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Learn more about the choir, its history, and how to participate at peretz-centre.org/vancouver-jewish-folk-choir ***Schedule*** The 2025-26 season starts Sept. 16, 2025 (through June 2026)! Weekly rehearsals will take place on Tuesdays from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM in the Ben Chud Auditorium at the Peretz Centre (6184 Ash Street). Performances will include (at minimum): - Peretz High Holidays (September 28) - Peretz Passover Seyder (March 29) - 2026 Spring Concert (June 14) ***Registration & Membership Dues*** No auditions are required! Prospective new members are welcome to attend a rehearsal, where they can meet choir members and hear how rehearsals work. We accept new members in all voice parts, year-round (some exceptions leading up to performances). 2025-26 Membership Dues: $150 per year (about $4.50 per rehearsal). Members have the option to pay $150 at the beginning of the season or $18/month ($162 over 9 months). Accommodations are available to address financial access barriers (please contact Donna at dbecker@peretz-centre.org). Membership dues subsidize the work of our professional conductor (David Millard), accompanist (TBA), and four section leads (Clara Troje, Byron Hanson, Tristan Pearson, and Sarah Little), who help teach and support members in learning a diverse repertoire of folk music. Dues also help buy snacks, fund promotion for the choir and our concerts, and help us build and keep our archive of music (including original compositions from current and past members, conductors, and our choir's historical performances, etc.) for generations to come. The Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir is funded by the Peretz Centre and the BC Community Gaming Grant program. ***How to Sign Up*** Prospective members/drop ins can sign up to attend a rehearsal by registering below and filling out the registration form. Attendance is free! Current choir members will receive their annual membership registration form via email.

This short, 4-session workshop course offers a pathway into Yiddish language learning and literacy, whether through classes or independent study. Designed for beginner and intermediate students who have some familiarity with the Hebrew alphabet already, participants will improve their overall literacy skills in Yiddish and learn to recognize (and pronounce) loshn-koydesh (traditional Hebrew) words. Together we will go over some of the fundamentals of Yiddish writing, focusing on character recognition, identifying different fonts/script types, and improving oral pronunciation. In addition, we will engage with different texts and learn to read and sing Yiddish songs! The format of the course will be that of a “language lab”, meaning that we will mostly focus on individual tasks and goals with teacher support, as well as group activities designed to introduce new skills, concepts and approaches to language learning. By the end of this 4-week workshop, you will be in a better position to become more autonomous and self-directed in your Yiddish learning journey! ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes four in-person classes on Wednesdays (7-8:30pm) from April 30th to May 21st. The standard fee is $90, with payment plans available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the “payment plan deposit” ($22.50) option during registration and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. ***Instructor Bio*** Itamar Manoff (he/him) has over 15 years of experience in language teaching for adults, including Hebrew, English, and Yiddish. He teaches Yiddish at the Peretz Centre, where he is also co-executive director, and at the University of British Columbia. Itamar completed his PhD in language education research at UBC’s Department of Educational Studies in 2025. 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: From the Khayim Beyder (1990), illustrations by Natalia Kazak (https://www.ibiblio.org/yiddish/Book/Beyder/beyder31.html)

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. Sign up for all six classes for $15 per class ($90 total) by clicking the "Register" button below. If you want to sign up for ONE class at a time ($18 per class), go to this page to book: https://wix.to/e5ElVLO ***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.

Delve into the rich literary heritage and diverse perspectives of Jewish authors, fostering meaningful dialogue and exploration of Jewish themes, culture, and identity. Each week the group reads and discusses an English-language text by a Jewish writer, whether in translation or originally in English. Texts are chosen in advance by the participants. While meeting online, we have the text on screen, and we do “social reading”, i.e., reading aloud by turns, with discussion during and after. All are welcome; you needn’t read aloud if you prefer not to. To join the Exploring Jewish Writers mailing list and receive the Zoom link (plus weekly readings), contact alinawydra@gmail.com. *Please note that the schedule on the website may not have the most updated information. To check the confirmed schedule, join the mailing list.

