This is part of a weekend of Yiddish culture taking place on 28-31 August at SOAS, THE HORSE HOSPITAL and LEO BAECK COLLEGE. It brings together music, song, dance, literature, language, archives, film, workshops and shared cultural discovery across London.

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JOIN US ON SUNDAY 30 AUGUST AT SOAS for the learning day – a full day of workshops, talks, screenings, participatory sessions and performances of Yiddish music, song, dance, poetry, literature, history and contemporary practice. Sessions will run throughout the day 10am–7pm and are open to a wide range of participants from complete beginners / cultural enthusiasts to instrumentalists, singers and language learners. SOAS Learning Day pass gives you access to the full programme, allowing you to build your own schedule and move between sessions throughout the day

The programme includes the following:

FROYEN LIDER: YIDDISH ZINGERAY OF SONGS BY AND ABOUT WOMEN led by Olive Ivy. A vibrant, beginner-friendly Yiddish sing-along celebrating women’s and gender-diverse voices. Learn the sounds, follow the lyrics, and join a joyful chorus of folk and theatre favourites.

ADVANCED KLEZMER STRING CLASS: STYLE, ACCOMPANIMENT, ARRANGEMENT led by Fran & Flora. A high-energy klezmer strings intensive led by Fran & Flora, diving deep into bowing, groove and creative ensemble arranging. For confident string players ready to sharpen technique, explore melody-to-bassline roles, and build a rich collective sound.

CONTEMPORARY YIDDISH POETRY led by Katerina Kuznetsova & Beruriah Wiegand. An engaging exploration of contemporary Yiddish poetry, featuring poets Katerina Kuznetsova and Beruriah Wiegand in conversation about publishing today, translation, and why writers continue to choose Yiddish in the 21st century. The session includes live readings in Yiddish with English translations.

WHAT’S YIDDISH ABOUT YIDDISH ART SONG? led by Rosamond van Wingerden. A lively, accessible session on what makes a song sound distinctly Yiddish — from ornaments and timbre to expressive folk-style phrasing. Part talk, part interactive workshop, this session welcomes all levels and includes sheet music.

YIDDISH MASTERCLASS WITH ALEPH AND MOTL, FOUNDERS OF JARGON led by Matt Rosen & Aleph Ross, the founders of Jargon.

JEWISH WHITECHAPEL: AN ARCHIVE WORKSHOP led by David Mazower. A hands-on dive into rare Yiddish cultural treasures from David Mazower’s extraordinary personal collection — from anarchist newspapers and theatre handbills to photographs, postcards and unexpected gems of Jewish East End history. An interactive workshop for anyone curious about the material culture of Yiddish London.

YIDDISH LONDON, 1880–2026 led by David Mazower. An illustrated talk uncovering London’s vibrant Yiddish past, from stage stars and immigrant rabbis to political firebrands who made the East End a global crossroads of Yiddish culture. David Mazower brings the city’s personalities, stories and scandals vividly back to life.

POSTKARTL-KLUB led by Osian Evans Sharma. A creative, hands-on workshop exploring High Holy Day postcard traditions through real Yiddish cards, their greetings and the stories they carry. Participants will read historic postcards together, then design and write their own cards in Yiddish.

YIDDISH CHOIR IN STYLE led by Polina Shepherd. Raise the roof and raise your spirit with the powerful sound of Yiddish choir. Dive into harmonies in style! Beautiful folk songs to open your heart will be embellished with krekhtsn. A new choral composition to stimulate your mind will be filled with the power of traditional modes and harmonies. We will move between the finesse of SATB arrangements and easy two-part repertoire. The workshop will focus on specific aspects of Yiddish singing, including language, musical style, history and cultural context. Starting with powerful nigunim that warm up the voice and energise the body, we will weave our voices together into an instrument of great beauty and power. All singers are welcome, although you will need to be able to follow the written music and be prepared to learn by ear.

SONG LAB FOR SINGERS WITH OR WITHOUT BANDS led by Polina Shepherd. Bring your song and arrangement ideas and receive comments and tips. We will work on presenters’ pieces from a professional perspective, focusing on structure, stylistic features, Yiddish lyrics and modes, as well as receiving feedback from a friendly audience. We will explore how various interpretations can reveal new meanings in a song or even change it completely. We’ll focus on and discuss the differences between traditional and modern presentations of Yiddish music. When performing a song, participants will experiment with new ideas, observe the differences and generally widen their vocabulary as performers. Bands with singers are especially encouraged to join. Solo singers, as well as instrumentalists willing to accompany on the spot, are also welcome. Let’s play and experiment!

KLEZMER TUNE CLUB: DIVE INTO A TUNE led by Daniel Mawson & Richard Fay. Dive into one klezmer tune from every angle – history, style and sound. Learn, play and collaborate to create a fresh group arrangement in a fun, inclusive session for musicians of all levels.

GOLEM RISING: THE AFTERLIVES OF YIDDISH LITERATURE led by Susie Gordon Yavetz. From lost readership to lasting legacy, discover how Yiddish literature has been reborn through translation and reinterpretation. This lecture explores how these powerful works continue to evolve, resonate and speak to us today.

KLEZMER MUSIC led by acclaimed clarinettist, performer, composer and educator Merlin Shepherd.

NOT THAT KIND OF HORA: MOLDOVAN-YIDDISH TUNES FOR PLAYING AND DANCING led by Pieter Sint Nicolaas. Discover the shared roots and cross-influences of Yiddish and Moldovan dance. Play, move and explore these vibrant traditions in a dynamic, hands-on session. Musicians and dancers are both welcome.