Helsinki, Finland Image by iStock

If you find yourself in Finland in February, join Rukhl Schaechter, editor of the Yiddish Forward (Forverts), at the southern capital for Limud Helsinki, an annual Jewish cultural learning festival. The programs, which run the weekend of February 2 and 3, are diverse and plentiful, and Schaechter will lead three.

The first talk, “How the Yiddish Forward Is Being Transformed in the New Millennium,” will delve into how Schaechter and her staff have increased the publication’s online presence. The Yiddish Forward has an active YouTube channel and social media, which are constantly updated with international podcasts, translated articles and subtitled videos. Hasidim, the largest Yiddish-speaking community today, notably read the Forverts on their smartphones for the latest Yiddish news, analyses, cooking shows and music videos.

Schaechter will also present “The Powerful Role Women Played in the Yiddish-Speaking Shtetl.” There she will explore how although women in Ashkenazi Jewish societies often played a subordinate role to their husbands in public, they were the leaders at home. They were the more vocal partner and often the breadwinners as well as typically determining their children’s religious affiliations.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The last discussion is about everyone’s favorite subject: food. “What Gefilte Fish and Other Classic Ashkenazi Dishes Were Like In the Old Country” will be a delicious look at the past of an iconic Jewish food. And the history is not what you might imagine!

Buy tickets here.

To find out how to become a friend of the Forward and get notices of events like these, email Robbie Caplan.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount