KABBALAH – JEWISH MYSTICISM AND PERSONAL GROWTH (ONLINE)

There are many ways to deepen and widen Jewish learning, Jewish wisdom and Jewish way of life – for personal growth. Some like to study, some to find ways of engaging with and caring for our community. Some like to practice religious and traditional rituals including prayer, song, dance, and celebrations. And some of us search for deeper, more spiritual meaning – supported with study and practice in our life. 

Kabbalah offers us a way to study both modern and ancient mystical texts and philosophy. And it guides us to test and apply many beautiful concepts, models, rituals and meditations in our own lives, to help us deepen our own spiritual journey.  

The Hebrew word Kabbalah means to receive. Kabbalah supports and guides us to study and reflect deeply, to meditate and to explore their meaning and practice together. When we study Kabbalah, we carve out a time and place to develop our awareness, understanding and readiness to receive insights from the mysteries of the universe and the mysteries in the Jewish mystical tradition – and to share them together. 

The expected learning outcomes of the course are: 

  • To get to know each other in our group – who we are, what our intentions are and our motivation for studying Kabbalah, what is our background and experience in Jewish knowledge and spiritual development.
  • To learn and to get insights in the history of Kabbalah, who the various leaders, scholars and mystics were, to be introduced to the key literary sources of Kabbalah.
  • To explore and be introduced to the Tree of Life and its dynamics, The 10 Sephirot, the 4 worlds, and the 5 modes of the soul. 
  • To apply kabbalistic sources and philosophy to Jewish holidays.

The course is organized by the Jewish Community of Gothenburg and Paideia folkhögskola, in collaboration with Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.

 

Course structure

Kabbalah is both a theoretical philosophy and a practice.

During this course – we will take time to:

  • read and study texts.
  • discuss, test and explore the meaning of the texts and models we are reading.
  • develop and practice rituals, meditations.
  • apply the learning and insights to our lives. 


Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

The teacher understands both English and Swedish. Participants are welcome to speak in Swedish in the smaller group meetings if all members of the group speak Swedish.

No prior knowledge about the subject is needed.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher

Sari Scheinberg was born and raised in New York City where she attended Yeshivat Ramaz for 13 years (learning Hebrew, Torah, Talmud and so on) and continued her education and development as a gestalt and organisation psychologist. Sari moved to Sweden in 1990 for love and has been working as a teacher and action researcher in Sweden and around the world. In Sweden she has been dedicated to developing and leading programs to work with issues concerning well-being, human rights and integration. And she has been working with Swedish and European AID programs for over 40 years – designing and leading research, development and innovation programs around the world.

Sari has always been very active in living and developing her Jewish life. In Sweden she has been part of the team developing and now leading the Egalitarian – Masorti Section of the Jewish community. Sari has been fascinated by Kabbalah since she was young – reading and studying Kabbalah with various teachers. Sari designed and started teaching her own Kabbalah classes in Göteborg – leading one group for nearly 18 years. Now after a short pause, she is looking forward to continuing her teaching, exploring and guiding a new group in Kabbalah again.

Photo: Pixabay/Canva.

Frequently Asked Questions

CONNECT THROUGH YOUR HE-ART: ART THERAPY INSPIRED BY JEWISH ARTISTS

This course offers a 6-session workshop series. We will be exploring the intersection of art therapy and Jewish artists. Participants will engage with the works and techniques of influential Jewish artists while embarking on a personal therapeutic journey through creative expression.

 

Course structure 

The workshop series consists of 3 modules, each focused on a different Jewish artist. Every module includes two connected sessions:

  • Session A: Exploration of the artist’s style, techniques, and themes.
  • Session B: Application of these elements to personal therapeutic exploration and expression.

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

No prior knowledge about the subject is needed.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher 

Einat Daskal is originally from Israel, and has lived in Sweden for the past 10 years. As an Art and CBT therapist, she has worked with different populations.

