On Yiddish Summerschool

For the last week I had the privilege to participate in a Yiddish Summer School, where we learned Yiddish (obviously) and a little about Chasidic culture and history. My head is still full of jewish joy and pride, so I want to share it, together with a few of my favourite stories, and also a little nagging on small things (I am, still, a Viennese Jew, so there needs to be some nagging). First things first: I loved pretty much every moment of the last week. Our days started with Yiddish classes, grammar, writing, reading and speaking and some songs, followed by a bigger break and some history on Chasidic judasim (sometimes also in Yiddish). The teachers were all super cute and amazing, they all had their own teaching styles and were just themselves and it was more like listening to family members. Now, of course, not everyone in the course was jewish, in fact, most other students were or are Non-Jews, most were super nice and normal about it, but, of course, there had to be one person who was a little extra. This person, a white woman in her best years, surely ment well, but it ended up with me (and the other Jews and some Non-Jews being super weirded out). She NEVER missed a moment to push her opinion on (Orthodox) Jews and how "She used to live in New York" and how she knew other Jews. Good for you Kappara. Noone cares, My highlight was how she thinks that Chasidic (and other observing Jews) live sad lives, because she would not want to live like that. Ok. Noones cares. You are not jewish, you don't have to live like this. Jewish people can live however they want to live, they don't need a white christian womans approval to do so. There was also another white woman, who started fighting me, after I, an observing Jew, explained to her that she had something wrong. She claimed that Jews are not allowed to have sex on Shabbat. I explained that, as soon as we are married, we are SUPPOSED to have sex on Shabbat, it's a Mitzva. She didn't believe me, nor the teacher, nor the other people who understood judaism, asked another Jew, who told her to ask ME because he knows that I know MORE ABOUT THIS. Listen, it's ok to get something wrong, or to not know it, but as soon someones, who OBVIOUSLY knows more then you explains it, fighting them is just annoying. Moments like this happend a few times, always with the same people, but B''H not that often. Now, that I shared my nagging, onto the joy part:

• Seeing Non-jewish people trying really hard to speak Yiddish and having so much interest was absolutely the cutest thing! Like some really struggled, but they wanted to be able to read a little and they did so good.Yiddish is a mix/Mishmash of German, Hebrew and Eastern European languages, but written with Hebrew/Aramsic letters, so many had to learn this first, and it's not so easy.To me it was weird reading every Alef-Qametz like an O, every Ayin as an E and having no Niqqud but just words written the way you would say them. My hebrew has to be polished again, my brain has a hard time seperating these languages now, but it's ok (It's not, but let's stay positive).

• Singing songs that my ancestors sang and hearing about the Chasidic history was just amazing. The melodies are beautiful, and even if you can not sing the lyrics, you can just humm or do some lalala's in the melody to join in. I loved hearing a group of people trying their best to sing along. I am not the best singer myself (my voice is still changing and I have to learn it again), but noones cares if you are offkey, just sing and let your prayer calm you sould and body.

• There was one evening where we danced. Not in a "Do these steps in this order", but in a " these are the steps, now move how it feels good for you and your soul." The goal was that you did not feel your body anymore, you were part of one moving, singing and humming body. It was weird with all the spinning and moving, after sometime I really felt a form of calm and extasy, we moved all over the room, everyone was sweaty but so full of joy. It was amazing!

• Hearing Yiddish from people who are fluent or whos first langue is Yiddish was so awesome! We heard some Chasidic stories, I loved the all, I will share my favourite one (not word by word, but so you can get an idea):

There used to be a Rabbi in a small Shtetl (shocker, I know), he was not rich, in fact, he was quite poor, but he did not mind. Every day, before prayer, he would go to the Mikve and wash himself. After prayer he would sit down in his little stibel, close his eyes and pray: "Oy HaShem, I am so hungry, please let me eat", and everyday, one of his two Shammes Workers would set the food infront of him. Some time passes, and the two Shammes Workers get angry, not once has the Rabbi called them by their name, so they come up with a plan: When the Rabbi sits down in his Stibel and prays for food the next day, they will not give him any, until he calls their name, instead of HaShems. The next day arrives, a rich and wealtch man from the city comes to the Shtetl, it was a rainy day, everything was muddy. As he goes through the Shtetl he sees an elderly man coming out the Mikve, the man walks towards him, the rich man pushes the old men to the side, who falls in the mud. The rich man doesnt care, he walks into a tavern and demands breakfast. "Make it quick! I have an important meeting with the lokal Rabbi after prayer! I already lost time when this old men was in my way. Stupid man, I just pushed him into the mud, where he belongs." The woman brings the food and asks: "An old man? Did he come from the Mikve?" "Why, yes, if you must know, How do you know?" The woman looks at the rich man: "Well, the man you have pushed? That must have been the Rabbi." The rich man cries out! "OY! What must I do now? I pushed the Rabbi! I must apologize! Tell me, how can I show him I am sorry?" The woman thinks for a moment: "Bring him food, for he is not a wealthy man." So, the rich guy gets all the food he can and runs to the Rabbis Stibel. The Rabbi just finished prayer, sits down, starts to pray: "HaShem, I am so hungry, please give me food.", The Shammes workers snicker, suddenly the door slams open: "Oy Rabbi, I am so sorry, please have all this food!".

I loved this story, we also heard some other ones, but this one was by far my favourite.

• I also loved speaking our first few dialogs and trying to speak more and more. But also the reading of the texts. The connecting, the food,...

For one week I was in this bubble full of jewish joy, where Non-Jews showed me that coexisting can exist and love is always stronger then hate. I was able to connect to some amazing people, share some time with one of my best friends and other great friends and learn so much. Time passed way to fast, one of the worst things is that it was too short in my opinion. But I can't wait for next year to go once more, making even more memories and connections.