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What was Jewish life like in Eastern Europe? How did the political and economic upheavals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries change Eastern European culture, and how do these changes still inform historical and cultural memory today? How did the changes in traditional Jewish life relate to gender and the place of women in society (and importantly, how do we queer these historical narratives)? Who were the Bund, and what was their relation to socialist movements of the time? What is a Shtetl, and how was it distinct from other types of communal settlement in Europe? In this course, we will explore these (and other) questions, focusing on the social, cultural and political changes that shaped the lives and cultures of Jews in Eastern Europe. Drawing on a wealth of literary, musical, and visual materials, as well as archival and historical documentation, we will encounter poets, radicals, artists, musicians and revolutionaries who lived, created and dreamed in Yiddish, and learn how they thought about their world and sought to change it for the better! ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 6 in-person classes from Oct. 22 to Nov. 26 (Tuesdays from 7-9pm) PLUS full access to the Zhargon lecture series (4 online talks by leading scholars in Yiddish Studies, dates and times TBA). The standard fee is $300, with reduced rate options available to address financial access barriers. ***Instructor Bios*** Jess Goldman (they/them) is a writer, comics artist, and amateur puppeteer based on the traditional, unceded lands of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam peoples. Their writing has been published in Maisonneuve, the CBC, and Room Magazine. A graduate of University of British Columbia’s MFA in Creative Writing Program, their writing explores that sweet spot where Yiddishkayt and queer culture joyfully collide. Itamar Manoff (He/Him) is the co-executive director of the Peretz Centre. A PhD Candidate in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia, Itamar is a community educator, language teacher and learner, and Jewish history enthusiast. He is a graduate of the Wallis Annenberg Helix-Yiddishkayt Fellowship (2018-2019), and has studied Yiddish at an advanced level at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York. Itamar is also the co-founder of This is Not an Ulpan, a grassroots, cooperative language school dedicated to the principles of critical pedagogy and emancipatory education in Palestine and Israel.

The Peretz Centre is proud to present the 2026 Zumershule, an arts-based, community-focused Zumer (summer) camp for youth aged 8 to 15! This program page is for participants ages 13-15 (entering into grades 9-11) to register as Zumershuler Counsellors-in-Training. Learn more about the program here: https://www.peretz-centre.org/the-peretz-school/peretz-zumershule-summer-camp The Peretz Zumershule is open to participants of all backgrounds and abilities and will include independent creative inquiry, structured activities, and outdoor play in nearby Tisdale Park. Bring your talents, curiosity, interests, and unique selves! Neurodiverse, BIPOC, and queer/trans/two-spirit youth will be enthusiastically welcomed! Over two weeks (10 weekdays) from August 17th to 28th, Zumershule participants will experience: ❂ Half-day arts-based workshops with Peretz community artists, creators, and scholars ❂ Half-day free time to explore creativity/imagination and experiment with artistic practices ❂ Final day of program ends with youth-led cultural shabbes potluck (Friday, Aug. 28th) ☀ Camp takes place on weekdays at the Peretz Centre ( 6184 Ash Street, Vancouver, BC) from 9:30am to 4:30pm, with possible early drop-off or late pick-up based on need. Please mark down the community Fraytik tsu Nakht shabbes potluck dinner on Fri., Aug. 28 (5-8pm). ☀ Registration & Program Fees: Only two spots are also available for Zumershuler Counsellors-in-Training, who must be entering grade 9-11 to be eligible for these spots. To recognize the contributions of these Zumershulers in the leadership of the camp, program fees are reduced to $50/day ($500 total). Registration fees cover all activities and art supplies, but bring your own lunch and snacks! Food is not included in this program. To reserve your spot(s), pay the deposit and complete the registration form before May 1, 2026. Payment plans are available upon request via the registration form. If you have questions, please contact the Peretz office at admin@peretz-centre.org Image credit: Lufṭ zun ṿaser by Julian Liebermann, ca. 1926 (New York Public Library)

