(JTA) — Among the most challenging decisions Lili Rosen had to make while translating a children’s book about sexuality into Yiddish was what name to put on the cover. When Rosen began work on “You Be You” in March 2020, she wasn’t yet Lili. She had a long resume of translation and cultural consulting work,
After two years of COVID-19 and its variants — Delta and most recently Omicron — we are decidedly feeling the heaviness of this new year. While this mix of fear, ennui, anger, and restlessness leaves us broken, it also leads us to create, to yearn for community, and to heal. We are thrilled to announce
Like you, in the past year I’ve found myself repeating all sorts of strange words: quarantine, coronavirus, contact tracing. Another word has also entered my vocabulary: LABA. I’m still not quite sure what it stands for, but I know what it brings to mind: the warm, eccentric, and fermented community I’ve been grateful to be
On November 7, 2021 the JCC East Bay opened its doors to the public for the first time since Covid came into our lives. The reason was to welcome everyone to our first-ever LABAlive, during which we showcased the work of our CHOSEN fellows. Here’s a rundown of the work: Naomie Kremer TREE OF LIFE
“Yiddish culture has something to say about finding joy and ingenuity and creativity and resourcefulness in a time of crisis,” explains Ben Kaplan, LABA fellow and director of education at YIVO. Listen here: For some secular Jews, their pandemic hobby has been learning Yiddish : NPR
When I was CHOSEN to lead LABA NY for the 2019-2020 cycle, it was thrilling to have the opportunity with a fellowship that had been so deeply impactful to me for four years. From the first study session I came to in 2015 when “A Serious Man” was being discussed in the year of BEAUTY,
As LABA Berlin’s inaugural year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on our program together, especially the last few weeks of exhibitions and shows organized by our fellows and creative team. We came together in the spring digitally on Zoom, transitioned to in-person learning sessions with our resident scholar Tal over
I did a thing… With the incredible support of the LABA Fellowship, every step of the way, I am proud to announce the release of my newest album, “Bachurs Can’t Be Choosers”. In this project I pull apart the boiler plate narratives I was fed in my upbringing and challenge the notion of Chosenness from
“The Capitalist System…it’s good enough for Norman Thomas, It’s good enough for the Jewish Shammes [servant], But it’s not good enough for me.” When I came across this anonymous quote last winter in a book called The Downtown Jews I had no idea how much it would inform the creation of my LABA piece, Rachel Joravsky is Thriving
By Laura Beatrix Newmark, Director LABA New York “…like the strength of a blessing, as we go Quietly on with what we shall be doing, and sing Thanks for being enabled, again, to begin this instant.” -from At the New Year by John Hollander, And so it goes, after 15 months of pivoting our LABA