Simone Weil (1909–1943) was a fascinating figure who lived a chaotic and eventful — although tragically short — life. She was a prolific philosopher and essayist who published many texts on a wide range of topics and philosophical ideas.

Weil was a particularly complex person: she was born into a Jewish family with both Orthodox and agnostic backgrounds. Her thinking was deeply influenced by both Judaism and Catholic mysticism, and she was also accused by other prominent Jewish and non-Jewish thinkers of antisemitism. She was a self-proclaimed socialist and anarchist, as well as a pacifist who suffered from ill health throughout her life. Nevertheless, Weil volunteered in the Spanish Civil War, attempted to undertake suicide missions, and joined a unit that carried out sabotage and deep strikes against fascist forces.

Weil was not highly regarded as a thinker during her lifetime but quickly gained recognition and a devoted following in the years after her death.

In this course, we will explore Weil’s life and multifaceted thought, touching on areas such as feminism, politics and society, science, and education. She offers us a unique opportunity to engage with anarchism as both a school of thought and a political movement.

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

Course Structure

The course is mainly lecture based.

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

Lior Becker, PhD, is a modern historian, teacher, and interdisciplinary scholar. His areas of expertise are Holocaust history, historiography and memory, 19th and 20th-century intellectual history, genocide studies, and Eastern-European Jewish history and culture. He has long experience teaching teens and adults in both Sweden and Israel.

Photo: Wikipedia: All photographs of Simone Weil have been generously provided by Sylvie Weil.

Welcome to the Intensive 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 17–20, 2026
Daily Schedule: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM (including lunch breaks)
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Languages of Instruction: English and Yiddish
Program Cost: 1100 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 and Jiddischsällskapet i Stockholm. 

Course Levels Available:

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

1. Yiddish – Beginners Level 

Teacher: Katka Mazurczak

Course Description

This intensive beginners’ course is designed for those who want to use Yiddish in everyday situations and who know the alef-beis and have a basic knowledge of the language. If needed, an alef-beis chart and reading practice comic will be sent in advance. Prior to the start of the course you can also practise the alef-beis using the provided material. 

Rather than following a traditional textbook approach, the lessons will focus on using the language and practical, everyday expressions to help you communicate and describe your surroundings. It is perfect for those who want to refresh and strengthen their skills.

The aim is to make you more confident and fluent, and to teach you some basic grammar rules using a communicative approach.

Materials

All course materials will be provided.

Prerequisites

•  Knowledge in the Hebrew alphabet (we will review Yiddish alphabet, its vowels, special combination letters and pronunciation).
• Basic knowledge of the language

2. 
   

   Yiddish – Intermediate Level
   

   Teacher: Oren Cohen Roman

Course Description

This course builds on basic knowledge of Yiddish grammar, particularly the verb tenses (past, present, and future), the three cases (nominative, accusative, and dative), and sentence structure. Over four days of intensive study, you will read simple texts in Yiddish, develop listening and speaking skills, write your own texts, and deepen your understanding of Yiddish grammar.

Among the texts, you will encounter famous writers and poets, such as Sholem Aleykhem, Kadia Molodowsky, and Yosl Birshteyn. You will also write your own texts, listen to recorded songs, and watch selected videos. Of course, you will also have the opportunity to speak with each other in Yiddish.

Materials

All course materials will be provided.

Prerequisites

• Ability to to read and write Yiddish (i.e., know the Hebrew alphabet)
  
• Familiarity with verb tenses (past, present, and future) as well as the three grammatical cases (nominative, accusative, and dative)

3. Yiddish – Advanced Level
   

   Teacher: Yaad Biran 

Course Description

In this intensive four-day course, we will speak almost exclusively in Yiddish to create our own small Yiddish-speaking environment. Together, we will read selected prose and poetry and hold class discussions to enjoy and better understand Yiddish culture. Through conversation and writing short texts, we will work on expanding our vocabulary and becoming more comfortable expressing ourselves. 

