Thirteen Ways of Looking at Sholem Aleichem: Notes from a Yiddish Writer's Biographer

Thursday Sep 8, 2016 7:00pm
The Annual Naomi Prawer Kadar Memorial Lecture

6:00pm Reception

Sponsored by the Naomi Prawer Kadar Foundation, Inc.


Admission: Free

Watch the video

Sholem Aleichem was the greatest Jewish writer of the modern era; his works spoke deeply and broadly to the Jews of his time – and of ours. Come hear Jeremy Dauber, professor of Yiddish at Columbia and the author of the first comprehensive biography of the writer, talk about Sholem Aleichem's life, his work, and his legacy – and the struggle to encapsulate all of that between two hard covers. 


About the Speaker

Jeremy Dauber is the Atran Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture at Columbia University, where he also serves as director of its Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies and teaches in the American Studies program. He received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Harvard and his doctorate from the University of Oxford, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar. His previous books include In the Demon’s Bedroom: Yiddish Literature and the Early Modern and Antonio’s Devils: Writers of the Jewish Enlightenment and the Birth of Modern Hebrew and Yiddish Literature; his latest book, The Worlds of Sholem Aleichem, a biography (Schocken), was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and a recipient of the Sophie Brody Honor Medal from the American Library Association. He frequently lectures on topics related to Jewish literature, history, humor, and popular culture at the 92nd St Y and other venues throughout the United States; his next book, a history of Jewish comedy, will be published by Norton in the fall of 2017.


Naomi Prawer Kadar Foundation, Inc.

The Annual Naomi Prawer Kadar Memorial Lecture at the YIVO Institute provides an opportunity for the public to explore topics of Yiddish language and linguistics, the history of Yiddish, Yiddish children’s literature and education. The lecture is supported by the Naomi Prawer Kadar Foundation, Inc., which is dedicated to reimagining education. As an extension of Naomi Prawer Kadar's life’s work, the foundation's goal is to empower educators and promote leadership in education in order to inspire and nurture the next generation. Through entrepreneurial and established channels and together with their partners and grantees, the Naomi Foundation drives innovation to create meaningful and lasting impact. The Naomi Foundation champions Yiddish, Naomi’s lifelong passion, as a vibrant, rich, and contemporary language. The Naomi Foundation advances the teaching and learning of Yiddish, particularly in academic and scholarly settings.


 

(All event photos by Steven Pisano.)