Art therapy is a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making, to improve and enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It is based on the belief that the creative process, involved in artistic self-expression, helps people to resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight. Art therapy integrates the fields of human development, visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture, and other art forms), and the creative process with models of counseling and psychotherapy. 

Photo: Marc Chagall: Over the City

Frequently Asked Questions

SUMMER COURSE, INTENSIVE COURSE
INTENSIVE YIDDISH SUMMER PROGRAM 2025

Welcome to the Yiddish Summer Program in Stockholm! This is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Yiddish over four intensive days of study, led by experienced and passionate teachers.

Dates: August 11–14, 2025
Daily Schedule: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM (including lunch breaks)
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Languages of Instruction: English and Yiddish
Program Cost: 900 SEK (includes smorgasbord lunch, study materials, and coffee)
Note: Travel and accommodation are not included
Organizers: Paideia Folkhögskola, Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies, Jiddischsällskapet i Stockholm

 

Course Levels 

Participants may apply to one of the following two levels.
Please read the descriptions carefully to determine which best fits your experience.

Kumt gezunterhayt – es vet zayn a mekhaye!
(Come in good health – it’s going to be a pleasure!)

 

  1. 1. Yiddish for Advanced Beginners

Teacher: Dr. Yaad Biran

Course Description: This course is ideal for participants who already have some knowledge of Yiddish and want to refresh and strengthen their skills. Participants should be able to read and write in Yiddish and have a basic understanding of verb conjugation (across tenses) and grammatical cases. Over four intensive days, the focus will be on using Yiddish practically—through reading accessible texts and engaging in conversation. The aim is to boost your confidence and fluency without introducing extensive new grammar.

Language: This course is conducted in English and Yiddish.

Materials: All course material is included.

Prerequisites:

  • Ability to read and write in Yiddish
  • Familiarity with verb conjugation in different tenses
  • Basic understanding of grammatical cases

 

  1. 2. Yiddish – Advanced Level

Teacher: Dr. Miriam Trinh

Course Description: This course is for participants who already speak and understand Yiddish. Over four immersive days, we will refine your spoken Yiddish through interactive activities in both small and large groups. Discussions will range from everyday topics to literary and philosophical themes. We will also explore Yiddish literature written in Israel, focusing on short stories. Grammar review and writing exercises will complement the course.

Language: This course is conducted entirely in “Mame-loshn” (Yiddish).

Materials: All course material is included.

Prerequisites:

  • Fluent understanding and speaking ability in Yiddish
  • Basic reading skills in Yiddish
  • You are welcome even if your grammar knowledge is limited

 

Meet the Teachers

Dr. Yaad Biran
Ph.D. in Yiddish Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Yaad teaches Yiddish language and culture at Beit Shalom Aleichem in Tel Aviv, Haifa University, and the Tel Aviv Summer Course. He is a writer and translator, author of the Hebrew short story collection “Laughing with Lizards”, and creator of “Esther’s Cabaret”, a contemporary Yiddish performance. He also leads Yiddish tours in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Dr. Miriam Trinh
Miriam Trinh is a well-known Yiddish teacher and scholar with experience teaching in Israel, the U.S., and across Europe. She has conducted postdoctoral research on Yiddish literature during the Holocaust. Miriam and her husband, Eliezer Niborski, speak Yiddish at home with their children, who are also fluent. Miriam is a returning instructor at Yiddish seminars in Sweden.

 

Photo: Painting by Jean Hessel.

Frequently Asked Questions

WOMEN WRITING IN YIDDISH: WOMEN’S JEWISH HISTORY, TRADITIONS AND CHANGES (ONLINE)

This course introduces participants to the vibrant, bold, and profoundly moving literary world of Yiddish women writers from the 19th century to the present. Through short stories, poetry, memoirs, and intellectual reflections, we explore how Jewish women across Europe, North America, and Israel used Yiddish to write about their lives—often at the intersection of tradition and transformation, silence and voice, trauma and creativity.

