Advanced I Yiddish (Thursday)
Tuition: $480 | YIVO members: $375**
Students: $240 (Must register with valid university email address)
This is a live, online course held weekly on Zoom. Enrollment will be capped at about 15 students. All course details (Zoom link, syllabus, handouts, assignments, etc.) will be posted to Canvas. Students will be granted access to the class on Canvas after registering for the class here on the YIVO website. This class will be conducted in Yiddish and English.
Instructor: Lucas Fiszman
Who should take this course?
This course is appropriate for those who have completed Intermediate IV Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
What topics will this class cover?
In this course, students will continue to develop their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, with particular emphasis on oral expression and pronunciation. Special attention will also be given to argumentation and the articulation of personal opinions. Students will work with excerpts from Yiddish II by Mordkhe Schaechter and Yidish af yidish by David Goldberg (materials will be provided by the instructor).
The course also aims to deepen students’ familiarity with the loshn-koydesh component.
Grammatical topics will include word order, conditional constructions, various types of konverbn, different uses of zikh, a review of noun and adjective declensions and their usage, as well as phonological changes in adjectives and verbs.
Course content will be supported by readings from authentic (or slightly adapted) Yiddish texts, and students will be encouraged to engage with contemporary materials from the Yiddish press and magazines. In addition, students will select a number of classic Yiddish texts (provided by the instructor) to read throughout the term.
Is knowledge of the Yiddish alphabet required?
Yes, knowledge of the Yiddish alphabet is required.
Course Materials:
All course materials will be provided digitally on Canvas.
Questions? Read our 2025 Fall Classes FAQ.
Lucas Fiszman holds a degree in Linguistics from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, where he has been faculty since 2008. He learned Yiddish at the Fundación IWO, in Tel Aviv’s and Strasbourg’s programs, at YIVO, and at Arbeter Ring. He also teaches Yiddish in Buenos Aires at Fundación IWO, ICUF (YKUF), and in Montevideo (Uruguay).
His research focuses on language contact and history of Yiddish teaching in Buenos Aires. He has presented his work in conferences and symposiums, both in Argentina as well as abroad. His work has been published in local and foreign academic journals, as well as in several edited volumes.
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