Lectures, Classes, and Tutoring with Rokhl Kafrissen

Return of the Gothic:  Three stories by Sarah Hamer-Jacklyn This November, I'm once again offering one of my favorite classes: YIDDISH GOTHIC: Three Stories by Sarah Hamer-Jacklyn . This time, I'm doing something a little different. We'll be meeting in the afternoon (EST) so that we can be more welcoming to folks in the UK and Europe. In this class we will do a close reading of three of the Yiddish short stories (in translation) of Sarah Hamer-Jacklyn. We will also use folk religion and folk magic material to unpack and illuminate these wonderfully enigmatic texts. SHJ incorporates a range of folk magic beliefs and practices into her stories, but in a way that is grounded and naturalistic.  In "Aunt Taybele," for example, we meet a classic SHJ protagonist: an embittered, marginalized auntie who moves to town. She starts hanging out at the cemetery, possibly(?) kills the gravedigger's wife, and then marries him herself. It's a glow-up fit for a cemetery go...

 Yiddish Drinking Songs with Rokhl and Rabbi Drew

"The River Demands a Sacrifice"   -  a leyenkrayz (reading circle) with the stories of Sarah Hamer-Jacklyn  Six sessions: Oct 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18 at 7pm EST This October I'm trying a new form: a six-session class where we go in-depth with two (possibly three) stories where all the reading is done in class. This will be leyenkrayz style, where we take turns reading in English, with a possibility of bringing in Yiddish, as well, if folks are interested.   Even if you don't read Yiddish, you will be able to follow along in the English.  This class is perfect for anyone who loves (or wants to learn more about!) the stories of Sarah Hamer-Jacklyn. That includes folks who don't always get the reading done before class, as well as those who like the idea of going in depth on a text and not having to rush through anything. As usual, I will be bringing historical and folkloric background to our discussions and highlighting the Yiddish text, so even...

 Spooky Season in Yiddish :  October 15, 22, and 29th at 7:00 pm (EST) As September closes, a Yiddish goth's fancy turns to the strange and unusual.  If perhaps you don't think Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are spooky, you may not be doing them right. I mean, we spend Rosh Hashanah thinking about 99 ways to die if Hashem doesn't write us into the Book of Life. On Yom Kippur we walk around in an approximation of our own burial shrouds!  For my own part, I'm putting together a new class for October, diving into the macabre and darker side of Yiddish. For the first time, I'll be teaching IL Peretz's " Monish " - a cri de coeur for modern Yiddish literature, wherein Peretz proves he can use Yiddish to write about sex and death . Our hero Monish is an innocent Talmud prodigy who is seduced by Satan and his most glamorous companion, Lilith. Ooh la la, as we say af yidish .    Vos nokh ? We'll learn some practical Ashkenazi magic in the form of protec...

A magical auction for cheaper groceries Prices are absolutely out of control at the grocery store. Why are Doritos (DORITOS!!!) close to $7???  Even if we can all live without Doritos (though what kind of life would that really be???) we do need to eat real food to live. But who can afford a a pound of chicken thighs for $20??? It's nuts. (No, actually, I can't afford nuts, either. Let's say it's bananas.) I happened to be reading some Yiddish folklore sources on the holidays and I came across this sgule or charm/remedy against inflation. This practice was found during Simkhes Toyre at certain Hasidic courts, while the rebbe held his tish (holiday meal with his followers). Now, you may not be eating a meal at the rebbe's tish any time soon, but perhaps you can adapt it to your own holiday table. If you do, lemme know how it goes! ליציטאציעס Auctions “ Litsitatsiyes ” – in some Hasidic courts, while the rebbe is holding his “ tish ,” they conduct an auction of foo...

I present here another piece of spooky Yiddish folklore from the esteemed folklorist YL Cahan. This one has an intriguing Elul connection... 32. About the “Great Minyen” In Hrubeshoyv there was a minyen they called “the great minyen.” The men of the minyen were hidden tsadikim , or saints. Each one of them was a craftsman: tailor, shoemaker, porter, carpenter, blacksmith, and so on. After midnight, they used to meet in the small study house and occupy themselves with the holy Torah. One time they resolved that they must bring Moshiakh.  About this the people were of two minds: some said that one of them had made a mistake with the mystical names of God, and that instead of bringing Moshiakh, they had brought Samoel  [i.e. Satan the accuser or adversary] and thus their own damnation in fire. Others folks said that what happened was that the Baal Shem had found out about them and drove them away, as it wasn’t yet time, and Moshiakh mustn’t come yet.  Even today, people sa...