YIVO Luminaries in their Own Words
Tuition: $360 | YIVO members: $270**
This is a live, online course held twice a week on Zoom. Enrollment will be capped at about 25 students. All course details (Zoom link, syllabus, handouts, assignments, etc.) will be posted to Canvas. Students will be granted access to the class on Canvas after registering for the class here on the YIVO website. This class will be conducted in Yiddish.
Instructor: Dovid Braun
לכּבֿוד דעם איצטיקן 100־יאָריקן יוביליי פֿון ייִדישן װיסנשאַפֿטלעכן אינסטיטוט – ייִװאָ, לאָמיר אויסנוצן דעם שעת־הכּושר צו באַהאַנדלען אַן אָפּקלײַב טעקסטן פֿון די מיסדים פֿון אינסטיטוט. אין דעם סעמינאַר װעלן מיר זיך באַקענען מיט קלענערע און גרעסערע פֿראַגמענטן פֿון די שריפֿטן פֿון אַזעלכע גדולים פֿון דער פֿריִיִקער ייִװאָ־אַרבעט װי: א. טשעריקאָװער, מ. װײַנרײַך, י. לעשטשינסקי, י. מאַרק, ש. ניגער, נ. פּרילוצקי, ז. קלמנאָװיטש, ז. רייזען, י. שאַצקי און נ. שטיף צװ"אַ. דער ציל פֿון קורס איז אַ דרײַפֿאַכיקער: אונדז בעסער צו באַקענען מיט דער געשיכטע און די צװעקן פֿון אינסטיטוט; צו הערן דאָס קול, אַזוי צו זאָגן, פֿון אַ טייל הויפּט־מיטאַרבעטער זײַנע; און צו פֿאַרברייטערן דעם לערנערס באַקאַנטשאַפֿט מיט ענינים פֿון װאָקאַבולאַר, סטרוקטור און סטיל אין געלערנטער ייִדישער פּראָזע. פֿאַר העכערע מיטנדיקע לערנערס ביז גאָר אַװאַנסירטע.
In celebration of YIVO's 100th anniversary, there's no time like the present to “hear from” its founding scholars in their own words. In this seminar we will review excerpts of the writings of YIVO luminaries Z. Kalmanovitsh, J. Lestschinsky, Y. Mark, S. Niger, N. Prilutski, Z. Reyzen, J. Shatzky, N. Shtif, E. Tcherikower, M. Weinreich. The course's purpose is threefold: to get us better acquainted with the Institute’s history and mission; to encounter its scholars “in their own voices”; and to expand students’ familiarity with issues of Yiddish vocabulary, structure, and style in academic Yiddish prose. For those who are at the higher intermediate level and upward.
Yiddish Level:
This course, conducted in Yiddish, is designed for upper intermediate and advanced Yiddish students, or those with a strong ability to understand written and spoken Yiddish.
Course Materials:
All course materials will be provided digitally on Canvas.
Questions? Read our 2026 Winter Yiddish Seminars FAQ.
Dovid (David) Braun has taught all levels of Yiddish language at YIVO's intensive summer program since 1990 at Columbia University and New York University. He initiated and taught in the intensive summer programs of the Yiddish Book Center (Amherst, MA) and Jewish Historical Institute (Warsaw, Poland). He has taught Yiddish language, Yiddish linguistics, and/or general linguistics as a faculty member of Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and he regularly participates in varied research projects involving Yiddish language and culture. He serves as co-president of the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center (Bronx, NY) which is now the only NYC area venue where public Yiddish cultural events are held on a regular basis.
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