The Peretz Centre offers a pluralistic approach to Jewish education and culture that emphasizes the humanist, progressive, and universalist aspects of our heritage. We focus on literature, language, ethics, music, art and dance. 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. ***YEAR 1*** Covers Jewish history and culture, starting from the Biblical canon to the present day. All subjects are taught as literature and their meaning and significance are examined and debated, giving space for students to find their own relationship to the texts. At the end of Year 1, students are asked to create a midrash -- a creative expansion or reinterpretation of a narrative from the Tanakh, in any medium they choose. ***YEAR 2*** Delves deeper into Judaism in the modern world. At the end of Year 2, students prepare a Pnei Mitzvah project where they present an aspect of Jewish culture that they connect with and wish to research/explore in whatever medium they choose (such as a book report, art, dance, or video to learn to chant the traditional haftorah). The program ends with a collaboratively organized Pnei Mitzvah ceremony. *** Schedule & Fees *** Pnei Mitzvah classes (Year 1 cohort) take place every other Sunday from 2-4pm at the Peretz Centre, from October 20 through June. The standard fee for the course is $990 in Year 1, and $640 in Year 2 in order to accommodate expenses around the Pnei Mitzvah ceremony. We offer a reduced rate for families registering more than one child ($1400 for two students in Year 1, $990 in Year 2). Payment plans are also available to address financial access barriers. Learn more here: https://www.peretz-centre.org/pnei-mitzvah-jewish-education-ages-10-to-13 *** Instructor Bio *** Matthew Gindin has been teaching Jewish history, philosophy, and contemplative traditions in a wide variety of settings since 2004. Formerly our Education Director and Master Teacher at Or Shalom, we welcomed Matthew back to the Peretz Centre in 2024. He also works as an acupuncturist, freelance writer and editor, professional lecturer, and independent journalist. (https://www.matthewgindin.com/)

The Peretz Centre offers a pluralistic approach to Jewish cultural education that emphasizes the humanist, progressive, and universalist aspects of our heritage. We focus on literature, language, ethics, music, art, and dance. 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/ ✱𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬✱ Our Pnei Mitzvah program is open to participants of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities, who feel a connection to Jewish cultures and histories. The 2-year program is intended for youth who will be 12-13 at the end of the second year (spring/summer 2027). Early/late participation may be permitted with instructor approval, depending on maturity level and other factors (contact us with questions). ✱𝟮𝟱━𝟮𝟲 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗟𝗘 🙴 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡✱ Classes take place twice a month on (alternating) Sundays, from Oct. 19 through June (schedule below). Class times are 2 hrs including 15-minute snack break (12:30-2:30pm). Students are expected to attend class in-person at the Peretz Centre (6184 Ash Street), unless otherwise arranged by program staff. ✱𝗧𝗨𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡✱ Standard tuition is $1,200 per year or $1,700/year for 2 siblings. Payment plans are available to address financial access barriers; pay a deposit with the “request payment plan” option during registration and we will contact you to finalize details. Year 1 tuition includes: ➜ Biweekly classes (October-June) with Matthew Gindin ➜ Program materials and supplies ➜ Reduced ticket prices for Peretz holidays and events ➜ Access to Peretz building for additional cohort activities (movie nights, etc.) In order to subsidize the costs of the Pnei Mitzvah celebration for families, Year 2 tuition will also include venue rental (Ben Chud Auditorium), access to Peretz equipment/supplies, admin event support, and printing for ceremony booklets. ✱𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗜𝗢✱ Matthew Gindin has been teaching Jewish history, philosophy, and contemplative traditions in a wide variety of settings since 2004. Formerly 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)

Come join us for three weeks on zoom to practice your shmues (conversation) skills in relation to a variety of texts and media. This online, three session mini-course is designed for intermediate Yiddish language learners. We will look at video clips, audiobooks, and written texts and discuss how the rich availability of such materials can facilitate a self-study of Yiddish or discovery of the many gems that exist on the internet when one knows where to look. A focus in this class will be on continuing a conversational approach where we speak in Yiddish throughout, to the best of our ability, and with much communal care and support. Another focus will be on enjoying the language and having fun! ***Registration Deadline*** Friday, May 16th ***Schedule & Fees*** This course includes three 90-minute online classes on Sundays (2-3:30pm PST) from May 18th to June 1st. The standard fee is $54 ($18 per class), with payment plans available to address financial access barriers. To set up a payment plan, select the “payment plan deposit” ($18) option during registration and Peretz staff will reach out to finalize the details. ***Instructor Bio*** Emily Glass (she/her) grew up in North Vancouver hearing no Yiddish at all. Like many people interested in the language, she has a “discovery” story. Hers involved spontaneously signing up for a beginner Yiddish class with Rebecca Margolis during her undergrad at the University of Ottawa in 2015 and then falling in love with the culture at the Steiner Summer Program at the Yiddish Book Center in 2016. Since then, she has studied Yiddish and its vibrant culture at KlezKanada, Yiddish Summer Paris, and Yiddish New York. Professionally, Emily has worked for over three years as a high school French teacher. This past year, she took a break from high school teaching to do a masters in Yiddish Studies at the University of Toronto, where she did language seminars and researched the ways that Ashkenazi ways of being have been expressed in dance cultures. Throughout her masters, she was additionally mentored by Avia Moore of KlezKanada in her Yiddish dance research. Image: Postcard by Przedruk wabronieny (Stanisławów, 1905)

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"