Drop by a choir rehearsal to check it out! Rehearsals: We rehearse Tuesday evenings (7:30 - 9pm) in the Ben Chud Auditorium, from September-June (with a break over Christmas/New Years). About us: We are an eclectic and friendly choir of about 25 members. Our ages range from 20’s to late 70’s, and we have Jewish and non-Jewish members. The choir has a long history of overlapping with the LGBTQ+ community, and has many queer/trans members. We also aim to be a neurodivergent friendly and anti-ableist space. We stand with the long revolutionary Yiddish history of advocating for peace. Repertoire: We sing mostly Yiddish pieces ranging from traditional folk and Yiddish theatre songs to newly-composed and arranged pieces of greater complexity, plus Hanukkah and Pesach repertoire in Yiddish, Hebrew, Ladino and English. We often get to sing music arranged or composed specifically for the choir, and most of our music is in beautiful minor keys. All text is in transliteration, so no knowledge of Yiddish is required. You also don’t have to know how to read music (though it helps). Level: The vision of the choir has always been as a community choir open to all levels of experience. We do sing from sheet music and in 4-part harmony, but also have paid section leads in each voice part to make things easier. We also create recordings of voice parts to help new-comers learn the music. If you don’t have any musical experience you might find it challenging, but we’ll do our best to get you up to speed! We welcome more experienced singers, too. New Members: We are always accepting new members in all voice parts and offer choir memberships on a sliding scale. Email dbecker@peretz-centre.org if you have more questions, or fill out the form if you just want to drop into a rehearsal and see how it goes. Learn more about the choir and its history here: https://www.peretz-centre.org/vancouver-jewish-folk-choir Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Vancouver-Jewish-Folk-Choir/61557043684723/ Pictured: "Yidish iz mayn loshn"

Start your Yiddish language learning journey at the Peretz Centre with Beginners' Yiddish Language Classes (Spring 2026). In this introductory class, we will dive into the language and culture of Eastern European Jews, and explore the fascinating world of Yiddishkayt. Using a communicative and task-based approach, we will practice basic conversational skills, learn important verbs and adjectives to describe our daily life, and learn to read and write in Yiddish! During our classes we will also learn Yiddish folks songs and get exposed to Yiddish film, art and, culture. This term we will expand our vocabulary, learn to describe things and people around us, and begin exploring the past tense. Familiarity with Yiddish/Hebrew alphabet is recommended, but not required. **This course continues the introductory course from last session, but is open to everyone with some level of spoken Yiddish who wants to practice and improve their language skills. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at: imanoff@peretz-centre.org ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 10 in-person classes on Thursdays (6-7:30pm) from January 8th to March 12th. The standard fee for Beginners' Yiddish is $250 (or $25 per class), with payment plans available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the "payment plan deposit" ($26) option during registration and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. Plans can be monthly ($86 x 3) or weekly ($26 x 10). ***Instructor Bio*** Itamar Manoff (he/him) is co-executive director of the Peretz Centre. Itamar holds a PhD from the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia, where he conducted research focused on language education. Itamar has over 15 years of experience in language teaching for adults, including Hebrew, English and Yiddish, and is currently a Yiddish Pedagogy Practicum Fellow at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA. In his teaching, Itamar focuses on conversational, communicative and theme-based approaches to the teaching of Yiddish language and culture, all the while emphasizing the importance of grammar and vocabulary acquisition. *Image: Illustration by Issac Lichtenstein in Herman Gold's children's book אין וואלד (1918), US Library of Congress, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/amedscd.54048485

Start your Yiddish language learning journey at the Peretz Centre with Beginners' Yiddish Language Classes (Fall 2025). In this introductory class, we will dive into the language and culture of Eastern European Jews, and explore the fascinating world of Yiddishkayt. Using a communicative and task-based approach, we will practice basic conversational skills, learn important verbs and adjectives to describe our daily life, and learn to read and write in Yiddish! During our classes we will also learn Yiddish folks songs and get exposed to Yiddish film, art and, culture. Familiarity with Yiddish/Hebrew alphabet is recommended, but not required. ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 7 in-person classes on Thursdays (7-8:30pm) from November 6th to Dec 18th. The standard fee for Beginners' Yiddish is $300(or $25 per class), with payment plans available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the "payment plan deposit" ($26) option during registration and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. Plans can be monthly ($90x2) or weekly ($26 x 7). ***Instructor Bio*** Itamar Manoff (he/him) is co-executive director of the Peretz Centre. Itamar holds a PhD from the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia, where he conducted research focused on language education. Itamar has over 15 years of experience in language teaching for adults, including Hebrew, English and Yiddish, and is currently a Yiddish Pedagogy Practicum Fellow at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA. In his teaching, Itamar focuses on conversational, communicative and theme-based approaches to the teaching of Yiddish language and culture, all the while emphasizing the importance of grammar and vocabulary acquisition. *Image: Illustration by Issac Lichtenstein in Herman Gold's children's book אין וואלד (1918), US Library of Congress, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/amedscd.54048485

