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 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. 

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.

In this course, we will focus on developing conversation and reading skills, overcoming hesitation in speaking, and continuing to practice the grammatical structures covered in beginner and intermediate levels—often drawing on literature, theater, and a playful approach. We will also take a closer look at idiomatic expressions and more advanced grammar. Reading and discussion materials will be based on a recently published online exhibition about the role of women in Yiddish literature.

Paideia Folkhögskola also offers the online courses Yiddish 4, Yiddish 8, Yiddish Alef-Basics, and Avrom Sutskever – Yiddish Poetry as well as the on-site course Upplev och skapa jiddischteater in Stockholm during the fall semester of 2026. Please see more information on each course’s webpage.

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

Course Structure 

The learning methods used in the course are a mix of reading original prints, classroom discussion, theater methods, group activities, Chevruta (learning in pairs) and occasional lectures. Reading and discussion materials will be based on a recently published online exhibition about the role of women in Yiddish literature.

Participants are expected to spend around one hour preparing for each week’s class. 

Prior Knowledge 

The course is taught in Yiddish. Participants should be able to speak and read Yiddish at least at an intermediate level in order to actively take part in discussions. Describe your prior knowledge in your application.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom.

Course Material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the Teacher 

Alma Roggenbuck (BA Jewish Studies) is a cultural activist committed to empowering marginalized communities through arts, culture, and research. Alma has studied Yiddish around the world, from Jerusalem to Massachusetts, and founded Generation J in 2020, a Yiddish cultural community for young scholars and artists (www.generationj.eu). As a researcher, Alma has published on trans history and antiracist memorial practices. Her latest project is an online exhibition on the role of women in Yiddish literature. Aside from Yiddish, she was the project manager for TEKİEZ, a living memorial for victims of racist and antisemitic violence, and is a performance artist, currently working on international queer histories (@projectbiov). She is an alumna of the Paideia One-Year Program, and continues her studies into a Master at the Heidelberg School for Jewish Studies.

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

YIDDISH ALEF-BASICS: A YIDDISH COURSE FOR TOTAL BEGINNERS (ONLINE)

“Yiddish Alef-Basics” is a Yiddish Beginners Course aimed at those with no prior Hebrew alphabet experience. We start with vowels and add on consonants each week. By the end of the first class, the participants will be able to read a number of words and phrases. Each week will build upon the previous week’s material, to begin building one’s Yiddish vocabulary.

This class aims to teach literacy – the ability to read Yiddish in Yiddish. There will be some elements of grammar and style – but nothing past a basic/beginner level. Along with “doing the work” of literacy, we will also learn through culture, idioms, jokes, curses, and of course, songs. Be prepared for a lot of Simpsons humor. This is a one-hundred percent no judgment, no attitude, no shaming classroom.

Paideia Folkhögskola also offers the online courses Yiddish 4, Yiddish 8, Yiddish Conversation, and and Avrom Sutskever – Yiddish Poetry as well as the on-site course Upplev och skapa jiddischteater in Stockholm during the fall semester of 2026. Please see more information on each course’s webpage.

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

Course Structure

We will learn through lecture, and active participation. Each participant will be getting a chance to interact with the material. Everything will be shared through Google Slides. We start each class with a review.

Participants are expected to review the previous week’s material on their own at home before each class session.

Prior Knowledge

The course is given in English.

No prior knowledge required. This class is specifically for those starting from beginners.

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom.

Course Material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the Teacher

Avi Fried has been teaching Yiddish since 2019, with a focus on welcoming beginners to the language. His classes are known for their go-light, go-easy approach and a very Simpsons-style sense of humor. He teaches using games, collaboration, and creative word play, so that the learning should be slow, sweet, and digestible. He recently graduated from Lund University with a focus on Yiddish. Avi lives in Chicago, United States with his wife Barrie and a nice, old dog Miette. He likes cycling, punk rock, and any kind of noodle.

Photo: Canva/Paideia Folkhögskola.

The heart of this course is the close reading and analysis of literary texts. Together, we will clarify idiomatic expressions, expand our vocabulary, and engage in deep discussions regarding the meaning and context of the works.

To maintain an immersive environment, the course is conducted (almost) entirely in Yiddish. Together we unlock the treasures of Yiddish literature. We also dedicate a brief portion of each session to refining specific grammatical nuances.

The course is aimed at participants who have attended in previous semesters, as well as those with equivalent knowledge. See more under the heading “Prior Knowledge” below.

Welcome to continue your Yiddish journey!

