Doikayt: Histories of Jews Going West
What do we know—and not know—about the place where we live and how local history shapes our present?
Program Description
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 PhD 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 MA in Media & Cultural Studies, she is an MEd student in Modern Language Education at the University of British Columbia. Image credit: Norman Fraser, 1937 poster
5 spots left
Program Schedule
Registration Policies
REGISTRATION: Registration is limited to 10 students. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis; however, priority will be given to new students (who have never participated in this program before) and Peretz Centre members may be granted early access to course registration. Due to high demand, students are expected to commit to participating in all six classes, plus the four lectures in the program's online speaker series. PAYMENT: The majority of course costs are generously supported by a grant from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, allowing us to offer registration at a low rate of $50 per student. Payment plans are available upon request (email admin@peretz-centre.org). SCHEDULING CHANGES: We reserve the right to move classes online, postpone them, or make other necessary adjustments to ensure the health and safety of staff and participants. We make every effort to notify students (via email) of any course changes at the earliest opportunity and consult with students about scheduling changes. HEALTH & SAFETY: To mitigate the spread of communicable diseases and support the needs of immuno-compromised students and staff, please stay home if you don't feel well. We will make our best effort to provide online participation options when possible/given sufficient notice, and/or make-up materials. WITHDRAWAL: Refund requests must be submitted to admin@peretz-centre.org at least 7 days prior to the course start date. This amount can be refunded back to your original payment method or kept on file as future credit (with no expiry date). A $25 cancellation fee will be applied to all cancellations involving refunds.
Contact Details
The Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture
Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture, Ash Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
(604) 325-1812
info@peretz-centre.org