On September 5-7, 2016 our Vilnius office hosted a seminar on Yiddish culture for 33 museum guides from the Jerusalem international institute for Holocaust research Yad Vashem and members of the "Madrihey Polin" (Poland Guides) association.

Before this seminar, the program was launched with 8 lectures of the Academical Director of the Yiddish Center at the World Jewish Congress, Dr. Mordehay Yushkovsky and of Dr. Leah Gorfinkel, which took place in Israel on behalf of WJC YC. This common project with "Yad Vashem" started 6 months ago and was completed in Vilnius.

The participants had a very intensive schedule listening Dr. Yushkovsky's and Dr. Gorfinkel's lectures. Their main topics were the Yiddish language, folklore and literature of today, it's history and the future, history of the Lithuanian Jewry and other topics related to Yiddish culture, for example: "Yiddish language in modern Hebrew literature", "On the way to goldene medine", "Itzik Manger – troubadour who combined national and universal values in his creations", "The Holocaust poetry in Yiddish" and "Yiddishe Mame". A special session about Yiddish theater and music was held by Dr. Yushkovsky.

The study tours featured Vilnius Jewish sites, life of the Jewish community, its flourishing life and fall during the Holocaust. The tours were guided by the professional guide in Hebrew, who made them not only informative but also connected to the topics of lectures. For most participants that served a gate to the scarcely familiar Yiddish world.

The seminar was crowned by a lecture-concert of the Vilnius ensemble "Klezmer Klangen". It is amazing that the ensemble includes only members of one Lithuanian family - descendants of the Righteous Among Nations. Their performance was very vibrant and inspiring; the seminar participants joined the dancing on the stage.

Here is a feedback of one of the participants.

Dear Friends,

I would like to thank you and all the people involved at the Yiddish Center at World Jewish Congress for hosting us last week. The seminar participants feel greatly enriched by their experiences in the seminar, and are certain that this experience will help them in their future endeavors.

Furthermore, the lectures and hospitality we received from the center were beyond our expectations. The preparation of materials for the participants, the location of the seminar in the library, the high level of the lectures as well as the special Lithuanian band that performed for us all contributed to the outstanding experience of the seminar.

I hope we will be able to continue this fruitful collaboration in the future.

Naama Galil, Director of the Guiding Department and Commemoration & Public Relations Division of Yad Vashem