"I got countless new ideas and impulses for my studies."
"The teachers really want to transmit their knowledge to the students."
"My most exciting, moving and fun workshop moments happen in Weimar."
(Voices of participants)

Welcome to Yiddish Summer Weimar (YSW), a project of other music e.V.. Founded and directed by Dr. Alan Bern, in the last 10 years our festival has evolved into one of the most celebrated summer institutes for Yiddish culture in the world. Participants, teachers, audiences and organizers alike are fiercely loyal to YSW and many return year after year, becoming an international community in residence in Weimar. We run the festival with a small organizational team – Katrin Füllsack (project manager), Katrin Petlusch (project manager), Antonia Peetz (intern), Johannes Paul Gräßer (project support) – and with many volunteers who help us with translating texts, setting up concerts, driving to the airport, transporting equipment, and much, much more.

In recent years we have received much recognition, including two major European Union (EU) grants and the national 1st prize for intercultural music from the German Music Council. We were chosen by Compass Europe (the Westbury Group) as one of the 36 most innovative European initiatives for Jewish culture, and by the EU as one of the 20 best practices projects in Europe in support of Roma culture. In 2009, director Alan Bern was honored in Rudolstadt with the Ruth Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking accomplishments as an artist, educator and organizer.

The 2010, we will present 8 different workshops from July 4 - August 2: Advanced Klezmer, Beginning Klezmer & Yiddish Song, Intermediate Klezmer & Yiddish Song, Professional Yiddish Dance & Dance Music, Yiddish Dance/Dance Music/Dance Song for Everyone, Beginning Yiddish Language, Intermediate Yiddish Language and Advanced Yiddish Song. We will be joined by more than 30 teachers and artists-in-residence from Europe, America and Israel and we expect about 300 participants from more than 20 countries. Our 8 concerts, dozen jam sessions, dance evenings and other public events will reach about 5000 people who come from near and far to experience Yiddish Summer Weimar live, and countless more through the internet.

We invite you to explore our website and hope to see you this summer in Weimar!

Dr. Alan Bern