A free summer program with great Jewish books

By Eva Trieger

Eva Trieger
Eva Trieger
Josh Lambert (Photo: Ben Barnhart)
Josh Lambert
(Photo: Ben Barnhart)

SOLANA BEACH, California- I became aware of a program recently that actually made me wish I could roll back the clock and experience the angst, pressure and confusion of being a high school junior all over again.  Not because I loved that stress-packed year of SATs, college apps, peer pressure, and road tests,  but because the Great Jewish Books Summer sounded like the perfect way to create a reservoir  of nurturing experiences in preparation of such a year, or to decompress after such a hellish gauntlet.

I caught up with Josh Lambert, the academic director of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, by phone last week.  His enthusiasm and passion, complemented by his education, make him the perfect point man for this unique program.  Lambert holds a BA from Harvard and a PhD from the University of Michigan. In addition he is a Faculty Fellow at New York University, and a dad of young children!

The target audience for this fantastic week-long program seeks to include the broadest possible swath of rising high school juniors and seniors.  Now entering its sixth year, the Great Jewish Books Summer Program has hosted a mix of students from 17 states and welcomes diversity in culture, ethnicity, practice and experiences.

The application process is not too burdensome.  There are a few personal essays to provide insight into the student’s motivation and interests, but in no way is the summer meant to be an “elite pressure cooker.”  It is designed to explore Jewish history and identity through literature.  According to the online description, “it is a lively program full of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities—and no grades—for students who read for the love of reading and who are eager to discover the treasures of the Jewish canon.”

One of the most incredible features about this program is the cost.  All of the funding for tuition, meals, room, board, special events, and books is provided by one amazingly generous family.  Walter, Arnee, Sarah and Aaron Winshall have magnanimously created this endowment to provide excellent literature and instruction to teenagers of every background and heritage.

Those lucky 36 students who are accepted per session, demonstrate a passion for the material, an excitement for discussion and the maturity to enjoy a college-like seminar approach to learning.  The course is competitive but it is not anything like typical “school.”  There are no assessments, little writing, Rather, the program’s focus is deeper reflection and sharing ideas and reactions to modern Jewish literature, with the encouragement and guidance of the “best, most amazing young academics,” hand-picked by Lambert.  He told me he delights in selecting individuals who “love to teach and have new literature to present.  The sharing of big ideas is exciting.”

The core faculty includes Amelia Glaser, an associate professor of Russian literature from our own UCSD.  Glaser is currently working on a book about Jewish writers in the US and the USSR in the 1930s, in addition to teaching a number of university courses.

Lital Levy, associate professor of comparative literature at Princeton University, will also instruct courses.  She specializes in the intellectual history of Arab Jews and literature from Israel/Palestine.  Levy has spent this past year as a fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies.

During the course of the week, students will enjoy a sampling of college life:  living in dorms, and eating at the dining hall of Hampshire College.  Prominent visiting writers will engage students in discussion and seminars.  In the past these guests have included Allegra Goodman, Jami Attenberg and graphic novelist, Ilan Stavans.  Reading selections include short stories, poetry, excerpts and selections from authors such as Sayed Kashua, Yehuda Amichai, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Joann Sfar, Grace Paley and Etgar Keret.

This year the program has been extended to two consecutive sessions. The first is a five-day course, not including Shabbat, and the second runs for a full week, including Shabbat.  Students may apply for one or both sessions. I was further impressed when told that the dining hall will cater to a wide variety of dietary needs, such as gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian.  (Glatt kosher food is brought in for those students who require it.)  Lambert described a picturesque Shabbat, celebrated in the apple orchard, replete with Shabbos dinner, niggunim and ruach. 

To date, no students from San Diego have availed themselves of this literary feast, but a few students from Los Angeles and Palm Desert have partaken and here are a few quotes from past attendees:

“I learned that Jewish literature is touching, profound, often funny, and always enjoyable.” – 2015 student

“These classes, teachers, and readings were some of the most eye-opening experiences I have ever enjoyed.” —2015 student

“I had an amazing time every single day and would go to bed feeling excited for the next day.”—2014 student

This year’s Great Jewish Books Programs are offered:  July 24-29th and July 31-August 7th

The application deadline is April 1 and can be found at www.yiddishbookcenter.org/educational-programs/great-jewish-books-summer-program.

So would I go back to doing battle with zits or biting my nails over AP exams?  If I could anticipate a summer week in the Berkshires reading great books with like-minded kids, you bet I would!

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Trieger is a freelance writer who specializes in the coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com.  Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the U.S.)