Materials

All course materials will be provided.

Prerequisites

• Fluent understanding and speaking ability in Yiddish. The course is taught almost exclusively in Yiddish.
  
• Reading skills in Yiddish
  
• You are welcome even if your grammar knowledge is limited

Meet the Teachers

Katka Mazurczak

Oren Cohen Roman

Oren Cohen Roman is an associate professor of Yiddish at Lund University in Sweden. He is a cultural historian of Ashkenazi Jews and a scholar of Yiddish literature from its medieval beginnings to the present day. His research interests include literature inspired by the Tanach/Bible, cultural transfer, gender, and the history of reading.

His book Joshua and Judges in Yiddish Verse: Four Early Modern Epics was published in 2022 by De Gruyter. His publications include a study of Yiddish written in Latin letters (Journal of Jewish Languages), a song reporting the martyrdom of two Jewish criminals in 17th-century Moravia (Jewish History, with Daniel Soukup), and the depiction of female musicians in the works of Sholem Aleichem (Massekhet: Women of the Jewish World).

Yaad Biran

Dr. Yaad Biran teaches Yiddish at Paideia (online), Beth Shalom Aleichem in Tel Aviv, Haifa University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Summer course. He researches Yiddish literature with a focus on Yiddish in Palestine/Israel.

Beyond his academic work, he is a writer of Hebrew fiction and Yiddish cabaret, as well as a tour guide, leading tours in the footsteps of Yiddish culture in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

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

The Talmud is one of the foundational texts of Judaism, and the key to understanding Rabbinic thought. It is, however, a challenging text to study, comprising complex philosophical, intellectual and legal debate in a format that is unfamiliar to many.

In this course, we will learn and practice techniques of reading and understanding that will help to unlock this most rewarding corpus of Jewish text.

Course structure

The course structure consists of lectures and chevruta (traditional paired learning). 

Prior knowledge

The course is given in English.

The course is aimed at participants who have some previous experience of Jewish text studies.

Course material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the teacher

Eiran Davies is a rabbi with roots in London, England. He has studied at Montefiori endowment in London, Midrash sepharadi in Jerusalem and Yeshivat hamivtar in Efrat. He is also an artist, beekeeper and trained goldsmith. 

Photo: Paideia folkhögskola.

This course develops participants’ Hebrew proficiency at an intermediate level, with a focus on communication in both spoken and written language. Instruction includes speaking exercises, writing, grammar, reading, listening comprehension, and participant presentations.

Oral proficiency is practiced through dialogues, conversations, and presentations. Writing skills are developed through written assignments, summaries, and translations. Grammar instruction deepens knowledge of key structures, with particular emphasis on verbs, word formation, and syntax.

The course includes reading advanced-level texts as well as working with audio materials such as news and songs, strengthening both reading and listening comprehension.

For the level Bet, participants must pass the placement test for level Aleph with a minimum 67 grade. For more information, see below. 

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

Objectives

The course aims to:

• develop advanced communicative proficiency
• deepen grammatical knowledge
• strengthen written and spoken expression
• improve reading and listening comprehension

Course Structure

The course uses a varied approach to support advanced language development. The following components are included:

• Speaking and interaction
• Writing and written assignments
• Grammar and language structures
• Reading and text analysis
• Listening comprehension
• Participant presentations

Classes are held twice a week. This course has a fast pace and is offered in collaboration with the academically oriented One-Year Program in Jewish Studies. Participants are expected to attend all classes and actively engage in their studies. The number of places for participants that are not attending the One-Year Program in Jewish Studies are limited.

Participants need to allocate approximately one hour per lesson for home studies to prepare for the next class.

The course runs over one academic year and covers the autumn term of 2026 and the spring term of 2027.

Prior Knowledge

The course is given in English.

