Beginner I Yiddish (Tuesday In-person)
Tuition: $480 | YIVO members: $375**
Students: $240 (Must register with valid university email address)
This class meets weekly in person at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York City. Enrollment will be capped at about 15 students. All course details (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: Andryusha Kuznetsov
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?
This is an immersive course for total beginners. We will learn the alphabet, practice basic conversation, and orient ourselves in the classroom. We will cover chapters 1-6 of the In eynem textbook, which includes the topics of talking about oneself and asking other questions, geography and world languages, an introduction to verb conjugation and case declension, times of day and days of the week, as well as numbers and age. Songs, authentic materials from historic Yiddish Eastern Europe, and excerpts from Yiddish film and literature will all be part of the curriculum.
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 alefbeys, and are designed for independent use.
Course Materials:
This course will use the textbook In eynem: The New Yiddish Textbook, Vol I & II by Asya Vaisman Schulman, Jordan Brown, and Mikhl Yashinsky (Purchase). The instructor will provide all other course materials digitally throughout the class on Canvas.
Andryusha Kuznetsov is a teacher, translator, and artist living in Brooklyn, New York. He received his BA in Russian, Yiddish, and French literatures from UC Berkeley and has previously taught Yiddish in the San Francisco Bay Area.
**Become a member today, starting at $54 for one year, and pay the member price for classes! You’ll save on tuition for this course and more on future classes and public programs tickets.