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Please join us for a discussion of the timely and provocative book by Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, The Jewelers of the Ummah: A Potential History of the Jewish Muslim World (Verso Books, 2024). What if the world of Maghrebian Jews and Muslims had not been disrupted by European colonialism, its archives distorted and/or destroyed, the identities “Jew” and “Muslim” made strange to each other by imperialism, nationalism, and settler-colonialism? In Azoulay’s astonishing new book—at once an anti-colonial counter-history, a feminist family memoir, and a collection of letters to intimates, poets, and historians—the material craft of jewelry-making practiced by generations of Azoulay’s Algerian Jewish ancestors becomes key to recovering Muslim-Jewish histories that need not stay in the past but can also liberate the future. This reading group is co-sponsored by the Peretz Centre and the UBC Jewish-Muslim Cultural Intimacies Project (conveners of the spring 2024 Hemon reading group and fall 2024 Muslim-Jewish diasporic translations panel). ***Times & Locations*** (Schedule Extended July 2025) This reading group will meet monthly on Monday evenings (7-8:30pm) from May 2025 to May 2026, in person at the Peretz Centre's Kirman Library (6184 Ash Street, Vancouver). ***Registration*** Registration is required and spots are limited. There are no fees for this community-run program. The book is available in paperback or ebook from the publisher (Verso) or through your local bookstore. As of April 2025, the UBC library and VPL have not yet purchased this book, but you can read it at the Kirman Library at Peretz. Contact the organizers for a PDF of the first reading. Purchase the book from Verso here: https://www.versobooks.com/en-ca/products/3026-the-jewelers-of-the-ummah ***Group Facilitators*** Mo Pareles (they+) is a medievalist and Associate Professor in the UBC Department of English Language and Literatures (pareles@gmail.com). Ervin Malakaj is an Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies specializing in late-18th- to 21st-century German media and cultural history (ervin.malakaj@ubc.ca).

***Start your Yiddish language learning journey at the Peretz Centre with Beginners' Yiddish Language Classes*** 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. ***New Students*** New students are welcome to join the Beginners' Yiddish cohort (which began in September), as we are still working through the basics. However, some familiarity with Yiddish/Hebrew characters is required to register. If you have questions, please contact imanoff@peretz-centre.org. ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes 10 in-person classes on Wednesdays (7-8:30pm) from February 5th to April 16th. (No class on Feb. 19th) The standard fee for Beginners' 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: 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

✱ 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧: Registration is restricted to students who already participated in the Year 1 cohort. ✱ The Peretz Centre offers a pluralistic approach to Jewish cultural education that emphasizes the humanist, progressive, and universalist 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. Learn more about the program format and curriculum here: https://www.peretz-centre.org/pnei-mitzvah/ ✱𝟮𝟱━𝟮𝟲 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗘 🙴 𝗧𝗨𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡✱ Classes take place twice a month on (alternating) Sundays, from October 19 to the end-of-program ceremony, which cohort families will organize towards the end of the school year (May/June). See the schedule below for exact dates (subject to change). Please note the adjusted start and end time for Year 2 (3-5pm). Students are expected to attend class in-person at the Peretz Centre (6184 Ash Street), unless otherwise arranged by program staff. The standard fee for the course is $640 in Year 2 (or $990 for two siblings). Payment plans are also available to address financial access barriers. ✱𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗜𝗢✱ Matthew Gindin has been teaching Jewish history, philosophy, and contemplative traditions in a wide variety of settings since 2004. Formerly the Peretz Education Director and Master Teacher at Or Shalom, we welcomed Matthew back to the Peretz Centre in 2024. He also works as a freelance writer and editor, professional lecturer, and independent journalist. (matthewgindin.com)

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)