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Dear Friend of Yiddish,
Please join us on Sunday for the very last event of the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center. After 56 years of service to the community, it is the end of an era for those who built, maintained, and participated in this vibrant community center.
Join us this Sunday, June 14 for a farewell brunch and joyous concert, the final event at the Center. Golden State Klezmer and Cindy Paley will help us say zayt gezunt to a longtime friend. More info below.
The VCJCC is, quite literally, the birthplace of our
organization, Yiddishkayt, and hosted our first family festival in 1995* (pictured above). In its day, the Center was a vibrant home of Yiddish, with a shule
(after school Yiddish-language program), Yiddish plays, music, and
culture.
But with one story ending, another begins. Take a moment to get to know our new summer intern, Jennifer Schwartz, fresh off her second year at Bennington College. Meet Jennifer below.
See you on Sunday,
The Yiddishkayt Staff
*Note: in our last yidbits we incorrectly referred to the first Yiddishkayt festival taking place in 1998. The correct year was 1995. |
 6/14 - Zayt Gezunt! Farewell Concert
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A final farewell celebration honoring the 56 years of service of the Valley Cities JCC -- Brunch Concert
Sunday, June 14 9:30 am to 12:00 pm$15 admission (concert and full breakfast)at Valley Cities Jewish Community Center (VJCC)14701 Friar St, Van Nuys (map)
After 56 years of service, the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center is closing its doors -- forever -- on June 19, 2009.  Join the Center for one last celebration in the best way we know how: with a Beygl Brunch Concert. Golden State Klezmer and Cindy Paley present a concert of Klezmer and Yiddish music, singing and playing classics and favorites. Don't miss this final commemoration of the life of a vibrant community center. Read a message from the Executive Director of the VCJCC, explaining why they are forced to close their doors, here. --> More at yiddishkayt.orgFull breakfast includes: 
Presented by the VCJCC. Co-produced by Yiddishkayt. |
MEET JENNIFER SCHWARTZ
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We asked our new summer intern, Jennifer Schwartz, to introduce herself to our community. We think you'll agree that every bobe should be so lucky to have their granddaughter intern at Yiddishkayt.
I'm not sure when or how I first learned about Yiddish culture, but I've recently discovered that aside from being connected to Judaism, most people my age are clueless about the culture itself. Trying to define it to my peers, I realized that I didn't know much more about it than they did, only that I love the music and sound of the language.
So I thought, "What's a better way to spread Yiddish awareness than by becoming self-aware?" I knew a little about Klezmer, and decided to write a short ethnomusicology paper on it for one of my music history classes this past year. That, combined with the Yidbits newsletters I have been receiving for a year, increased my interest in preserving and spreading Yiddish culture so that it will be around long past my grandma's generation. I am excited and honored that Yiddishkayt has given me this opportunity to be taking my interest to the next level by providing me with resources for reaching out to those who aren't fortunate enough to be exposed to such a historically rich and contemporarily promising culture.
 -- Jennifer Schwartz
Jennifer is entering her third year at Bennington College in the Fall. You can contact her here.
(At right: Jennifer hard at work using the latest Yiddishkayt technology.)
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This internship is sponsored by the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts
Commission. More than 125 undergraduate interns will participate in
the program this year at 95 performing, presenting, and literary
nonprofit arts organizations and municipal arts agencies throughout LA
County. In addition to their full-time 10 week paid internship,
interns will participate in one educational event as part of the
program, which is funded by the Getty Foundation. The educational
event is designed to provide interns with a broader perspective of the
vibrant arts and cultural landscape of the County. For additional
information on the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Arts
Internship Program, and for a complete list of all the internships
offered this summer, visit the Arts Commission website at www.lacountyarts.org.
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