YIVO Yiddish Club: Theater and Storytelling with Eleanor Reissa

Yiddish Club Admission: Free

Nu, vilst redn a bisele yidish? An event for Yiddish enthusiasts the world over, the YIVO Yiddish club is an informal monthly gathering to celebrate Mame-loshn. Hosted by Shane Baker, sessions take place in English, and are liberally peppered with Yiddish. Each month Baker is joined by a different guest who discusses their work and a related Yiddish cultural theme. In the spirit of a club, sessions are held as interactive zoom meetings in which participants can see and hear one another. Each session includes ample time for audience questions, group discussion, and, time permitting, knock-down, drag-out arguments. Attendees need not know any Yiddish to attend, though some familiarity with the language is highly recommended.

This session features Eleanor Reissa, a Tony-nominated director; Broadway, film, and television actress; a prize-winning playwright, and an international singing artist. Former artistic director of the Folksbiene Yiddish Theater, a storyteller in English and Yiddish, she has sung in every major musical venue in New York and in festivals around the world. Current film/tv includes THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, DEAD CITY (a sequel to THE WALKING DEAD), and THE ZWEIFLERS (a new German television series). She hosts Yale University’s podcast: “Those Who Were There: Voices from the Holocaust” and is the audio guide narrator of “What Hate Can Do”, the latest exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Her book, The Letters Project: A Daughter’s Journey was recently published by Post Hill Press.