Who is the program for?
Anyone between 18 to 35 is welcome! Jewish and non-Jewish, Black and Indigenous People, People of Color, Rom*nja and Sinti*zze, poor, migrant, queer, trans and nonbinary and disabled people are all encouraged to participate. This project is fascinating and important for everyone. And especially if you’re interested in arts and culture, tired of listening to lectures and fed up with German debates about commemoration - this project might be just the thing for you. Unfortunately, there are only 30 spots available in total – so act fast!
How much does it cost?
We try to enable participation for everyone. We will ask you in our registration form, how much you’ll be able to contribute, or if you wish to apply for a scholarship. We can also contribute to your travel costs if necessary - because often, the further people travel, the harder it is to participate. Thanks to generous funding, we were able to lower participation fees drastically, and are at a standard rate of 200 euros now, a reduced rate of 100 euros, and a few full scholarships. You will be staying in shared rooms. Accommodation and full board are provided. We’ll ask you to pay 70 euros on site for catering.
When
The program in 2022 will take place from April 28 to May 9.
Covid-19?
And all this amidst a pandemic. But this was the idea: now especially, when a lot of other events can’t happen, we wanted to create something new - here and now. Of course, in a responsible way – we’ll keep you up to date regarding the health guidelines. 2021, we ran Generation J already under Covid-safe conditions. We are also confident to do so in 2022. We’re not currently planning an online program.
Where?
In Thuringia. Why there? For the past 20 years, Weimar - a historical town at the heart of Eastern Germany - has been home to Yiddish Summer, one of the largest intercultural Yiddish festivals in Europe (something that many people, at least in Germany, don’t know). As a project, Generation J is deeply entangled with the ideas and values of YSW. Therefore we want to spend time in Weimar and introduce the YSW to you. Learn more about the festival at https://yiddishsummer.eu/.
Accessibility?
Many people demand special accommodations that we might not have yet considered. Please inform us in the registration form about any special needs or requests you may have - whether wheelchair accessibility, time for prayer, hearing assistance, kosher food, unisex bathrooms... If you’re unsure, feel free to contact us directly.
Language?
You can participate at Generation J even if you don’t know all (or any) of the languages we’ll be using. Yiddish, English, German, Hebrew and Russian will definitely be around. We believe in the power of the arts to communicate across language barriers. This is how we learn to listen and converge. If you’re unsure, feel free to contact us directly in German, English, Yiddish, or Hebrew.
Artists only?
Arts and music are crucial to the project. And we believe that everyone is an artist - even without knowing anything specific. Feel free to register even if you don’t play an instrument, write poems or draw.
Religious?
The festival is open for all — religious or secular, conservative or atheist, reform or orthodox. And even more so: we want to enable everyone's participation. On shabes, for instance, there won't be a scheduled program, only optional leisure activities. Some rituals we will create together, and provide you with space and time for others. If you have questions about this, be it kashrut, prayer times, non-Jewish holidays — feel free to contact us!
Further questions?
Feel free to reach out to us via email or check out our Instagram account (@generationj_).
For Jews and
non-Jews?
Generation J is proof that something doesn’t need to be exclusively Jewish to feel Jewish. A majority of Jewish participants, Jewish content, and a general awareness about dominance and space make sure that Generation J is not a program about Yiddish culture, but about culture in Yiddish. We co-create and celebrate Jewish culture while holding space for those of us who are Jewish, those of us who are not, and those of us who don’t fall neatly into these categories. Generation J is our vision of a Jewish future that is deeply cultural while being radically open and inclusive.