Beginner I Yiddish (Sunday)

Tuition: $480 | YIVO members: $375**
Students: $240 (Must register with valid university email address)

This is a live, online course held weekly on Zoom. Enrollment will be capped at about 15 students. All course details (Zoom link, syllabus, handouts, assignments, etc.) will be posted to Canvas. Students will be granted access to the class on Canvas after registering for the class here on the YIVO website. This class will be conducted in Yiddish and English.

Instructor: Yaad Biran

Who should take this course?
This course is appropriate for those who are new to Yiddish or would like a review.

What topics will this class cover?
In this course, students will take their first steps in learning a millennium old language, part and parcel of Ashkenazi Jewish civilization and a pathway to a rich cultural treasure. This course will begin with the basics: reading and writing the Yiddish alphabet, conjugation of verbs, construction of sentences, and building an initial vocabulary. To the extent possible in a beginners' course, we will also enrich the experience of learning with stories and songs, and place the language in its wider cultural and historical contexts. Students are encouraged to form their own personal bond with the language, as this, more than anything, is the best motivation to commit to the hard work required for learning a new language.

Is knowledge of the Yiddish alphabet required?
No, knowledge of the Yiddish alphabet is not required. However, students who have no prior experience with reading and writing the Yiddish or Hebrew alphabets are highly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Yiddish alphabet before class, as the course will move at a fast pace. The tools and videos provided here will be helpful in getting a handle on reading and writing the alef-beys, and are designed for independent use.

Course Materials:
The instructor will provide all course materials digitally throughout the class on Canvas. The course will use a workbook compiled by the instructor. This course will also use music, video clips, and a variety of interactive language tools. It is also recommended that students purchase College Yiddish: An Introduction to the Yiddish Language and to Jewish Life and Culture by Uriel Weinreich (Purchase).

Dr. Yaad Biran received his Ph.D. in Yiddish literature at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He teaches Yiddish language and culture at Beth Shalom Aleichem in Tel Aviv, at Haifa University and in the Tel Aviv summer course. He is a writer and a translator, the author of a short stories book "Laughing with Lizards" (Hebrew) and the writer of "Esther's Cabaret," a contemporary Yiddish Cabaret in Tel Aviv. He also guides Yiddish tours in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

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