This course is based on a conversational, interactive and communicative approach to Yiddish. In it, we will focus on deepening our conversational and expressive skills in Yiddish, all the while deepening our grammatical to allow us to engage in authentic conversation in Yiddish. In addition, we will learn Yiddish songs, read short stories and poems, watch Yiddish films, clips, interviews and more! The fee for this program is $235 for 13 classes. --- Instructor Bio: Itamar Manoff (he/him) is co-executive director of the Peretz Centre. A PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia, his research focuses on language education research. Itamar has over 15 years of experience in language teaching for adults, including Hebrew, English and Yiddish, and teaches Yiddish at the Peretz Centre and a the Centre for Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies at the University of British Columbia. In his teaching, Itamar focuses on conversational, communicative and theme-based approaches to the teaching of Yiddish language and culture, all the while emphasizing the importance of grammar and vocabulary acquisition. Image: Es kam das Feuer by El Lissitzky, from the portfolio Chad Gadja, Kiev 1919; Jewish Museum Berlin

What was Jewish life like in Eastern Europe? How did the political and economic upheavals of the 19th and 20th centuries change Eastern European culture, and how do these changes still inform historical and cultural memory today? How did the changes in traditional Jewish life relate to gender and the place of women in society (and importantly, how do we queer these historical narratives)? Who were the Bund, and what was their relation to socialist movements of the time? What is a Shtetl, and how was it distinct from other types of communal settlement in Europe? In this course, we will explore these (and other) questions, focusing on the social, cultural and political changes that shaped the lives and cultures of Jews in Eastern Europe. Drawing on a wealth of literary, musical, and visual materials, as well as archival and historical documentation, we will encounter poets, radicals, artists, musicians and revolutionaries who lived, created and dreamed in Yiddish, and learn how they thought about their world and sought to change it for the better! ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 6 in-person classes from Oct. 21 to Nov. 25 (Tuesdays from 7-9pm) PLUS full access to the Zhargon Speaker Series (4 online talks by leading scholars in Yiddish Studies) on the following tentative dates: November 2, November 20, December 7, January 25. The course fee is $50. We acknowledge the support of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation with funding provided by the Government of Canada. ***Instructor Bios*** Jess Goldman (they/them) is a writer, comics artist, and amateur puppeteer based on the traditional, unceded lands of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam peoples. Their writing has been published in Maisonneuve, the CBC, and Room Magazine. A graduate of University of British Columbia’s MFA in Creative Writing Program, their writing explores that sweet spot where Yiddishkayt and queer culture joyfully collide. Itamar Manoff (He/Him) is the co-executive director of the Peretz Centre. A PhD in Educational Studies, Itamar is a community educator, language teacher and learner, and Jewish history enthusiast. He is a graduate of the Wallis Annenberg Helix-Yiddishkayt Fellowship (2018-2019), and is a Yiddish Pedagogy Fellow at the Yiddish Book Center. Itamar is also the co-founder of This is Not an Ulpan, a grassroots, cooperative language school dedicated to the principles of critical pedagogy and emancipatory education in Palestine and Israel.