The course centres around two core collections: “Found Treasures: Stories by Yiddish Women Writers in Translation” and “The Yiddish Women Writers: An Anthology of Stories That Looks to the Past So We Might See the Future”. Both offer potent selections from across time, geography, and experience. These are complemented by readings from other classic anthologies of Yiddish short stories, offering a broader context to understand the unique voices of women writing in this language.

Among the featured writers are Esther Singer Kreitman, Rokhl Brokhes, Fradl Shtok, Miriam Raskin, Dora Shulner, Irena Klepfisz, Malka Lee, Celia Dropkin, Rokhl Korn, Blume Lempel, Chava Rosenfarb, and Kadia Molodowsky.

The course is given in collaboration with Jiddischsällskapet i Stockholm and Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.


Course structure

The course will combine lectures—providing general overviews, context, and thematic introductions—with interactive discussions focused on close reading and analysis of short stories. 

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

Application is open to beginners as well as regular readers of Jewish literature with an interest in literature, gender studies, Jewish history, translation and cultural memory. No previous knowledge of Yiddish is necessary.

All readings will be offered in English translation, with selected texts also available in Swedish and original Yiddish for those interested in exploring the multilingual dimension.

To apply you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course literature

Course material in the form of a digital reader, containing 10 short stories, poems, and essays, along with selected critical overviews, is included in the cost for this course.

Costs for materials you buy on your own may be added in the form of optional reading recommended by the teacher.

About the teacher

Urszula (Ulla) Chowaniec is assistant professor at Lund University, researching the concept of the contemporary Jewish secular identity and the Jewish women’s writing. She holds a PhD in literature from the Jagiellonian University. She lives in Stockholm, where she also teaches Jewish Women’s Literature and Yiddish Literature at the Paideia Folkhögskola. She is the author of “Melancholic Migrating Bodies in Contemporary Women’s Writing” (2015) and “In Search of a Woman: Early Novels of Irena Krzywicka” (2007), and main editor and co-author of “Women’s Voices and Feminism in Polish Cultural Memory” (2012), “Mapping Experience on Polish and Russian Women’s Writing” (2010), “Masquerade and Femininity. Essays on Polish and Russian Women Writers” (2008).
Academic site: https://cudzoziemki.weebly.com

Photo: Image composition by Ulla Chowaniec & Sora (AI) , created using open-access sources.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

YIDDISH SEMESTER 6, LOWER INTERMEDIATE (ONLINE)

Welcome to continue our journey in a millennium old language, part and parcel of Ashkenazi Jewish civilization and a pathway to a rich cultural treasure. This course is designed for participants who already have a foundational knowledge of Yiddish grammar and can follow simple conversations.

We will converse in Yiddish, delve into advanced grammatical topics, and read and appreciate literary texts in Yiddish. As always, we will contextualize the language within its broader cultural and historical background.

The course is given in collaboration with International Yiddish Center Vilnius, Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden and Jiddischsällskapet i Stockholm.

Paideia folkhögskola also offers the online courses Yiddish 2: Beginners and Yiddish conversation (in Yiddish/Swedish) during the autumn semester of 2025. Please see more information under each course’s webpage.

 

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

Participants need proficiency in reading and writing Yiddish. Understanding of present, future, and past tenses. Familiarity with grammatical cases, sentence structure, and various verb types in Yiddish.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course. Grammar and literature resources will be provided to participants via email.

About the teacher

Dr. Yaad Biran got his Ph.D. in Yiddish literature in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He teaches Yiddish language and culture in Beth Shalom Aleichem in Tel Aviv, in Haifa University and in the Tel Aviv summer course.

Yaad is a writer and a translator, the author of a short stories book Laughing with Lizards (Hebrew) and the writer of Esther’s Cabaret, a contemporary Yiddish Cabaret in Tel Aviv. He is also guiding Yiddish tours in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Photo: The image is of a painting by Jean Hessel.

