(AMHERST, Mass.) – The Yiddish Book Center will host its 7th Annual Paper Bridge Arts Festival on July 10-14, 2011. This five-day festival includes concerts, theater, workshops, author lectures, and Yiddish film. Tours of the Yiddish Book Center’s repository will be offered Sunday at 12:30 and Monday – Thursday at 1:30. Special exhibits on view include Unquiet Pages; An-sky: A Living Connection; The Yiddish Print Shop; Sholem-bayes: Reflections on the American Jewish Home; and Bagels & Grits: Exploring Jewish Life in the Deep South.

The Paper Bridge Arts Festival kicks off on Sunday, July 10 with a concert by indie Yiddish songstress Clare Burson, presenting work from her recently released CD, Silver & Ash. On Monday, July 11, The Essence: A Yiddish Theatre Dim Sum brings a mix of melodies, “irrelevant interludes” and drama to the stage. On Tuesday, July 12, Paul Shapiro and band provide live accompaniment for the classic silent film His People, and on Wednesday, July 13, the internationally acclaimed Klezmer Conservatory Band will perform their high-energy brand of klezmer and Yiddish music.

Throughout the Paper Bridge Arts Festival authors will present lectures on a range of topics, preservationists will lead workshops on capturing oral histories, writing memoirs, and archiving ephemera (see below for a detailed schedule).

Events take place at the Yiddish Book Center, located on the Hampshire College Campus in Amherst, Massachusetts. For more information and a full schedule of events, or to make reservations visit Paper Bridge Arts Festival.

 

FEATURED EVENTS · reservations suggested

Sunday, July 10 · 2 PM · Concert: Clare Burson – Silver & Ash · general admission: $22

Monday, July 11 · 8 PM · Theatere: The Essence: A Yiddish Theatre Dim Sum · general admission: $22

Tuesday, July 12 · 8 PM · Silent film with live accompaniment: His People with Paul Shapiro and band  · general admission: $22

Wednesday, July 13 · 8 PM · Concert: Klezmer Conservatory Band · general admission: $25

Thursday, July 14 · 8 PM · Film: The Dybbuk, introduced by Hankus Netsky  · general admission: $10

 

AUTHOR AND EXHIBIT TALKS ·  general admission: $5

Monday, July 11 · 3 PM · David Shneer: Through Soviet Jewish Eyes

Tuesday, July 12 · 3 PM · Rebecca Margolis: Jewish Roots, Canadian Soil

Wednesday, July 13 · 3 PM · Yuri Vedenyapin: Dreaming of Distant Lands: The World of Yiddish Travelogues

Wednesday, July 13 · 4:30 PM · The Yiddish Print Shop

Thursday, July 14 · 3 PM · Hankus Netsky: S. An-sky: A Living Connection

 

MEMORY WORKSHOPS · general admission: $5 · pre-registration required

Record Your Memories · Monday, July 11 & Wednesday, July 13 · 10 AM

Write Your Memories · Tuesday, July 12 · 10 AM

Preserve Your Memories · Thursday, July 14 · 10 AM

Translate Your Memories · Monday, July 11 & Thursday, July 14 · 4:30 PM

 

GUIDED TOURS · free and open to the public

Sunday, July 10 · 12:30 PM

Monday, July 11 · Thursday, July 14 · 1:30 PM

 

The Yiddish Book Center is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing and distributing Yiddish books and opening their contents to the world. Its headquarters in Amherst, MA, houses exhibitions about Jewish literature, art, film, music and other resources for visitors. Visit the Yiddish Book Center for more information.