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When we learn Yiddish, we tap into a treasure trove of stories, poetry, philosophy, history, politics, and the records of everyday life. We will draw on these texts to deepen our connection to our history and culture. This Yiddish language course is for those with some experience with reading, writing and speaking Yiddish. Based on a conversational, interactive and communicative approach to language learning, we will focus on deepening our conversational and expressive skills, all the while strengthening our grammatical knowledge, in order 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! This semester we will be reading leading Yiddish poets and authors including Kadya Molodowsky, Celia Dropkin, and Anna Margolin. ***New Students*** New students who have some familiarity with speaking, reading, and writing Yiddish are welcome to join our intermediate class! If you have questions, contact the instructor at imanoff@peretz-centre.org ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 12 in-person classes on Thursdays (7:30-9pm) from January 8th to March 26th. The standard fee for Intermediate Yiddish is $300, with payment plans available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the "payment plan deposit" ($25) option during registration and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. Plans can be monthly ($103 x 3) or weekly ($26 x 12). ***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 Herb Kruckman, in Moishe Shifris' Foygl kanarik un adnere mayses (Aroysgegebn fun Mosheh Shifris bukh komitet, New York, 1950)

In this 6-week, in-person seminar, we will trace the histories of Jewish migration and settlement to the west coast from 1880 through the 1930s and ask how these experiences shaped what being Jewish in this place called Vancouver meant and means today. Each class will involve participatory learning and discussion, drawing on contemporary research and opening pathways into fragmented worlds of archival materials (including oral histories, memoires, newspapers, maps, immigration documents, and more). Through engaging with historical records, we will seek to understand the role Jews played in the colonial project of Canada and the political landscape of the emerging nation-state, from railroad barons to bootleggers to radical labour organizers. This seminar invites participants to revisit the familiar and close to home and reconsider the stories we tell (and don’t tell) about who we are and how we got here. ***Schedule & Fees*** This new course includes 6 in-person classes from Feb. 3 to Mar. 10 (Tuesdays, 7-9pm) PLUS full access to the Doikayt Speaker Series (four online talks by local scholars and organizers connecting us to the place where we live), dates TBA. The course fee is $54. We acknowledge the support of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation with funding provided by the Government of Canada. ***Instructor Bios*** Adi Burton is an interdisciplinary scholar and community organizer. She became the co-executive director of the Peretz Centre in 2024 after completing her Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia on the responsibility of activists in the face of genocide. As a teacher, she draws on Jewish political and ethical thought, postcolonialism, memory studies, and philosophy of education. Michal Israeli is an activist, political educator, and Hebrew language teacher specializing in decolonizing second language education and transformative and critical pedagogies. A journalist with an M.A. in Media & Cultural Studies, she is currently an M.E.d student in Modern Language Education at the University of British Columbia. Image credit: Norman Fraser, 1937 poster

When we learn Yiddish, we tap into a treasure trove of stories, poetry, philosophy, history, politics, and the records of everyday life. We will draw on these texts to deepen our connection to our history and culture. This Yiddish language course is for those with some experience with reading, writing and speaking Yiddish. Based on a conversational, interactive and communicative approach to language learning, we will focus on deepening our conversational and expressive skills, all the while strengthening our grammatical knowledge, in order 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! ***New Students*** New students who have some familiarity with speaking, reading, and writing Yiddish are welcome to join our intermediate class! If you have questions, contact the instructor at imanoff@peretz-centre.org ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 8 in-person classes on Thursdays (7-8:30pm) from September 4th to October 30th. The standard fee for Intermediate Yiddish is $200, with payment plans available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the "payment plan deposit" ($25) option during registration and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. Plans can be monthly ($100 x 2) or weekly ($25 x 8). ***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: Es kam das Feuer by El Lissitzky, from the portfolio Chad Gadja, Kiev 1919; Jewish Museum Berlin

TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST, send an email to admin@peretz-centre.org with your child(ren)'s name and ages. We are exploring options to add more spots due to high demand. **** The Peretz Centre is proud to present the 2026 Zumershule, an arts-based, community-focused Zumer (summer) camp for youth aged 8 to 13! *Youth 13-15 can register as Zumershuler Counsellors-in-Training (see website). 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: The Peretz Zumershule has a limited number of spots available for youth ages 8 to 13. Two spots are also available for Zumershuler Counsellors-in-Training (ages 13-15) on a different program page. Program fees are offered on a sliding scale to reduce financial access barriers: ❂ At cost ($80/day, $800 total) ❂ Supporter ($100/day, $1000 total) ❂ Community-funded ($40/day, $400 total) ❂ Mishpokhe (for 2 children from the same family or household at $60/day, $1200 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)

