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Condensed and/or intensive university-level (or serious cultural institute or community/synagogue program level) seminars (/ mini-courses / master classes) are offered in the fields of Yiddish Studies, Litvak Studies, and Baltic Holocaust Studies, by Dovid Katz at his Litvak Yiddish Seminar Room and Mini-Museum, established for years at his home in the interwar “Yiddishist district” of Vilnius (in the 19th century origin “New Town”). Individual contracts can be discussed for shorter events of one to four hours within a single day (only available during periods in Vilnius for a larger program).
(1) Lecturing/teaching/seminars by Prof. Katz (website; CV; books; publications; works in Yiddish Studies; in Litvak Studies; in Holocaust Studies). He lectures in Yiddish, English or Ashkenazic Hebrew.
(2) The Seminar Room features a rich Yiddish and Litvak library and mini-museum collected over half a century and housed here in Vilnius for the past quarter century. Current exhibits include: Yiddish-Lithuanian bilingualism in the interwar Lithuanian Republic, Lithuanian dreidels (dréydlakh) from the past three centuries, Vilna rabbinic history, the 19th century internal Vilna Jewish culture wars, and the rise of modern Yiddish scholarship on these very streets. Many historic texts and artifacts are of direct relevance for most of the topics offered. Video facilities for enjoying scenes (with interviewer’s comments and explanations to current participants) of the last Yiddish-speaking Litvaks in their lands (Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, northeastern Poland, eastern Ukraine), deriving from the Provider’s three decades of expeditions, all being slowly put online gratis in the context of LYVA (Lithuanian Yiddish Video Archive). NOTE: The premises are on the third floor of a four-floor Victorian-era building with no elevator, and regrettably not suitable for those unable to negotiate stairs.
(3) An absolute maximum of forty persons can be hosted by the Provider at any one session. The Client must provide at least one professional local administrative (non-academic) person to accompany each group at all times without exception, who will be responsible for security and any practical matters arising. Client is fully responsible for any loss, theft or damage that occurs during sessions as a result of any action by any member of group brought by Client on the day. The Client is responsible for ensuring that only authorized members of the group are present. Provider will not open seminars to any non-participants without Client’s written permission.
(4) The Provider will make available free of charge soft drinks and light snacks at all times.
(5) Participants are given a souvenir A3 size map of Jewish Lithuania developed over the last quarter century.
(6) Courses and seminars are generally constructed from Dovid Katz’s published list of topics, but discussions may explore alternative topics and combinations to suit each Client’s needs, including the addition of additional local lecturers with whom the Provider contracts from time to time in close consultation with Clients.
(7) There may be availability for cultural and historical walking tours (example) or scholar-on-board engagements (only in Lithuania). These must be accompanied at all times by a local guide who has up-to-date registration.