Tradition and Innovation in Modern Yiddish Poetry: The Case of Dovid Hofshteyn (1889-1952)
Tuition: $360 | YIVO members: $270**
This is a live, online course held twice a week on Zoom. Enrollment will be capped at about 25 students. All course details (Zoom link, syllabus, handouts, assignments, etc.) will be posted to Canvas. Students will be granted access to the class on Canvas after registering for the class here on the YIVO website. This class will be conducted in Yiddish.
Instructor: Eugene Orenstein
טראַדיציע און באַנײַונג אין דער מאָדערנער ייִדישער פּאָעזיע: די לידער פֿון דוד האָפֿשטײן (1889־1952)
די מאָדערנע ייִדישע פּאָעזיע שטעלט מיט זיך פֿאָר אַ רײַך געװעב פֿון טיף ייִדישע עלעמענטן און אוניװערסאַלע ליטעראַרישע טראַדיציעס. דאָס שאַפֿן פֿון דוד האָפֿשטײן איז אַ בולטע דוגמא דערפֿון. האָפֿשטײן איז געװען אײנער פֿון די מערקװירדיקסטע מאָדערנע ייִדישע פּאָעטן בכּלל און פֿון די סאָװעטיש־ייִדישע בפֿרט, צוליב דעם גרױסן פֿאַרנעם פֿון זײַן אײראָפּעיִשער קולטור און, גלײַכצײַטיק, זײַן בקיאות אין תּנך און אין דער מיטל־עלטערישער העברעיִשער פּאָעזיע. האָפֿשטײנס פּאָעזיע צײכנט זיך אױס מיט אַ ראַפֿינירטן צונױפֿפֿלעכט פֿון דײַטשישע, רוסישע און אוקראַיִנישע ליטעראַרישע טראַדיציעס מיט תּנכישע און מאָדערנע ייִדישע השפּעות. מיר װעלן אַנאַליזירן געקליבענע טעקסטן כּדי אָפּצושאַצן זײַן פּאָעטישע נאָװאַטאָרישקײט און דעם סינטעז פֿון זײַן ייִדישקײט און אוניװערסאַליזם.
Modern Yiddish poetry presents a rich tapestry of deeply Jewish religio-national elements and universal literary traditions. The oeuvre of the Soviet Yiddish poet Dovid Hofshteyn is a cardinal example of this fact. It is marked by the great range of his European culture as well as the depth of his knowledge of the Tanakh and medieval Hebrew poetry. Hofshteyn’s poetry displays a sophisticated intertwining of Russian, Ukrainian, and German literary traditions with biblical and modern Jewish influences. We will analyze selected texts in order to appreciate the genius of his poetics and the synthesis of his Jewishness and universalism.
Yiddish Level:
This course, conducted in Yiddish, is designed for upper intermediate and advanced Yiddish students, or those with a strong ability to understand written and spoken Yiddish.
Course Materials:
The instructor will provide all required course materials digitally throughout the class on Canvas.
Questions? Read our 2026 Winter Yiddish Seminars FAQ.
Eugene Orenstein taught Modern Jewish History for 39 years in the Department of Jewish Studies at McGill University with particular emphasis on the Jewish labor and socialist movement in Eastern Europe and North America and the development of modern Yiddish culture. He is an author of numerous publications including bio-bibliographical studies in Der leksikon fun der nayer yidisher literatur (“Biographical Dictionary of Modern Yiddish Literature”). Eugene has been teaching Yiddish at various intensive Summer Programs including YIVO and Tel-Aviv.
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