What is YSW?

Yiddish Summer Weimar (YSW) is one of the world’s most important and most inclusive Yiddish culture festivals, where traditional and contemporary Yiddish culture is taught, developed, and shared with the public. Each year, a community of artists, musicians, workshop participants, and guests from around the world gather at the festival to experience and shape Yiddish culture in workshops, jam sessions, and concerts.

Click here for more information. back

When is YSW happening?

July 11 to August 15, 2026 back

What is the topic of this year's YSW?

In 2026 we're celebrating Women in Yiddish! This year's theme of Yiddish Summer Weimar is “Yiddish Wo:men – Another Story of Modernity” and we shift our focus to women's Yiddish creative production throughout the centuries. Several special projects including a theater piece, truly remarkable concerts as well as an online exhibition will recount and reinterpret the life stories of Yiddish-speaking women from the past and present. At the same time, the festival presents literary and musical works by contemporary Yiddish artists, demonstrating how vibrant and diverse Yiddish culture is today. You can find more information about the topic and the special projects on our website as well as here: https://www.kulturstiftung-des-bundes.de/de/projekte/musik_und_klang/detail/yiddish_women_another_story_of_modernity.html back

Where is YSW taking place?

The Johann Nepomuk Hummel Music School and the cultural space mon ami in Weimar, Germany, are the main venues for festival events, as well as the Other Music Academy and some other locations. Some events take place outdoors, bringing Yiddish music to the streets of the city. The series “Yiddish Summer Weimar goes Thuringia”, which will take place again this summer, also brings highlights of the festival to Erfurt, Eisenach, and many other cities and towns in the state of Thuringia.  back

Who is behind YSW?

The festival is organized by the Other Music Academy e.V., an association founded in 2006 that now has over 100 members in 10 countries. The Other Music Academy e.V. runs all the projects that are organized by the Other Music Academy (OMA), including YSW.
The OMA is our vision of an innovative institution: an empowerment center whose goal is to create an inclusive society, inviting a broad range of people to help actively shape our culture and their own role in it.

OMA is the brainchild of Dr. Alan Bern, the musical director of YSW and chairman of Other Music Academy e.V. Dr. Bern is supported by an international team of colleagues in the fields of music, culture, science and social affairs. Click on these links for more information about our philosophy, about the OMA, and about our wonderful and diverse projects at OMAworks. back

Why volunteer at YSW?

Volunteering at Yiddish Summer Weimar provides both personal and cultural benefits. One of the festival's goals is to make Yiddish culture more visible and give people from all over the world the opportunity to experience and creatively develop it. As a volunteer, you will play a key role in achieving this goal. You will gain exclusive insights behind the scenes of a major cultural festival, contribute your strengths in various areas of responsibility, and learn new skills at the same time. In addition, you will get to know the international community for Yiddish culture, try out workshops, exchange stories and experiences at informal get-togethers, or get involved in jam sessions yourself. It doesn't matter whether you want to learn more about Yiddish culture or simply get to know the festival - you are always welcome. back

What’s new at YSW26 compared to past years?

Important change: This year, volunteers must arrange their own accommodation; to help with this, we will reimburse €12 per night.

Based on last year's experience, we will again be working in blocks this year. 

This year's YSW is divided into 5 blocks: 

Preparation block: July 6 - July 10 

Block 1 (July 10 - July 19)

Block 2 (July 20 - July 29)

Block 3 (July 31 - August 9)

Block 4 (August 10 - August 16 - or longer)

You can sign up as a volunteer for one or more blocks.

The first and last days of each block are always event-free days with nothing on the festival schedule. If you sign up for a block, you should plan to arrive on the first day of the block and leave on the last day. At the beginning of each block, we’ll have an introductory team meeting, and at the end, we’ll have a feedback round. These set block periods are required so that all volunteers can get a complete introduction to their tasks.

Within each block, there are different task areas. We’ll name and explain these under the next question.

For the duration of one block, you can sign up for one concrete task area. If you want to stay for two or more blocks, you can move to a different task area in each block (for example, you can do infopoint support in the first block, events team in the second, and OMA care in the third).

