Dear Yugntrufnikes and Yidish-vokhnikes,

Wherever you may be, this pandemic has made life more difficult. We hope that you and your family are healthy, and that the current global crisis is soon resolved. 

Since your health and welfare are our highest priority, we at Yugntruf have decided that it would be best not to convene this year’s Yidish-vokh as usual in Copake, NY. 

So Yidish-vokh 2020 will, like so many gatherings this year, have to go virtual. But that means that instead of a one-week “Yidish-vokh”, we can enjoy a summer-long program — “Yidish-vokh Ale Vokh”!

Coming together online this summer has its advantages. Everyone can participate, no matter where you live or if you have mobility issues. With Yidish-vokh lasting the whole summer, you can take virtual classes and workshops on a flexible schedule.

And most importantly, Yidish-vokh without room, board, and travel expenses will be affordable for everyone. We’ll only charge a small fee for each session you take (with an option to subscribe to the entire Yidish-vokh and attend as many sessions as you like), along with our annual Yugntruf membership dues. 

With so many possibilities for our virtual Yidish-vokh 2020, we’re looking forward to your input in planning our Activities Calendar. Maybe you’d like to lead a virtual session – a reading group, Yiddish class, lecture, crafts class, music lessons, or yoga. We welcome your feedback in adapting our favorite in-person Yidish-vokh programs to a virtual format. Imagine a virtual minyen, talentarnye, or “Moln un Mashke”!

Please share your ideas on our online form! As with past Yidish-vokhs, we’ll continue to pay activity leaders an honorarium of $50 per session. In the coming weeks, we’ll send you more information about our virtual Yidish-vokh as we hear your ideas and come up with our own.

We’ll all miss swimming in the lake, toasting marshmallows around the campfire, or going for a walk together in the woods this summer. But we still hope to virtually see our dear friends around the world as we share the unique activities that Yidish-vokh can offer. 

Please join us for what promises to be – with your help – the biggest Yidish-vokh yet. And this time we can hear and speak Yiddish in ale lender, ale vokh!

See you soon,

The Yidish-vokh Committee and the Yugntruf Executive Board