The workshop is open to all who are open to experimenting with expressing themselves in Yiddish with gay abandon. You do not need to be a writer or have previously done any creative writing in Yiddish (or in any other language). The workshop is designed to inspire free creative expression. Come and express yourselves fearlessly in Yiddish, creating queerly, with joy and delight.

FORMAT

The workshop will begin with some warm-up games, to get to know each other a little. We will then play a few improv theatre-style games to open up creativity, and release barriers and constraints to free expression. This will be followed by some writing prompts and activities, including a guided meditation on a queer Yiddish theme, culminating in free writing on that theme, or on anything inspired by the meditation. After some time for individual writing, we will come back together as a group, with participants invited to read what they have written, if they are comfortable to do so. While sharing work is encouraged, this is not a requirement or an expectation of the workshop.

ACCESSIBILITY

This workshop is entirely in Yiddish and is suitable for intermediate and advanced Yiddish learners and those fluent in Yiddish. No creative writing experience necessary! The focus is on free expression, so extensive vocabulary and perfect grammar are not expected.

Yiddish-ASL may be available if requested by July 15 on the Registration form below. Please be in touch with any access requests.

FACILITATOR

The workshop will be presented by shtoltse dykele, and shanda from down under, Hinde Ena Burstin (Hinde Burshtin). Hinde is a Yiddish poet, teacher, activist and Yiddishist, whose mame-loshn is Yiddish, the first language she spoke, read and wrote. She lives, creates, works and fights for justice on the unceded lands of the
Boon Wurrung people, in Naarm Melbourne, in so-called Australia.

SPONSOR

This event is supported by the KlezCalifornia Yiddish Cultural Fund.

* * *

VEGN VARSHTAT

A shpilevdiker, sheferisher varshtat oyftsulebn dem frayen oysdruk fun oysergeveyntlekher, oysterlisher kvirkayt oyf Yidish.
Der varshtat vet tsuzamenflekhtn elementn fun shpileray, improv teater, gefirte shrayb- meditatsye un shrayb-aktivitetn.

Kvir-shaft iz far ale vos viln farbrengen oyf Yidish, un zaynen ofn tsu eksperimentirn mit oysdrikn zikh mit kvirer freyd, oyf Yidish. Di aktivitetn veln stimulirn ayer sheferishn oysdruk, afile oyb ir hot nokh keyn mol nisht sheferish geshribn oyf Yidish (oder oyf an ander shprakh).

Gefint tsung oyf Yidish! Kumt un shaft kvirerheyt, mit frayhayt un fargenign.

FORMAT

Mir veln onheybn mit shpilerayen zikh a bisl tsu bakenen, un veln dernokh shpiln etlekhe improv-teater shpiln, oyftsuefenen di spontane sheferishkeyt, un opvarfn tsoymen vos shtern tsum frayen oysdruk. Dan veln forkumen farsheydene shraybn-aktivitetn, tsvishn zey, a gefirte meditatsye oyf a kvir-Yidisher teme. Onteylnemer vel dernokh fray shraybn oyf der teme, oder andere temes oder bilder vos di meditatsye hot dervekt oder inspirirt bay zey. Nokh dem, vet zayn a gelegnhayt far di onteylnemer vos viln, fortsuleyenen farn oylem, dos vos zey hobn ongeshribn. Zikh teyln mit dos vos ir hot geshafn iz enkurazhirt ober nisht dervart – a vil zakh un nisht keyn muz zakh.

TSUKUM

Kvir-shaft vet forkumen oyf Yidish, un iz pasik far mitndike un avansirte Yidish redners/lerners. Der fokus funem varshtat iz frayen oysdruk, on tsoymen. Fulshtendikn vokabular un perfekte gramatik zaynen nisht dervart. 

Der varshtat ken hobn ASL fartaytshung oyb me bet fun es in der registratsiye forme far dem 15tn yuli. Bite git undz tsu visn oyb ir hot tsukum baderfenishn vos ir vilt az mir zoln derleydikn.

VEGN VARSHTAT-FIRER

Hinde Burshtin (Hinde Ena Burstin), bakant oykh untern nomen “dykele”, un oykh “the shande from down under” vet onfirn mitn varshtat. Hinde iz a shrayberin oyf Yidish un English, a lererin fun Yidish un Yidisher literatur, a Yidishist un an aktivist. Yidish iz ir mame-loshn – di ershte shprakh vos zi hot geredt, geleyent un geshribn. Zi voynt, shaft, arbet un kemft far gerekhtikayt oyfn umopgegebenem land funem Boon Wurrung folk fun der groyser Kulin natsye, in Naarm Melburn, in azoygerufenem Oystralye.