Student Testimonials

Every year, YIVO’s Summer Program attracts a diverse and international student cohort. Students of all ages and backgrounds come to study Yiddish for many reasons, whether for academic research, to train for careers as librarians, archivists, and museum educators, for reasons of personal heritage or identity, or simply for the love of the language and culture.

*Click to hear from some of our students about their journey to Yiddish.* Every story is unique, and there is no ‘typical’ Yiddish student. What unites them all is a passion for studying Yiddish language, literature, and culture, and carrying their knowledge into the world.		Lila talks about her experience in the Summer Program and the role it played in helping her find the fargenign (joy) of Yiddish.
Rebecca talks about her experience in the Summer Program and how it redefined her understanding of what it means to be “fluent” in a language.	Olena talks about her experience in the Summer Program and how it strengthened her connection to Yiddish.	Silvia talks about her experience in the Summer Program and what surprised her most.
YIVO's Summer Program helped Graeme build a sense of community.	Tamara talks about her experience in the Summer Program and how a fun pandemic hobby became a lifelong passion.	For Yulia, learning Yiddish is a means to resist the language's disappearance in territories where it once flourished.
Caleb's experience in YIVO's Summer Program helps him find his Yiddish.	Through two summers studying at YIVO—39 years apart!—Tara has a life-changing experience.	For Howard, learning Yiddish is the best way to connect with the history and culture of Ashkenazic Jewry.
Studying Yiddish language and culture has helped Gelya reconnect to her Jewish identity.	By immersing himself in Yiddish, Jake was transformed from a fan into a lifelong devotee.	Delving into Yiddish literature and language gives Masha a sense of belonging and opens a new world both familiar and vast.
Through his study of Yiddish, Nobuto explores rich comparisons between Yiddish and Japanese literature.	Rivka finds in Yiddish a means to connect Hasidic and secular culture, and a path to serve her community.	For Jeremy, Yiddish offers a way into Judaism, and a unique connection to the past.
For Julijana, a native of Vilnius, Lithuania, Yiddish opens a window on Lithuanian history and identity, and a path to her PhD research.	Learn how Yiddish enhances Lea’s work as a theater artist and offers her a connection to her heritage.	Through Yiddish, Mario discovered his Jewish identity, and his favorite language.
Discover how Mohamed-Moshe connects Mizrahi and Ashkenazi culture through the study of Yiddish and reconnects with lost family history.	For Rabbi Diana Miller, Yiddish is a way in to Jewish civilization, and a powerful form of connection for her community.	Veranika describes the interrelationship between Yiddish and Belarusian culture, and charts a path for the future of Yiddish.