Start your Yiddish language learning journey at the Peretz Centre with Beginners' Yiddish! In this introductory class, we will dive into the language and culture of Eastern European Jews, and explore the fascinating world of Yiddishkayt. Using a communicative and task-based approach, we will practice basic conversational skills, learn important verbs and adjectives to describe our daily life, and learn to read and write in Yiddish! During our classes we will also learn Yiddish folks songs, get exposed to Yiddish film, art and culture and learn about the fascinating culture of Yiddish. The fee for this program is $235 for 13 classes. --- Instructor Bio: Itamar Manoff (he/him) is co-executive director of the Peretz Centre. A PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia, his research focuses on language education research. Itamar has over 15 years of experience in language teaching for adults, including Hebrew, English and Yiddish, and teaches Yiddish at the Peretz Centre and a the Centre for Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies at the University of British Columbia. In his teaching, Itamar focuses on conversational, communicative and theme-based approaches to the teaching of Yiddish language and culture, all the while emphasizing the importance of grammar and vocabulary acquisition. Image taken from the Jewish Public Library in Montreal

Important: Registration is restricted to students who participated in the Year 1 cohort. The Peretz Centre's Pnei Mitzvah program offers students aged 10-13 a pluralistic, non-dogmatic approach to Jewish education and culture that emphasizes the humanist and progressive aspects of our heritage. Over two years of bi-weekly sessions, Pnei Mitzvah cohorts focus on literature, language, ethics, music, art, and dance to connect with and reinterpret traditions in new ways. Although children learn about Jewish spirituality and religious history, Peretz does not seek to promote particular religious commitments or doctrines. Peretz is an LGBTQ+ safe environment, and while we are rooted in the Ashkenazi humanist, yiddishist culture that gave birth to Peretz, Jews of all backgrounds are welcome, and the diversity of global Judaism is explored in our Pnei Mitzvah curriculum. *** Schedule & Fees *** Pnei Mitzvah classes (Year 2 cohort) take place two Sundays a month from 10am-12pm at the Peretz Centre, from October 20 to the Pnei Mitzvah celebration towards the end of the school year. Please note the following schedule, which may change according to your plans for the end of program ceremony (usually in June): - October 20 - November 3 & 24 - December 1 & 15 - January 19 & 26 - February 9 & 23 - March 9 & 23 - April 6 & 27 - May 4 & 25 - June 8 & 22 The standard fee for the course is $690 in Year 2. Payment plans are also available to address financial access barriers. *** Instructor Bio *** Tania Grinberg is a singer, composer, theatre actor, writer, illustrator, and animator who has performed around the world. As an educator in Vancouver and in Sao Paolo, Brazil, she helps students connect artistic expression in threatre, music, and more to Judaism. In 2021, she won the People's Choice Prize for "New Song in Yiddish" at the Bubbe Awards. https://www.taniatgrinberg.com/

Dance and language are frequently portals to developing greater cultural understanding. In this mini-course (with drop-in options), we will encounter the world-view of Ashkenazi Jews through language and movement. Each week will explore a different dance with roots in Eastern Europe, such as freykekhs and shers, paired with a different mini-language lesson. Here's how it works: The dance portion will be taught in English and Yiddish, and the Yiddish we use to learn the dances will help us practice what we learned during the language lesson beforehand. To participate, you need a basic intro to Yiddish language (ability to read the aleph-beys), but absolutely no prior dance experience. Come with an open attitude and we will enjoy Yiddish culture together! ***Schedule*** This course includes four in-person classes on Thursdays (7-8:30pm) from July 3rd to July 24th. All classes will take place at the Peretz Centre or, if the weather is right, at Tisdale Park (across the street). ***Registration & Fees*** Drop-in class: $25/class For youth under 18: Use the code TANTS18 for 50% discount for all classes or drop-ins The last class will be a dance party, open to all! (Register from the homepage.) All 4 classes: $90/person Tsuzamen (2 people, 4 classes): $150 Payment plans are available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the “payment plan deposit” ($13) option and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. ***Accessibility*** Modifications, including chair dancing, will be offered to welcome all bodies. Participants can also bring a tikhls (handkerchief) to dance without physical contact. ***Instructor Bio*** Emily Glass is a professional language teacher who grew up in North Vancouver hearing no Yiddish at all. Since falling in love with Yiddish at her first beginner class with Rebecca Margolis in 2015, she has been active in the Yiddish cultural world, participating in the Steiner Summer Program at the Yiddish Book Centre, KlezKanada, Yiddish Summer Paris, and Yiddish New York. This past year, Emily took a break from teaching high school French to do a masters in Yiddish Studies at the University of Toronto. During her graduate studies and under the mentorship of KlezKanada's Avia Moore, she ran language seminars and researched the ways that Ashkenazi ways of being have been expressed in dance cultures.