Yiddish Open Mic Café
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About us
The Yiddish Open Mic Café is a participatory Yiddish jamboree of songs, poems, jokes, stories, games, serious and funny, all in Yiddish, but with English translation.
The Yiddish Open Mic Café has been meeting monthly since April 2018, becoming an event accessible world-wide through Zoom. We regularly have an audience and participants from all parts of the UK, as well as from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Israel, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine and the USA.
Whether you are a Yiddish student, teacher, scholar, or someone who heard a word or a phrase at home from parents or grandparents, or whether you are simply interested, all are welcome to be part of the audience or have a turn at the mic, in front of a warm and friendly audience.
Some performers contribute their own work, others perform songs/stories/poems/sketches written by others, including material from well-known Yiddish writers. Participants range from people starting to learn Yiddish, to those for whom Yiddish is their mother tongue.
Contributions Welcomed!
Sign up early to contribute. We are very happy to welcome new presenters and delighted that others have become regulars. Please indicate your interest early so we can make sure your name goes onto the list. Each contribution (song, story, poetry, sketch, etc) should not last longer than about 6 minutes. To sign up, please use the form below, telling us what you would like to do.
Before the Open Mic, we will need a version of your presentation with an English translation; the Yiddish may be in Yiddish letters or transliteration. We use this material to make PowerPoint slides to accompany your contribution.
Please send your material to us at openmic@yiddishcafe.com in either Word or PowerPoint, no later than the Tuesday before the Open Mic. If you have difficulties sending the material, just let us know and we will help to sort out any complications.
As restrictions from Covid retreat from August 2022 we are exploring a hybrid approach to allow both online participation and attendance in person! Follow us to see what happens.
Next Yiddish Open Mic Café dates
Sunday 4th December, 3.00pm UK time. Online
Sunday 22nd January, 6:30pm UK time. Live at JW3 London and Online
Sunday 26 February 2023, OXFORD YIDDISH OPEN MIC, live (ponim-al-ponim) 4 PM at the Oxford Jewish Congregation (OJC), 21 Richmond Road, Oxford OX1 2JL. Further information from oxfordyomc@gmail.com
Local registration (non-obligatory) https://forms.gle/AEHe8kjk68UxbBSN7
Sunday 16th April, 3pm UK time, ONLINE. The suggested theme: “Resistance!”, in commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. [Please note – contributions can be on this theme or on any other theme.]
Two very short video clips from the online YOMC, chosen to avoid any copyright complications. The link to all of the recordings on YouTube is here: https://tinyurl.com/475m99ty