Why?
In the past, we’ve encouraged volunteers to try out multiple task areas in the space of a week. From experience, we’ve learned that that made it hard to get more than a surface-level introduction to each area. This change, which means that you’ll focus on just one task area for about a week, will make it possible to learn your skills more fully.

If you sign up for two or three blocks, you’re welcome to take a workshop of your choice at no cost as our thanks for your work. If you’d like to do this, please write to us at .

If you’re between 18 and 30 and you’d like to come to Weimar for both of the last two blocks (July 29 - August 17), please read the next answer about the ESC Team. back

What's the ESC Team?

Are you between 18 and 30 and would you like to come to Weimar for both of the last two blocks of YSW (July 29 till August 17)? Then we have a special offer for you. This year, YSW is putting together a volunteer team in the framework of the European Solidarity Corps (ESC). If you’d like to take part, we can cover your travel costs, provide you with free accommodation in a shared room, free lunch and give you some pocket money.

The number of participants in this program is limited, and registration will happen in two steps (for more about this, see our registration form).

This only applies to volunteers from Austria, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Egypt, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Greece, Georgia, Spain, France, Finland, Italy, Iceland, Kosovo, Lebanon, Lithuania, Lichtenstein, Latvia, Libya, Luxemburg, Hungary, Malta, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia*, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Syria, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Tunisia, and Ukraine*.

*(Territory as recognised by international law)

You can find more information here. back

What does the work involve?

This year, we’ve restructured our task areas. These are the different task areas you can sign up for:

1. Infopoint
2. Events & Awareness
3. OMA Care Team & Awareness

1. Infopoint
   Tasks:
   Point of contact for artists, participants, and visitors; providing information, ticket sales, merchandise, copying requests, cleanliness, and much more.
   Useful qualities:
   You enjoy working with people, are a good listener, attentive, empathetic, and organized.
   
   
2. Events & Awareness
   Tasks:
   Assistance with event preparation and follow-up, admission & beverage sales, fundraising, event technology basics, awareness at events, and much more.
   Useful qualities:
   You are active and enjoy getting things done, like working in a team, can handle (short-term) stressful situations well, and communicate openly.
   
   
3. OMA Care Team & Awareness
   Tasks:
   Preparation and clean-up of rooms, cleanliness, event support, awareness at OMA events, preparation and clean up of the cafeteria if necessary.
   Useful qualities:
   You are orderly, attentive, and structured, like to get things done, are not afraid of direct communication or getting dirty.

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What are my responsibilities as a volunteer?

Our guiding principle here is: If you want to take responsibility for something, go for it! But don’t worry: no one gets held responsible for things that don’t go exactly as planned.  back

How long is the volunteering period?

This year, YSW is divided into 5 blocks:
Preparation block: July 6 - July 10 
Block 1 (July 11 - July 22)
Block 2 (July 22 - August 2)
Block 3 (August 2 - August 10)
Block 4 (August 11 - August 19)

The first and last days of each block are always event-free days with nothing on the festival schedule. If you sign up for a block, you should plan to arrive on the first day of the block and leave on the last day. At the beginning of each block, we’ll have an introductory team meeting, and at the end, we’ll have a feedback round. 
You can sign up to volunteer for one or more blocks.

If you have more time and would like to do an internship, you are welcome to support us in the preparation phase from June/July and in the follow-up phase until the end of August. Do you love creating social media content? Perhaps you have a passion for administrative tasks and love numbers and contracts? Would you like to accompany our international youth projects? 
We offer very interesting internship opportunities! 
Please contact us directly at .

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How old do I have to be?

You have to be at least 18. We’re looking forward to having a cross-generational team of people aged 18 to 80 in which we can learn from each other’s experiences.  back

Will I get paid?

Your work is on a purely voluntary basis and is not paid.

If you sign up for two or three blocks, you’re welcome to take a workshop of your choice at no cost as our thanks for your work. If you’d like to do this, please write to us at . back

Do I get free accommodation?

