Founder and Producer
סאָסיִע־פֿרײדל פֿאָקס | Sandra Fox
Sosye (AKA Sandy or Sandra) Fox is the producer and founder of Vaybertaytsh. She started her Yiddish journey at Yiddish Farm in New York in 2013, going on to study at several academic programs while learning how to comfortably speak through hanging out with other Yiddishists. In her free time, Sosye loves to make Vaybertaytsh episodes (duh!), do pilates and yoga, cook, write, and wander through cities while listening to other people's podcasts.
Sosye is a historian of American Jewry with a forthcoming book on American Jewish summer camps, including those of the Yiddish variety, with Stanford University Press. She is also a peer reviewe editor of In geveb: A Journal of Yiddish Studies. Find more about Sosye on her website.
Logo and Merchandise Artists
אַלונה באַק | Alona Bach
Alona Bach is a freelance illustrator, actor, and used-bookstore frequenter. She is currently pursuing a PhD in MIT's Program in History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society (HASTS), where her research focuses on the intersection of Yiddish and the history of electricity.
Alona is the illustrator of all of our new logo and merchandise, all available for sale here!
שפֿרה װײַטמאַן | Shifra Whiteman
Shifra Whiteman designed our original logo in 2016. Shifra was born and raised speaking Yiddish in New York City and now calls Chicago home. She is a University of Michigan, STAMPS School of Art & Design graduate with a BFA in 2011 and in 2016 received her masters degree in Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago. Shifra is a freelance illustrator, piñata builder, papercut artist , exhibition curator, fair trade advocate, teacher, social entrepreneur enthusiast, and surface designer. She is also the founder of ethical design collaborative PINTL + KEYT.
Internship Alumni
סאַשע חיה שטערן| Sasha Stern | Communications
Sasha Stern is Vaybertaytsh's communications associate. She recently graduated with a degree in Religious Studies from Yale University, where she researched the role of food as a cultural and religious mnemonic in Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrant communities. Sasha spends her free time translating and recreating recipes from turn-of-the-century Yiddish cookbooks, with a healthy dose of Molodowsky on the side. She is a baker, deli-worker, stilt-walker, zmiros meyvn, and gabbai.
Find out more about Sasha and her culinary creations on instagram.
מיכל נאָװאַק | Michal Novak | Education
Michal is a senior at Barnard College majoring in English. She helped revive and now helps lead the Yiddish Club at Columbia University. Michal enjoys painting, playing cello, and hiking. She is planning to attend nursing school after college to become a midwife. Check out Columbia Yiddish Club's facebook page to learn more about upcoming events!
מירעלע איידלהאַרט | Sophie Edelhart | Production
Sophie Edelhart is a recent graduate of Barnard College where she majored in History with a concentration in Gender, Sex, and Family. During her time in college, she was a leader of Jewish Voice for Peace as well as a radio host on WKCR-FM. She has studied Yiddish at the Yiddish Book Center and Columbia University and served as a fellow at YIVO this past spring working with Chaim Grade’s archive. Outside of Yiddishland, she loves to sing, tell tall tales, and seek out the best egg cream in New York.
רייזל מינצער־סויִני | Rose Mintzer-Sweeney | Production
Rose is part of Vaybertaytsh's production team. She recently graduated with a degree in linguistics from Yale University, and is also an alumna of the Yiddish Book Center. You can find her fiddling with something small (embroidery needles, endangered languages, garlic cloves).
דזשוליאַ ראָטקאָף | Julia Rothkoff | Communications
Julia Rothkoff is Vaybertaytsh’s communications intern. She is a senior at Barnard College studying Film Studies. Julia is currently a beginner Yiddish student, but she is excited to learn more during her senior year of undergraduate study and by working with Vaybertaytsh. In her free time, Julia enjoys investigating abandoned subway stations, researching funny Yiddish words and going to the movie theater.
קאַדיִע חאַװקין | Kadya Chavkin | Development
Kadya Chavkin is a senior at the University of Chicago, majoring in Jewish Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. She focuses on Bible and Yiddish, and is interesting in pursuing development in the non-profit world.