‘The Friends of Yiddish’ Event
This video documents an event of poetry, song, film and conversation held at the Manchester Jewish Museum in 2022, exploring one of Britain’s foremost but now largely forgotten Yiddish poets Avram Nachum Stencl (1897 – 1983) curated by Rachel Lichtenstein in collaboration with the Manchester Poetry Library and the Manchester Jewish Museum. The evening entitled ‘The Friends of Yiddish’ included the screening of a short film and radio documentary about Stencl, readings of his poetry in English and Yiddish by Dr Vivi Lachs and Stephen Watts, some audience participation inspired by Vivi’s Yiddish singing and a conversation with Miriam Becker, Stencl’s great niece from Manchester.
