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Yiddish: The Foundation of Modern Culture

Instructor
Avi Hoffman
SM09012
Video Catch-up
Available

Course Description

This interactive lecture offers a comprehensive historical overview of the development of the Yiddish language as a social and literary expression that served as the basis for much of modern mainstream culture. Designed to explore the relationship of Yiddish culture to the literary, social, and intellectual world in which it thrived, this program offers an in-depth examination of how the Yiddish language adapted from a spoken, to a literary, to a theatrical mode of expression and influenced the birth of the modern theatre, film, comedy and music industries in America.

Course Info

  • Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
  • Date: Thursday, September 1
  • Location: Friedberg Auditorium, Lifelong Learning Building
  • Fees: Member - $30
    $100 for any combination of four events, members only
    Non-member - $35
    One-time guest pass, Member or Non-member at the door - $35.

About the Instructor

  • Avi Hoffman was recently awarded Congressional recognition, was invited to the Vatican to meet Pope Francis and was inducted into the Bronx Jewish Hall of Fame for his lifetime work advancing Jewish culture, Yiddishkayt and Holocaust awareness through the charity he founded the Yiddishkayt Initiative, Inc. (YILoveJewish.org). As an actor, he was nominated for a NY Drama Desk Award for his Yiddish language portrayal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. He is best known for his Too Jewish Trilogy: Award winning one man shows Too Jewish, Too Jewish, Too! (PBS, Performer of the Year '95 - NY Press Magazine; L.A. OVATION award - Best Actor In a Musical 2001; NY Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award nominations) and his latest show Still Jewish After All These Years. On TV, he was featured as Sid Raskin in the Starz TV series Magic City, as well as on Netflix’ Bloodline, A&E’s The Glades and on the NBC series Law and Order. He starred in the International Award winning short Yiddish Film: Shehita (Best Thriller - HollyShorts Festival) and the motion picture – The Imported Bridegroom. He was seen in the PBS documentary They Came For Good: A History of the Jews in the US. Hoffman has performed all over the world, has numerous acting and directing credits and has received multiple awards and nominations.