Historical Background of the IAYC The FIRST ever conference of Yiddish clubs President Dr. Harold Black again co-chaired was in Washington, D.C., May 29-June 3, a conference. This time it was with Elaine 1993. It was hosted by the Yiddish of Greater Mann of Rockville JCC. Our SIXTH Washington. It gave rise to the thought that it conference was at the Headquarters of the could be an ongoing event. Delegates; Dr. International 4H in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Harold Black, Dr. Allan Blair & Fishl Kutner This took place September 14-17, 2000. were asked to look into another conference. Current President, Paul Melrood, chaired Toronto, Ontario Canada was a possibility the SEVENTH conference, as he brought the because of its very active Toronto Friends of IAYC to the Midwest for the first time. Yiddish Club with a vibrant Yiddish group. It was in the spring, from April 12-15, 2002, Bess and Barry Shockett o "h (editor of Dos and was held at the Park East Hotel in Bletl) and The Toronto Friends of Yiddish Milwaukee, Wisconsin near beautiful Lake accepted the challenge, and the SECOND Superior. conference made it an international group. It was in Toronto, October 7-10, 1994. IAYC Advisory Board member, Yiddish teacher, author and leader of Yiddish of An ad hoc committee was formed consisting Greater Baltimore, Sylvia Schildt, chaired of The Yiddish of Greater Washington; Der the EIGHTH conference in Baltimore, MD Bay, San Francisco Bay Area; Dos Bled, Sept. 4-7, 2003 at the Pikesville Hilton Hotel. Toronto; and the Circle of Yiddish Clubs, The exciting theme was Yiddish Teachers: Florida to consult about future conference Heroes Then and Now. ~ venues. At the historic THIRD conference in Miami, FL, March 14, 1996, a more formal The IAYC again returned to the Midwest meeting of the delegates was held. Dr. June 2-5, 2005 for the second time. Now it Harold Black was appointed to head the was to Hiawatha Country, Minneapolis, committee to incorporate. David and Ruth MN, and near the headwaters of the mighty Barlas chaired this conference which still Mississippi River. Roz Baker and Michael holds the record of having the largest o"h reached the peak at the Double Tree attendance; 150 had to be turned away. Hotel. The NINTH conference will be hard to match because of its heymish atmosphere. A Board was elected with Dr. Harold Black as its Chair. The new name "International The TENTH conference theme, July 6-9, 2006, Association of Yiddish Clubs" (IA YC) was at the Marriott Hotel at Glenpointe, Teaneck, adopted, and the organization was NJ, was A Tribute to Yiddish. It was a great incorporated in the State of Maryland. spot, for it was only a half hour bus ride from The FOURTH conference was May 24-27, our hotel to the NYC Port Authority Bus 1997 at Trinity College in Fairfield, CT along Terminal at 42nd Street & Eighth Avenue, in with the W.C. Branch 105. Stephen Dowling, NYC. Chairman Samuel Kutner, with Gregg Ruvn Millman and Joanne Douglas chaired a and Stephanie Hudis as hosts, had the successful conference. assistance of their host club The Teaneck Jewish Community Center Yiddish Club. The FIFTH IAYC conference chaired by Mel Rogow, and his committee-especially Portia The ELEVENTH conference theme is A Flour­ Rose and Archie Barkan was held at the ish of Yiddish Culture. It is to be held August Conference Center of UCLA in Los Angeles, 3-6, 2007 with the leadership of co-chairs; CA, August 27-30, 1998. It established the Harold Ticktin, Annabelle Weiss and Marilyn IAYC with a board of 9. The 250 delegates Cagin at the Cleveland Marriott East Hotel. It gave it a strong endorsement, to work as an is timed so as to attend the 29th Annual international force for fostering Yiddish. Yiddish Concert in the Park at Cain Park. 2 Aims and Purposes of the IAYC Vision Benefits of Belonging to IAYC * To access leyenkrayzn, shmooz grupes, * To support Yiddish club conferences. To shtudir, choral, choirs, large or small clubs, take Yiddish out of isolation, unite, and give it classes from elementary, secondary, post a strong international voice. The IAYC secondary to adult and make them aware of conferences have been and will continue to be their rich heritage. a source of interaction for groups, from meeting like-minded people to hearing and * To become a clearinghouse for the creation meeting the best resource people, be they and distribution of Yiddish educational and writers, scholars, teachers, musicians, actors program materials. singers, or organizers. * To encourage and initiate research of * To access and arrange touring groups, existing or new material - be it educational, speakers, singers, theatre groups etc., through music, art or literature and make it available currently existing newsletters or the electronic