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.
Photo: Pixabay.
Why are they wearing scarves or streimels or sheitels and can they have jobs or is this influencer really speaking for all of them and who is even ”they”? We will take a behind the scenes look at a wide and diverse variety of orthodox communities, lives, and ideals. Beyond exploring the dress shops and kosher-pizza-sushi-eateries and complex, sometimes bewildering array of Halachic (Jewish law) detail (but not in detail!), and the experiences of people in different streams of orthodoxy, we will examine the ideologies, beliefs, and how different streams of orthodoxy construct meaning.
You will get to know key figures in Orthodoxy and have a closer and direct look at some of their writings, how communities have developed over time and what their essential differences are.
In this course we will join a dialogue about life and love, family and community and the individual and tradition and modernity with the goal of learning not just about others, but about ourselves.
The course is given in collaboration with the Jewish Community in Stockholm.
Prior knowledge
The course is given in English.
The course is appropriate for those with little familiarity and for those who want to learn more about the texts, worldviews and values under the different hats.
Course material
Course material is included in the cost for this course.
About the teacher
Esther Amster is a rabbanit at the Jewish Community of Stockholm and together with Rabbi Mattias Amster lives in Stockholm with their four kids; two Jerusalmites and two native Stockholmers. She speaks “Swinglish”, comes from the US, and has a background as an Art Therapist, student of Jewish texts, Israeli Oleh, Child-Parent Psychotherapist, and is now studying Jewish Education.
Photo: Atara Whitman (Jerusalem).
More information about profile courses
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.
Photo: Pixabay.
Under what circumstances was Israel born and what is it today – a dream come true out of the ashes of the Holocaust or an attempt at creating an utopia on its way to become another Middle-Eastern failed state? When did it stop being a social-democratic welfare state and become a neo-liberal market economy? And is there any chance for peace with its neighbors?
The course will take us on a journey through the historic events, the big questions, ideologies and vital issues, the conflicts, the violence and the wars, the leaders, the prophets and political parties and the people who shaped 75 years of Israeli history.
Paideia folkhögskola also offers the course “Israeli Society, History and Politics – Part 2” in the spring of 2026. You can find more information on the course page for that course.
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
Born and raised in Israel and currently living in Stockholm, David Stavrou is a journalist, a guide and a teacher. As a journalist he writes for Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz and for other publications about Sweden, Scandinavia and Europe and about issues related to democracy, human rights and genocide worldwide. His book, “An Israeli Cross”, which he co-authored with his brother, Daniel Stavrou, was published in 2014 by Israeli publisher Indibook. His second book about the Israeli diaspora in Europe, “Leaving Zion”, was published in 2020 by Israeli publisher Pardes. He is married and a father of four boys.
Photo: Haifa, Canva.
More information about profile courses
Welcome to a series of meetings dedicated to Klezmer music!
We will explore the fantastic and rich repertoire of Eastern-European and American Jewish instrumental folk music: its joyful and melancholic melodies, how to interpret and embellish them with traditional ornamentations, discovering the structure of the melodies and their modes, as well as how to accompany the various dance forms with their diverse and characteristic rhythmical patterns.
The course is taught by ear. Participants must have intermediate knowledge of their instruments (no beginners), meaning knowing the names of notes and corresponding positions on their instruments. Music scores are made accessible at the end of the lessons, but we will not be reading from them in class. Participants are expected to learn the melodies by heart to proceed with learning how to embellish and accompany them.
Participants will have access to EDU Soundtrap, an online platform for recording multi-track, to be used as a tool for practising at home and creating their own arrangements, and will be introduced to MuseScore, an open-source and free music notation software, to be used as a tool for analysis of the tunes learned in the class.
The course is concluded with a concert.
This course is given in collaboration with Svenska Klezmerföreningen.
Group division
Participants are divided into groups based on their instrument skills and experience of learning to play by ear without sheet music. Depending on the number of groups and applicants, each group meets for between 1-2 hours.
Participants are expected to learn the melodies by heart, and practice at home, to proceed with learning how to embellish and accompany them.
Prior knowledge
The course is given in English.
The course welcomes new as well as previous participants, who have passed the beginner level on their instrument by a good margin.
Participants bring their own instruments. The course is not suitable for guitar players due to its focus on melodies and ornaments.
Course material
Course material is included in the cost for this course.
Participants bring their own instruments.