Frequently Asked Questions

YIDDISH FOR BEGINNERS, SEMESTER 2 (ONLINE) 

Sholem-aleykhem! Welcome to Yiddish 2!

Learning Yiddish is an opportunity to connect with this rich Eastern European Jewish language and culture with its beautiful music and literature. This is a treasure trove that is just waiting to be discovered!

This Yiddish course is designed for participants, who are at a “Not-Quite Beginners” level of Yiddish, having studied Yiddish for at least one semester (see more information below under “Prior knowledge”.) 

We will start each lesson with some Yiddish conversation, which we will build up more and more as we go along. Then we will revise some of the grammar and vocabulary learned in the previous lesson. After that, we will work with our Yiddish textbook, read the reading material, the dialogues and the jokes there, learn new vocabulary and grammar and do some of the exercises in the book. And we will conclude every lesson with a Yiddish song.

The course is given in collaboration with International Yiddish Center Vilnius, Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden and Jiddischsällskapet i Stockholm.

Paideia folkhögskola also offers the online courses Yiddish 6 and Yiddish conversation (in Yiddish/Swedish) during the autumn semester of 2025. Please see more information under each course’s webpage.

 

Course structure

This will be an interactive online Yiddish course, which will include Yiddish conversation, working with a Yiddish textbook, reading, learning new grammar and vocabulary and doing various exercises, as well as some Yiddish songs. 

Participants will be expected to spend some time every week to work on their reading and writing, to learn the vocabulary and to revise the grammar covered in each class. 

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

This is a course designed for participants with some basic knowledge of Yiddish. Participants should be able to form simple sentences in the present tense and to read Yiddish in the Hebrew script.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course literature

All course literature is not included in the course cost. You need to acquire the following book on your own: 

  • Yiddish, Volume 1″ (Sheva Zucker).  

You will receive more information about the course book that you purchase on your own, if you get accepted to the course.

About the teacher

Dr. Beruriah Wiegand is the Woolf Corob Lector in Yiddish at the University of Oxford. She holds a BA and MA in Hebrew and Jewish Studies from Leo Baeck College, London, and a Ph.D. from University College London, with a thesis on Jewish mystical motifs in the works of Isaac Bashevis Singer. She has lectured on Bashevis’s works and on Yiddish poetry at major conferences around the world.

She is also a Yiddish poet and translator, who has published two bilingual collections of her poetry (Yiddish/English) with the H.Leyvik-farlag in Tel Aviv, as well as various translations from and into Yiddish.

Photo: The image is of a painting by Jean Hessel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jews throughout the centuries have expressed their faith through prayer possibly more than any other medium. This course will analyze how the Siddur – the Jewish prayer book, was compiled, and how it changed organically over two millennia, going back to Tannaic and Talmudic sources.

This course is not a prayer tutorial, but rather an in-depth analysis of the prayer texts and their relation to the laws of prayer found in the Mishna and the Talmud.

The course is given in collaboration with Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.

 

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

Hebrew knowledge is helpful but no prior knowledge or Hebrew language skills are required. The texts are read in English, if they are available in translation.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher

Joseph Shain studied at a yeshiva in Jerusalem and at Bar Ilan University. His interests revolve around oral tradition in early rabbinical Judaism and how it transformed into written form. Joseph drafts and prosecutes patent applications at Grand Patentbyrå AB, a Swedish intellectual property firm.

Photo: Canva/Paideia folkhögskola.

Frequently Asked Questions

The study of Jewish texts is, more often than not, a social activity. In particular, the Talmud is typically studied in groups of two or more, a method known as chevruta (study partner), in which the group works through the text together and discusses the underlying issues. 

The course is given in collaboration with Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.

 

Course structure

This class is modeled as a Talmud workshop with the participants doing the reading and interpreting with support from the lecturer. 

