Yiddish Language Lab 2025

Program Description

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)