Instructor: Hinde Ena Burstin

Level: The class is suited to advanced readers and speakers of Yiddish, including students in previous BWC advanced classes and intermediates ready to make the leap to a new level. We will read and discuss a selection of Fradl Shtok’s writing in Yiddish, in a supportive environment that encourages each person to speak Yiddish freely and fearlessly to the best of their ability. Students who want to listen rather than read are welcome to join the class.

Wondering whether this class is right for you? If you’d like to be in a warm, nurturing class that’s conducted in Yiddish, and that will extend your Yiddish language proficiency and your understanding of Yiddish literature, we encourage you to give it a try! RSVP for a trial class here.

Materials:  We will study a selection of short stories, poems and critical writing by Fradl Shtok. The stories will be drawn from Shtok’s 1919 collection, Gezamlte ertseylungen, which can be downloaded for free from the Yiddish Book Centre here. Copies of poems, critical writings, and other course materials will be provided.

Course Description: Fradl Shtok (1890-1990) is an enigmatic and captivating writer of passionate poems, finely observed short stories, and illuminating literary essays. Her short stories capture the nuances of shtetl and immigrant life, peeling away the layers with sharp, ironic perceptions. Her pioneering sonnets and other poems are crafted with skill, precision and attention to aesthetics that juxtaposes powerfully with the unrestrained desire that many of her poems embody. Studying Shtok’s texts in Yiddish enables the reader to savour the sensuous sounds, skillful wordplay and musicality that are central to her writing.