For the level Bet, participants must pass the placement test for level Aleph with a minimum 67 grade. Include your results in the course application.
Access the self-test via the following link:

Hebrew placement test

Course Material

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the Teacher

Michael Kisliuk is a certified Hebrew as a foreign language teacher with an academic background in Hebrew Language (MA) and Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies (BA) from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He has extensive experience teaching Hebrew to adults in all levels, with a strong focus on building a solid foundation for real-life communication. His teaching combines clear structure with a communicative, learner-centered approach, emphasizing confidence in speaking from an early stage.

Foto: Paideia/Canva.

This course is an intensive Elementary Modern Hebrew program designed for beginners, using the first chapters of the textbook First and Foremost. Over 100 academic hours, participants will develop basic functional literacy and conversational skills.

The course follows a communicative approach, focusing on the four language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. By the end of the course, participants will have built a foundation of several hundred high-frequency words and essential grammatical structures.

Through dialogues, texts, and exercises, participants will practice real-world situations, including introducing themselves, describing their homes, navigating a market, discussing their daily schedules, and expressing basic needs and feelings.

The course runs over one academic year and covers the autumn term of 2026 and the spring term of 2027.

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

Course Structure

The lessons combine teacher presentations with individual work, as well as pair and group activities. The course also includes homework, quizzes, and a final exam. Participants need to allocate approximately one hour per lesson for home studies to prepare for the next class.

Classes are held twice a week. This course has a fast pace and is offered in collaboration with the academically oriented One-Year Program in Jewish Studies. Participants are expected to attend all classes and actively engage in their studies. The number of places for participants that are not attending the One-Year Program in Jewish Studies are limited.

The course runs over one academic year and covers the autumn term of 2026 and the spring term of 2027.

Prior Knowledge

The course is given in English.

Knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet is required. Both print and handwriting.

Course Material

All course literature is not included in the cost of this course. The course uses the following book:

• FIRST AND FOREMOST: Hebrew for Beginners and More. By Goni Tishler and Ateret Yarden-Barak. Academon Publishing House, 2018.

Participants have the option to purchase the course book from the school. Please indicate in your application whether you wish to buy the book from the school or if you will obtain it on your own.

About the Teacher

Frida Schatz is Paideia’s Hebrew lecturer. She holds a BA and MA in Hebrew and French language and literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She also studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris. After studies Frida held positions as Hebrew lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, at Universities in Paris, Frankfurt, and Copenhagen. She also worked for JDC in Italy. After moving to Sweden, she taught Hebrew as a lecturer at the University of Lund and the University of Stockholm and worked as a translator between Swedish and Hebrew.

Photo: Canva/Paideia Folkhögskola

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: Judiska församlingen i Stockholm.

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/Paideia Folkhögskola

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/Paideia Folkhögskola

We will explore the cyclical nature of the Hebrew calendar as a map for inner development, supporting both individual and collective healing and transformation. The course is inspired by the energetic gateways of the Tree of Life and teachings from Kabbalah.

This is primarily a movement-based course, and we will be dancing for a significant part of each session.

Each class is structured as an expressive arts and movement-based ritual space, where participants explore the themes of the Jewish calendar through the body.

Each session includes dancing guided by the theme of the Hebrew month and its corresponding holidays, as well as work with the new and full moon cycles as anchors for intention, reflection, and integration. The course begins with Rosh Hashanah, focusing on intention-setting and reflection—clarifying what to release and what to invite in—and continues as an exploration of the cyclical phases of opening, contraction, reflection, and renewal.

Each session also includes short teachings on the monthly themes and holidays, inspiration from Kabbalistic frameworks—including the Tree of Life as a map of inner human experience—expressive arts elements such as writing, drawing, and symbolic reflection (with a primary focus on movement), partner or small-group reflection (chevruta-inspired), and simple ritual elements connected to the time in the calendar.

