his event is open to anyone and everyone. It’s FREE too (registration needed. Expect a wonderful afternoon of communal singing and insight into the unique sounds of Yiddish culture. Please email if you have any questions.

A bit of Yiddish background context: Despite attempts to eradicate its existence during the Holocaust, Yiddish, the 1000-year-old language of the Jews of Eastern Europe, is flourishing, as people young and old, Jewish and non-Jewish, explore its rich cultural heritage. There’s a concept in Yiddish called doikayt which translates to “hereness”, the state of being here. This has been solidified into Yiddish history: Yiddish language has always gone wherever its people have gone.

Yiddish songs are hugely varied: spiritual, political (such as Bundist songs – the Jewish socialist movement founded in the late 1800s), coming from theatre and cinema. They all describe the diverse lives of Jewish people across Eastern and Central Europe and all the countries they have emigrated to – their history, hopes, memories, politics, celebrations and resistance to oppression.

Led by Polina Shepherd, a composer, performer and cultural activist originally from Siberia, now living in Brighton. Having been part of the international Yiddish and Klezmer music scene for over 30 years, she works with audiences of different backgrounds and promotes building bridges and unity through singing.

Serendipitously, this event falls on the day of the joyous Jewish festival Purim, commemorating the salvation of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire.
While we are encouraged to be joyful and proud during Purim, we are all reminded of our current struggles. Purim calls to actively resist the forces that seek to diminish, divide and turn us against each other.