Take part in the inaugural year of Peretz's arts-based, community-focused Zumer (summer) camp for youth aged 8 to 15! Two weeks (10 days) from July 28th to August 8th: 🡪 Half-day arts-based workshops with Peretz community artists, creators, scholars, and elders 🡪 Half-day free time to explore creativity and imagination and experiment with artistic practices 🡪 Final day of program ends with youth-led cultural shabbes potluck dinner (Friday, Aug. 8th) The Peretz Zumershule welcomes 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. Learn more here: https://www.peretz-centre.org/the-peretz-school/peretz-zumershule-summer-camp ❂ Schedule ❂ DATES: Weekdays from July 28-Aug. 8 (including BC Day on Mon., Aug. 4). Please mark down the community Fraytik tsu Nakht shabbes potluck dinner on Fri., Aug. 8 (5-8pm). TIMES: 9:30am to 4:30pm, with possible early drop-off or late pick-up based on need. LOCATION: 6184 Ash Street, Vancouver Bring your own lunch and snacks! Food is not included in this program. ❂ Registration & Program Fees ❂ The Peretz Zumershule has a limited number of spots available in two cohorts for ages 8-11 and 12-15. (We hope to welcome younger kids in future years!) To reserve your spot(s), (1) pay the deposit from this page and (2) complete the participant information form (will be sent to your email automatically upon payment). Registration closes May 31, 2025; late registration may be available depending on program capacity. Program fees are offered on a sliding scale to reduce financial access barriers: • At cost ($75/day, $750 total) • Supporter ($90/day, $900 total) • Community-funded ($50/day, $500 total) • Discounted (2 children from the same family or household at $60/day, $1200 total) Payment plans are available upon request via the participant information form. If you have questions, please contact the Peretz office at info@peretz-centre.org Image credit: Lufṭ zun ṿaser by Julian Liebermann, ca. 1926 (New York Public Library)

Sign up here for one or more Vancouver Yiddish dance classes! To sign up a for a class, click the "register" button below and select from available dates (can only book one class at a time). ***Description*** In this workshop we will learn dances from the Yiddish repertoire that used to have different functions. We will look into the expressiveness of hands and facial gestures to convey a range of emotions as a relevant characteristic of Yiddish Dances. We will practice movement and spatial patterns that build the energy of the group such as in the zhok, bulgar, freilech, patsch tanz and sher. Additionally, we will have a taste of how these dances were influenced by the traditions of neighbouring communities and how they are being taught at Klezmer festivals nowadays. It is my hope that these dances will be adopted into our shared traditions and be part of our communal celebrations. Be ready to have a great time and dig deeper into Ashkenazi wisdom and joy. Modifications, including chair dancing, will be offered to welcome all bodies. ***Schedule & Fees*** Classes are on Tuesday evenings (6-7pm) from October 22 to November 26 2024. Drop ins: $18 per person (see package rate at our website) ***Instructor Bio*** Claudia Bulaievsky is a dance practitioner and educator who has experience teaching creative movement and dance to students of all backgrounds, from toddlers to seniors, in schools, after schools and community centres. She is passionate about learning dances from around the world, and can never stay still if a band is playing near her, usually encouraging others to explore their expressive playfulness as well. She believes that promoting Yiddish dances is not only a means towards learning about our origins and traditions but also a way to renew our communities with the joy of sharing a beautiful language of gestures and rhythms embedded in the moment.

This intermediate Yiddish language 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! this Term, we will be reading texts by Yiddish authors Kadia Molodowsky, Avrom Reyzen and Y.L. Peretz. ***New Students*** New students who have some familiarity with speaking, reading, and writing Yiddish are welcome to join our intermediate class! If you have questions, contact the instructor at imanoff@peretz-centre.org ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 10 in-person classes on Thursdays (7-8:30pm) from February 6th to April 17th. (No class on March 13th) The standard fee for Intermediate Yiddish is $250, with payment plans available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the "payment plan deposit" ($25) option during registration and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. ***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