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

Paideia Folkhögskola also offers the online courses Yiddish Alef-Basics, Yiddish 4, Yiddish Conversation, and Avrom Sutskever – Yiddish Poetry as well as the on-site course Upplev och skapa jiddischteater in Stockholm during the fall semester of 2026. Please see more information on each course’s webpage.

Course Structure 

Some homework is part of the course structure.  

Prior Knowledge

The course is given in English and conducted (almost) entirely in Yiddish.

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. 

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.

Sholem-aleykhem! Welcome to Yiddish 4!

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 Lower Intermediate level of Yiddish, having studied Yiddish for at least three semesters. (See more information below under “Prior Knowledge”.) 

We will start each lesson with some Yiddish conversation. 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 literature 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 Paideia – the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden and Jiddischsällskapet i Stockholm.

Paideia Folkhögskola also offers the online courses Yiddish Alef-Basics, Yiddish 8, Yiddish Conversation, and Avrom Sutskever – Yiddish Poetry as well as the on-site course Upplev och skapa jiddischteater in Stockholm during the fall semester of 2026. Please see more information on 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 at an Advanced Beginners or Lower Intermediate level of Yiddish. Participants should be able to form sentences in the present, past and future tense and to read texts in 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. 

Course Literature

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

• Yiddish, Volume 2 (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.

Beruriah 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.

This page is not available in English as this course is given in Swedish.
For information about the course, we refer to the Swedish course page.

Picture:Bayerische Staatsbibliothek München, Inv.No.Cod.Hebr. 5/1.

This course is an introduction to some of the great spiritual visionaries of Hasidism — the teachers whose lives helped shape Jewish history for generations. Among them, the Baal Shem Tov, the Baal HaTanya, Reb Levi Yitschak of Berditchev, The Rebbe Elimelech and his brother Reb Zusha, Rebbe Nachman of Breslau. There are quite a few!

Each week we will encounter a different Hasidic teacher. Through biography, historical context, traditional stories, and the melodies they sang or inspired, we will explore each figure’s unique spiritual voice and the heart of their teaching.

Together we will ask: What made this person’s life and teaching distinctive? What message did they offer for the human soul — in struggle, in joy, in everyday life? How do their teachings speak to us today?

This course offers both a rich learning experience and an experiential journey—through melody, storytelling, and profound teachings.

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

Course Structure

The course is lecture based. It offers both a rich learning experience and an experiential journey—through, for example, melodies and storytelling.

Prior Knowledge

The course is given in English.

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.

Course Material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the Teacher 

Hanna Yaffe is a speaker, storyteller, and singer, known for building bridges and nurturing peace through the intertwined languages of story and song. A voice of healing, love, and unity, she collaborates with musicians and storytellers from diverse religious backgrounds—including Christians, Hindus, and Muslims. 

Born in London to a Rabbinic family, Hanna lives an observant Jewish life. She teaches widely about the Hasidic movement, bringing its stories, melodies, and spiritual depth to life. 

Her acclaimed anthologies—Lullabies from Jerusalem and Birth in a Time of Bloodshed—have received prestigious awards, exploring universal themes of love, hope, and motherhood. She also compiled Return Again, a collection of Hasidic tales.

She lives in Jerusalem with her husband, close to her seven (wonderful!) grandchildren.

Picture: Maurycy Gottlieb – Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur, taken from Wikipedia.

Using Jewish texts, study, and techniques from the world of art therapy, participants will learn the deep meaning of Jewish time, seasons, and holiday cycles, with practical self development take-aways, discussion, and creative journaling through art and words. We will also be inspired by the work of other artists and explore symbols in Jewish mysticism.

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

Prior Knowledge

The course is given in English.

No artistic or textual experience is needed, come as you are!

To apply for this course, you need basic computer skills and knowledge of how to use the digital platform Zoom.

Course Material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the Teacher

Esther Amster moved to Stockholm as a Rabbanit in the Jewish Community and lives here with her husband, Rabbi Mattias Amster, and their children. Esther received her Masters degree in Art Therapy from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, and has studied Jewish texts, thought and history at schools in the US and Israel, receiving her BA from Touro College. She has taught studio art for over ten years, led art therapy groups with a focus on identity and empowerment, and taught Jewish texts with special attention to symbolism in Jewish thought and practice. 

Picture: Paideia Folkhögskola/Canva.

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.

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.

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.

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 that he founded himself.

Photo: Paideia folkhögskola.

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.

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 that he founded himself.

Photo: Canva.