Lecture Series
June 14/15 @Ufa Fabrik
We are thrilled to offer a series of lectures covering a variety of topics related to Yiddish culture- from Hasidic philosophy, to Jewish-German immigration, contemporary Yiddish culture and the intriguing explorations of the connections between Yiddish and African American culture.
To attend the lecture series please purchase Weekend Pass or day ticket for workshops on the day you plan to attend.
Saturday, June 14
Room
12:00
Stranger in a Strange Land: The Possibilities of Black Music in Jewish Spaces
Anthony Russell (Atlanta, GA, USA)
At first glance, European Jewish and African American culture would appear to have very little in common, but diverse cultural and historical phenomena that affected both created enigmatic parallels, leading to some of the most influential art of the 20th century. Join multidisciplinary artist Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell as he explores these fascinating affinities through his research and creative work in this interactive conversation.
13:30
How Jews from Ukraine, Lithuania or Russia became Germany's New Jewry
Darja Klingenberg
The talk explores how the histories of Russian-speaking Jewish migrants (so called Kontingentflüchtlinge) are remembered—or not— and what this reveals about ongoing negotiations of racialized, class-specific, and gendered differences—both within Jewish communities and in a broader German migrant society. How did the once-central image of the “Eastern Jew” fade, while the majority of Jewish people in Germany today have Eastern European, mostly post-Soviet, family histories?
13:30
Stretch/Dance/Coffe Break
Stretch your legs, get a beverage, discuss all the interesting things you learned!
15:30
For Whom the Black Rooster Crows: Jews in Latvia in late 19th/early 20th Century
Ilya Lensky (Riga, Latvia)
To give context to the Sunday concert with the Black Rooster Project we are thrilled to present director of the museum 'Jews in Latvia, Ilya Lensky. In his talk, Lensky will discuss the transition of Jews at the territory of contemporary Latvia from traditional society to modernity, and the golden age of Jewish life in Latvia. Topics discussed will deal with education, religious life, development of political culture, as well as relations with different ethnic groups, relations with whom were closer and more diverse, than we often imagine.
17:00
Contemporary Yiddish Berlin Poets: Reading and Conversation
'Yiddish Berlin' Moderated by Arndt Beck
For some years now, Yiddish Berlin has had a new generation of Yiddish poets at its disposal. We listen to the latest creations and ask about the individual paths into Yiddish poetry. Curated and moderated by Arndt Beck. With Katerina Kuznetsova, Yael Merlini, Jordan Lee Schnee, and Jake Schneider.
Room
Saturday, June 14
15:30
Our Renaissance Roots: Yiddish Song, the first 250 years…
Avery Gosfield (Dresden, DE)
The first known Yiddish songs date back to the 14th century: a short love poem and a handful of rhymed epics. For the next 2.5 centuries different kinds of poetry thrived in the Jewish community, some on specifically Jewish themes, like pious poetry, songs for specific celebrations, or satirical songs that go way beyond the borders of good taste. Many were drawn directly from German mainstream culture, for example, a Lutheran chorale copied down in Hebrew characters.
A good five hundred years before Jews and Italians rubbed shoulders on the Lower East Side, Northern Italy was home to a flourishing German-Jewish minority, where German-Jewish and Italian culture mixed freely - playing a crucial, if underappreciated, role in the genesis of Yiddish literature.
16:30
Holy Melodies: Perspectives on Music and Hasidism
Avinoam Stillman
Hasidism is a popular Jewish movement which began in East-Central Europe in the eighteenth century and has since spread across the world. Hasidic Jews are known for their piety and traditional lifestyles, for religious teachings and tales, for ecstatic spirituality and charismatic leaders, and for melodies and dances. This lecture will provide a (very short) introduction to Hasidism with a focus on the role of music in Hasidic thought and practice.
https://www.geschkult.fu-berlin.de/e/judaistik/mitarbeiter/002Mitarbeiter_innen/stillman.html
17:30
Secular Yiddish Culture Today
Jake Schneider
Secular Yiddish culture is alive all around the world if you know where to look. From dance in Lviv to theatre in New York, radio in Melbourne and visual art at the Venice Biennale, a new generation is carrying Yiddish culture into the future across many genres, media, and cities. This multimedia talk will give you a whirlwind tour of some of these living traditions and the creative communities behind them.