to the clubs. media. * To encourage new writers by giving them a * To have Yiddish groups and organizations forum in our newsletters or local papers that benefit from such efforts. Cooperation is the has a Yiddish column. basis of success. Each type of activity adds greatly to the overall knowledge and interest * To encourage the formation of new groups of the Yiddish Community. in various formats wherever possible, be they large or small. * To join with other like-minded people all over in sharing the camaraderie, joy, pleasure, * To encourage groups to issue newsletters knowledge, ideas and support of a larger even if it is only once or twice a year. group activity. * To lobby Holocaust committees to include MISSION Yiddish poetry and songs in their memorial programs. * To provide a global perspective and * To encourage younger people to take network for Yiddish groups-be they large or classes, or form them, wherever available. To small. those who are already learning the language, * To exchange educational and cultural encourage them to explore their Ashkenazic materials produced by the clubs and by roots through history, music and literature­ associated organizations. the history and literature in translation, if necessary. * To experience a sense of unity while striving to keep our language, literature, and * To lobby all types of Jewish schools, be culture alive and into this new millennium. they Hebrew Day Schools, Hebrew Schools or Sunday schools, to include Yiddish classes As the sole international organization in their curriculum. fostering Yiddish clubs, the IAYC is in the forefront of extolling the benefits of our * To lobby universities to include Yiddish mame-loshn. Your participation is essential, courses in their Jewish Studies Program. for the greater the number of us participat­ They should include Yiddish language, ing in Yiddish activities the greater will be literature and eastern European history. pleasure and enjoyment. 3 Yiddish Groups: Members of the IAYC Spain Madrid Yiddish Circle in Madrid Canada North York, ON Lomir Redn Yiddish Club Canada Toronto, ON Fraynd fun Yidish Canada Winnipeg, MB Shaare Zedek Yiddish Club Canada Winnipeg, MB Mame Loshen Group Canada Winnipeg, MB Womens Yiddish Reading Circle Arizona Phoenix Beth El Yiddish Club Arizona Phoenix Phoenix Leyenkrayz Arizona Scottsdale Cong. Kol Ami Yiddish Club Arizona Scottsdale Freileche Mentshn of Temple Solel Arizona Scottsdale Har Zion Yiddish Club Arizona Sun City West Madison Yiddish Club California Alameda Jewish Currents Discussion Group California Berkeley Berkeley/Richmond JCC Yiddish Club California Berkeley Joys of Yiddish Conv. Group California North Hills Valley Yiddish Culture Club of LA California Oak Park Haverim California Palm Desert L'Chayim Yiddish Culture Club California Palm Desert Temple Beth Shalom Yiddish Club California Palo Alto JCC Yiddish Club California Redondo Beach Temple Menorah Yiddish Club California Sacramento A. Einstein Sr Comm. Yiddish Club California San Diego Yiddish Circle: Lawrence Family JCC California San Diego Yiddishe Culturele Grupe California San Francisco Jewish Folk Chorus of San Francisco California San Rafael Keep Yiddish Alive California Walnut Creek Contra Costa JCC Yiddish Club Colorado Boulder Boulder Yiddish Vinkl Connecticut Southbury Heritage Village Yid. Reading Circle Connecticut Stratford Bridgeport JCC Yiddish Club Connecticut West Hartford Sophie Kellin Yiddish Literary Soc. Connecticut Woodbridge Yale-New Haven Yiddish Reading Cir. Florida Boynton Beach Palm Beach A.R. Leyen Krayz Florida Delray Palm Greens Yiddish Club Florida Gainesville Gainesville Yiddish Vinkl Florida Lake Worth Mameloshn Y.C. of Willow Bean Florida St Petersburg The Vinkl at the JCC Florida Sunrise Circle of Yiddish Clubs Florida Tamarac Kings Point Yiddish Club Florida West Palm Beach Marsha Love Yiddish Club Florida West Palm Beach Menke Katz Leyen-Krayz Florida West Palm Beach Yid. Culture Group of Century Vig Florida Boynton Beach Palm Shore Yiddish Club Georgia Atlanta Atlanta yidish libhobers Georgia Atlanta Renaissance Yiddish Club 4 Yiddish Groups: Members of the IAYC Illinois Chicago Hallmark's Yiddish Group Illinois Chicago Secular Jewish Study Group/Chicago Illinois Flossmoor Shalom Over 50 JCC of Chicago Illinois Highland Park Yiddishe Frynt Illinois Oak Park MameLoshn Illinois Urbana Der Prairie Yiddish Illinois WChicago YIVO Indiana West Lafayette Yiddishe Kultur Klub Kentucky Lexington Yidish umbastoymt Kentucky Louisville Yiddish Tish Massachusetts Malden Salem Towers Yiddish Club Massachusetts Newton Centre Orchard Cove of Canton MA Massachusetts Worcester B.I.S.O.N. Maryland Chevy Chase Yiddish of Greater Washington Michigan Southfield Fraylikhe Freint Michigan West Bloomfield Kowalskiy