Beginner II Yiddish (Sunday Afternoon)
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: Rose Mintzer-Sweeney
Who should take this course?
This course is appropriate for those who have completed Beginner I Yiddish or equivalent coursework.
What topics will this class cover?
In this class, we will continue to build out skills in speaking, reading, and writing in Yiddish. Starting from a foundational understanding of the present tense, simple nouns and adjectives, and conversational expressions, by the end of this class you'll be able to talk about events in the past; give precise descriptions using diminutives and separable-prefix verbs; and form more complex sentences with direct objects and negation.
We'll use the textbook In Eynem but also encounter a variety of songs, poems, and historical documents, especially related to the seasons and the Jewish year. This class will emphasize understanding Yiddish as a language, including its relationship to English and other languages.
Is knowledge of the Yiddish alphabet required?
Yes, knowledge of the Yiddish alphabet is required.
Course Materials:
This course will use the textbook In eynem: The New Yiddish Textbook, Vol I & II by Asya Vaisman Schulman, Jordan Brown, Mikhl Yashinsky (Purchase).
Questions? Read our 2026 Spring Classes FAQ.
Rose Mintzer-Sweeney was born and raised in New York City and studied Yiddish through the Yiddish Book Center, the YIVO Summer Program, Yale, and the Paris Yiddish Center. She holds degrees in linguistics from Yale and the University of Edinburgh, and she currently lives in Berlin, where she teaches through the public Volkshochschule.
**Become a member today, starting at $54 for one year, and pay the member price for classes! You’ll save on tuition for this course and more on future classes and public programs tickets.