Lectures, Classes, and Tutoring with Rokhl Kafrissen

New Mini-Class for Passover!  Elijah in Jewish Folk Culture The Prophet Elijah is one of the most intriguing figures in the Bible. Instead of dying, he was taken directly up to heaven in a flaming chariot. Not quite dead, not quite alive, his liminal status set him up to become a beloved, omnipresent character in Jewish folk cultures around the world.     In this new mini-course, we'll learn about this Elijah, a multi-faceted entity who might show up to reveal the hidden mysteries of the cosmos or... to save you from falling out a window. Long after the biblical period, Jews have called on him to exorcise the evil eye ( poo poo poo ) and thanked him for his aid in establishing new communities.    And then there's that mysterious fifth cup of wine at the Seder. We'll learn about the weird story behind that, as well. I hope you'll join us on this wild, flaming chariot ride through the many incarnations of Eliyahu hanovi - Elijah the Prophet.   Wednesday...

Charms and Remedies for Young and Old   New Class Announcement!  These Are the People in Your Neighborhood: An Introduction to Everyday Ashkenazi Magic through Memoir, Literature, and Journalism   February 11, 18, and 25th at 2pm and 7pm (EST)    Did you ever wonder if a gilgul (a wandering soul trapped between worlds) could reincarnate in a house cat? I recently found a memoir from the 1950s whose author claims just that! (Don’t make up your mind until you’ve heard the evidence.)  Yes, my reading on weird Ashkenaz has continued apace. I have a bunch of new stories to share with you. These are all my translations of never-before translated Yiddish texts. If that sounds intriguing to you, I am offering a new class in February which will be an introduction to “Everyday Ashkenazi Magic” through these in-depth Yiddish texts. We will meet some of the lesser-known personalities of Jewish Eastern Europe:  Exorcist  Healer  Herbalist  Dream Int...

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...