A central element of the course is working with tikkun (תיקון), a Hebrew concept meaning repair, restoration, or alignment. In this context, it refers to an ongoing process of growth, in which a person becomes more whole by engaging with and transforming patterns, wounds, and potentials. Participants are invited to “dance their tikkun,” exploring their inner landscape through movement, in dialogue with the rhythms of the Jewish year and the symbolic maps of the Tree of Life.

Course Structure

The approach is experiential, embodied, and relational, with an emphasis on learning through direct experience.

The methods used in the course are:

• Guided movement and dance (embodied learning)
• Expressive arts (writing, drawing, symbolic exploration)
• Improvisation, including elements of theatre and clowning
• Short lectures/teachings
• Chevruta-style paired and small group reflection
• Group discussion and sharing
• Simple ritual practice connected to the Jewish calendar

Home preparation before each session is optional, estimated time 0-2 hours. 

Prior Knowledge 

The course is given in English.
No prior knowledge of dance, Jewish studies, or Kabbalah is required. The course is open to applicants who are curious about exploring the Jewish calendar in an embodied and experiential way, interested in movement, personal reflection, and expressive arts, and open to engaging both individually and as part of a group process.

The movement practice is gently guided and accessible to all bodies and abilities. There is no expectation of performance. Participants will be supported in following their own inner rhythm and energy, rather than external choreography. A central part of the process is learning to listen to the body as a source of insight, developing the ability to notice, trust, and follow what the body is expressing in each moment.

Course Material 

Course material is included in the cost for this course.

About the Teacher 

Melissa Abecassis is an artist, relationship therapist, and facilitator based in Stockholm, working at the intersection of relational dynamics, embodiment, and Jewish thought. Her practice integrates somatic approaches, expressive arts, movement, and dialogue-based methods to explore themes around identity, relationships, and the dance of life. She creates participatory spaces that support reflection and transformation, with a particular interest in the Hebrew calendar and Kabbalistic perspectives as frameworks for lived, experiential learning.

Photo: Canva/Paideia Folkhögskola

This course is designed to advance participants’ Hebrew proficiency by engaging with contemporary social, psychological, and environmental topics. It is based on the first three chapters of the textbook Hebrew Matters (Osim Inyan). The curriculum integrates global issues with insights into the cultural fabric of modern Israeli life.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to discuss complex academic and social themes in Hebrew, analyze contemporary Israeli media, including documentaries, news reports, and songs, and apply advanced syntactic structures to describe personal experiences and long-term processes.

For the level Gimmel, participants must pass the placement test for level Bet with a minimum 67 grade. More information below. 

The course runs over one academic year and covers the autumn term of 2026 and the spring term of 2027.

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

Course Structure

The course employs a multifaceted pedagogical approach that balances technical linguistic skills with cultural and thematic analysis. The following methods are used:

• Text-based comprehension
• Discussions in Hebrew
• Creative and reflective writing
• Audio-visual and multimedia integration
• Interactive and collaborative learning
• Analysis of Israeli culture and art
• Project-based learning
• Integrated grammar and syntax instruction

This course has a fast pace and is offered in collaboration with the academically oriented One-Year Program in Jewish Studies. Participants are expected to attend all classes and actively engage in their studies. The number of places for participants that are not attending the One-Year Program in Jewish Studies are limited.

Participants need to allocate approximately two hours per lesson for home studies to prepare for the next class.

The course runs over one academic year and covers the autumn term of 2026 and the spring term of 2027.

Prior Knowledge

The course is given in English.

For the level Gimmel, participants must pass the placement test for level Bet with a minimum 67 grade. Access the self-test via the following link:

Include your results in the course application. 

Course Material

All course literature is not included in the cost of this course. The course uses the following book:

• Hebrew Matters (Hebrew for Intermediate Level), By Tzuki Shay & Gali Huminer, Academon 2020.

Participants have the option to purchase the course book from the school. Please indicate in your application whether you wish to buy the book from the school or if you will obtain it on your own.

Photo: Canva/Paideia Folkhögskola