About the teacher
Valeria Conte is a multi-talented Italian clarinettist who has studied and performed klezmer music since 2006 (www.valeriaclarinetta.com), exploring the music’s connection to Jewish culture and society. She has participated in various seminars and workshops on klezmer music and Yiddish song & culture in and outside Europe. Valeria holds a BA in classical clarinet and an MA in global music. She has performed internationally in various multicultural environments and world music styles. She currently performs with her band, Valeria’s Klezmer Chariot, and is the leader and organiser of the OAKJS – Klezmer Sessions.
Photo: Aaro Keipi.
More information about profile courses
A course for those who have completed “Israeli Society, History and Politics”, in which we’ll take an in-depth look and add new perspectives to some of the topics covered in the first course, using texts, analysis, and other sources.
We’ll discuss issues which were not covered deeply in the first course like the story of North African and Middle Eastern Jews in the 20th century and the conflicts between Theodor Herzl and his Jewish opposers. We’ll also read key texts by Herzl, Yitzhak Rabin, Binjamin Netanyahu, Reuven Rivlin and more and go deeper into the implications of the 1948, 1967 and 1973 wars when we’ll look into the development of post war movements such as Gush Emunim (the settler movement) and Shalom Acshav (Peace Now).
Like in the first course, these subjects will be complemented by inserts of Israeli cultures – music, film and literature.
Paideia folkhögskola also offers the course “Israeli Society, History and Politics – Part 1” in the spring of 2026. You can find more information on the course page for that course.
Prior knowledge
The course is given in English.
Applicants need to have completed the course “Israeli Society, History and Politics”.
Course material
Course material is included in the cost for this course.
About the teacher
Born and raised in Israel and currently living in Stockholm, David Stavrou is a journalist, a guide and a teacher. As a journalist he writes for Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz and for other publications about Sweden, Scandinavia and Europe and about issues related to democracy, human rights and genocide worldwide. His book, “An Israeli Cross”, which he co-authored with his brother, Daniel Stavrou, was published in 2014 by Israeli publisher Indibook. His second book about the Israeli diaspora in Europe, “Leaving Zion”, was published in 2020 by Israeli publisher Pardes. He is married and a father of four boys.
Photo: Haifa, Canva.
More information about profile courses
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.
Photo: Nina Winizsky-Vas.
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.
Foto: Canva AI.
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.
Photo: Canva.
WAVES OF SONG: THE JEWISH SPIRIT IN MEDITERRANEAN MUSIC
Join a musical journey through the Jewish sounds of the Mediterranean. This course explores how Jewish musicians and communities across Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Spain and beyond shaped and were shaped by their cultural surroundings. Through listening, discussion, and live performances, participants will experience the vibrant Jewish spirit that echoes through centuries of coexistence, creativity, and exchange in the Mediterranean world.
By the end of the course, participants will have gained a broader understanding of Jewish musical heritage within Mediterranean cultures. You will recognize key figures, genres, and stylistic influences that shaped Jewish and local music traditions. You will also appreciate the power of music as a medium of dialogue and cultural continuity and experience firsthand the living sounds that tell the story of the Jewish Mediterranean journey.
Course structure
The course consists of the following parts:
- Lectures exploring historical and cultural contexts
- Slides and visual presentations of musicians and archival materials
- Video screenings illustrating regional influences and performance styles
- Listening sessions featuring both recorded and live performances (some played in class by the teacher, Yinon)
- Open discussions encouraging reflection on the material and personal impressions
Prior knowledge
The course is given in English.
No prior knowledge about the subject is needed.
Course material
All course material is included in the cost for this course.
About the teacher
Yinon Muallem is a composer and multi-instrumentalist of Iraqi-Jewish origin, specializing in Ethnic Mediterranean and world music. His work fuses traditional sounds with jazz, classical, and contemporary styles. To date, he has released 12 albums.
Yinon plays the Oud (Arabic lute) and various string instruments, as well as a range of hand percussion instruments from different musical traditions, including Darbuka, frame drums, Spanish Cajón, bongos, and more. Over the years, he has led and participated in numerous intercultural music projects, fostering creative collaboration between musicians from diverse backgrounds. He has given masterclasses and workshops at institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music, Stockholm (2023) and Sibelius Academy, Helsinki (2022).
Photo: Tamburi/Tanburi İsak Efendi (1745-1814) From the Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World (collage by Paideia).