Project „Yiddish for all”

The main impetus behind the project is to promote knowledge about Yiddish language and culture. In one single century, just as Yiddish was developing into a forceful medium for modern culture, science and politics, it was nearly extinguished and is now on the UNESCO list of endangered languages.

Yiddish was the fundamental determinator of Ashenazic Jewish identity, the key to their cultural heritage. It was, however, often regarded as a dialect or even jargon. This pejorative categorization completely ignored the social, communicative and cultural dimensions of Yiddish, which was a fullfledged means of linguistic communication for millions of native speakers. Yiddish literature bloomed thanks to avantgarde poets, artists and literary critics. On the eve of the twentieth century it functioned as a fully independent cultural language, meeting all the challenges of modern society.

Project Goals:

1. Building and bolstering cooperation between Poland and Norway though exchange of artists, expertise and experience

2. Promoting knowledge about Yiddish language and culture

3. Contributing to the current resurgence of interest in Yiddish language and culture

4. Resisting stereotypes that denigrate Yiddish as a jargon and designate its culture as irrelevant for European heritage

5. Showcasing the achievements of Yiddish culture

6. Undertaking artistic initiatives inspired by Yiddish