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

No prior knowledge about the subject is needed.

Hebrew knowledge is helpful but no prior knowledge or Hebrew language skills are required. Participants that can not read Hebrew are still welcome to take part, joining the class discussions and using English translations, such as Sefaria. The students who can read Hebrew take turns reading the original Talmud text.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher

Joseph Shain studied at a yeshiva in Jerusalem and at Bar Ilan University. His interests revolve around oral tradition in early rabbinical Judaism and how it transformed into written form. Joseph drafts and prosecutes patent applications at Grand Patentbyrå AB, a Swedish intellectual property firm.

Photo: Paideia folkhögskola.

Frequently Asked Questions

During this course, you will learn to play and sing Jewish songs from different traditions: Israeli folk songs, Ashkenazi music (from Eastern Europe) and Sephardi music (from Spain and North Africa). 

Our starting point is based on the talents you already have: maybe you play an instrument and want to learn even more, or you like to sing. Any level of instrumentalist and singer is welcome! 

 

Course structure

We will work with music sheets and recordings. Sheet music and/or recordings will be sent to the participants ahead of time. Participants are expected to learn them and come prepared to play them together in class.

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

No prior knowledge about the subject is needed. The course welcomes both former and new participants.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

Participants bring their own instruments.

About the teacher

Liam Elion is an Israeli trombonist, double-bassist and composer based in Europe. He released his debut album “Almost Free!” in 2023 on Varva Records and Music and is currently working in several projects as a sideman. Liam is a graduate of the Global Jazz Institute and the Jazz and Gender Justice Institute at Berklee College of Music (2023) and is pursuing a master’s degree in jazz performance via the EUJam program (expected 2025). 

Photo: Canva/AI.

Frequently Asked Questions

FELDENKRAIS® AWARENESS THROUGH MOVEMENT (ONLINE)

What exactly is the Feldenkrais Method? Is it perhaps Jewish Yoga, or 20th-century Yiddish Judo?

Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984), hailing from East European Jewry, was not only a physicist, but also a Judo master. Struggling with a debilitating knee injury, he embarked on a remarkable journey of self-rehabilitation, teaching himself how to walk again. Later on, by drawing from his experience in Judo, observing infant motor and sensory development, and studying several disciplines, he went on to develop a method aimed at improving functions (such as standing, walking, breathing, and perceiving) by enhancing self-awareness.

In our sessions, you will delve into 10 Awareness Through Movement lessons crafted by Dr. Feldenkrais himself. Through these sessions, you’ll unravel unconscious holding patterns that impede your vitality, discovering newfound, natural modes of movement. This journey isn’t just about physicality; it’s about forging a deeper connection with your body and, in turn, with your entire being. 

While the experiential aspect forms the cornerstone of our course, we’ll also explore insights from written and recorded sources about the Feldenkrais Method. 

Come and learn by way of sensing, noticing, and studying – the Feldenkrais way!

The course is given in collaboration with Paideia – The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.

 

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

Both new and previous participants are welcome to apply. 

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom. The school offers Zoom manuals and a training opportunity before the start of the course.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher

Elisabetta Abate is a Feldenkrais® practitioner. As a young woman, she explored uncountable paths towards a better body-mind integration, until she found out that the Feldenkrais Method enables her to feel at home in herself and the situations she’s in. Thus, she joined the III Amsterdam International Feldenkrais Teachers Training (2008-2012), led by Lawrence W. Goldfarb, Ph.D., a direct pupil of Dr. Feldenkrais. Since 2009 she has been teaching the Method to groups and individuals and is currently volunteering in the working group “Feldenkrais and Scientific Research” of the International Feldenkrais Federation.

After earning a Ph.D. in Oriental Studies with a specialization in Hebrew and Jewish Studies (Venice 2009), she most happily attended the Paideia One-Year Program in Jewish studies 2009-2010.

Photo: International Feldenkrais Federation.

Frequently Asked Questions