem: The New Yiddish Textbook (available here).

Instructor:
This course is taught by Sonia Bloom, the Yiddish Book Center's Yiddish Education Specialist. Learn more about Sonia here.

Unit 2: In klas

Who should take this course?
This course is designed for students who have studied Unit 1 of In eynem: The New Yiddish Textbook, or the equivalent material (i.e. can introduce themselves, talk about activities they do during a typical day, count objects, and are familiar with the Yiddish alphabet). Students should review or familiarize themselves with Unit 1 before class begins.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: 

• Describe your classrooms and workspaces
• Exchange simple information about everyday objects 
• Compare and contrast 
• Give commands 

Culture: Folksongs, poems, archival images

Materials: Students will need to purchase a copy of In eynem: The New Yiddish Textbook (available here).

Instructor:
This course is taught by Moishele Alfonso, an alum of the Yiddish Book Center's Yiddish Pedagogy Fellowship and Practicum. Moishele has taught in the Center's Yiddish language programs for adults and college students, both online and in person. Learn more about Moishele here.

Intermediate High: Abi gezunt – bakent zikh mit “Mamele”! (Get to know the Yiddish film Mamele!)

Starring the inimitable Molly Picon, the wildly popular 1938 Yiddish film Mamele takes place in interwar Poland and centers on a young woman, Khavtshe Samet (Picon) as she works to take care of her family—and her community—after the death of her mother. The film is known today as a beloved staple of Yiddish cinema for its classic songs, engaging characters, and authentic Yiddish dialogue.  

Each class will focus on a close viewing of one short scene from the film and will include pre-viewing activities, guided interaction with a scene, and post-viewing creative tasks. We will read short texts on topics related to each of the scenes, have discussions about what we predict will happen in the story, and use other engaging strategies to prepare for listening to natural Yiddish dialogue. After actively listening to and working with the dialogue in the scene itself, we will process what we have learned by sharing our opinions on the characters’ actions, speculating about alternative storylines, and comparing the cultural practices in the movie with our own cultural practices and perspectives.

Who should take this course?
This course is perfect for film lovers at an intermediate high level of Yiddish who are interested in further strengthening their conversational and listening skills as well as increasing their Yiddish cultural competency. The significance of Mamele and Molly Picon as a Yiddish actress cannot be overstated—this deep dive into the film will offer plenty of engaging topics of conversation resulting in a more nuanced understanding of Yiddish culture during the 1930s and increased confidence in conversing in Yiddish.

Prerequisites:
Conversational vocabulary; ability to narrate and describe events in the present, past, and future; ability to understand language about familiar or everyday topics; ability to understand short, non-complex texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics.

Materials: Materials for this level are provided by the instructor.

Instructor:
This course is taught by Asya Vaisman Schulman, Director of the Yiddish Book Center's Yiddish Language Institute and lead author of In eynem: The New Yiddish Textbook. Learn more about Asya here.