This year, we ask you to arrange your own accommodation. Weimar is a city with many students and therefore also many offers for affordable accommodation, here and here you will find offers for rooms to sublet.

We are happy to help you with the formalities (sublease agreement) and support you with any questions or difficulties. 

In addition, you will receive a subsidy of up to €12 per night to help finance your accommodation. The costs will be reimbursed to you after you have completed your voluntary service. back

Do I get free food?

Every day, we’ll serve a free vegetarian and vegan lunch buffet. We also provide free coffee, tea and water. You’ll need to organize your other meals. back

What expenses do I have to cover myself?

You are responsible for the costs of your travel to and from the workshop and your meals (except for lunch on workshop days).
On all workshop days (July 11-18; July 21-28; August 1-8; August 11-15), we offer a free vegetarian/vegan lunch. You are responsible for your other meals. 

We will provide you with partial financial support for your accommodation of up to €12 per night.* 

You get free admission for all YSW. 

*If you need financial support for travel and meal costs in order to participate in the YSW, please read the section “What is ESC Teams?”

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How does volunteering work?

After you register using the online form, we will contact you (this may take a few days). 

Before you come to Weimar, we will zoom or call you so that we can get to know each other. Before the YSW starts, there will also be a kick-off zoom meeting with all volunteers to inform you about general matters and introduce you to our awareness structure. 

Before you arrive in Weimar, we will sign a volunteer agreement with you, which will set out all the important terms and conditions of your participation. This will clearly define the obligations on both sides and will include information for example about your accommodation and the sum that will be reimbursed by us.

In Weimar, you will have plenty of opportunities to ask your relevant questions, for example at the info point, during team meetings, or by talking to team members. Regular team meetings will provide a general introduction and all the information you need for your volunteer tasks. For each task area there will be an expert, a so-called "teamer", whom you can contact with any questions you may have. At the end of each block, the week is evaluated in a feedback round. Your opinion is very valuable to us, because it is the only way we can continuously improve our program and adapt it to your needs.

At the end of your assignment, we will send you an evaluation form and, if you wish, a certificate of participation. 

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Can I get my volunteer work accredited as an internship?

Whether your internship at YSW can be credited depends on the requirements of your university/college for an internship position. We will be happy to provide you with a confirmation of your work with us and, if desired, a certificate. Many of our volunteers have been able to successfully claim their service with us as an internship! 

You are welcome to support us during an internship in the preparation phase starting in June/July and in the follow-up phase until the end of August. 

Do you love creating social media content? Perhaps you have a passion for administrative tasks and love numbers and contracts? Would you like to accompany our international youth projects?
We offer very interesting internship opportunities! 
Please contact us directly at . back

Will I receive a certificate for my work?

Absolutely! We’ll be happy to provide you with a confirmation of your work and a certificate. back

What skills should I have?

We welcome all who want to get involved and are open to YSW’s content and values.
Being a friendly, open person who is good at teamwork and enjoys interacting with others is a plus.
It also helps if you can respond flexibly to challenges, pitch in and contribute thoughts and feedback. In the descriptions of each task area, you’ll find some qualities that are helpful for those tasks. You’re still welcome if you don’t completely see yourself in those descriptions, though. Ideally, you should be able to communicate to some extent in German. If not, then very good English skills are a necessity. A driver’s license would also be an asset, but it’s not required. back

What should I bring with me?

Besides a healthy dose of motivation, curiosity and enthusiasm about what we do, we ask that you bring a smartphone, or at least a cellphone. Because the festival is somewhat decentralized, we’ve found that group chats are very helpful. A bike is a plus, but not a must.
There’s no dress code, but for safety when working on event support or in the kitchen, we ask that you bring closed-toe shoes.
We encourage you to pack your own water bottle so that we generate less waste.
Since some activities will take place outdoors, we recommend that you bring sun and rain protection. back

How do I register? 

Please use the online registration form. 

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Whom do I contact?

Your contact is Antonia Ramljak. You can reach her at . back

I still have questions. Whom do I ask?

If you have more questions about volunteering, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Write to us at . back