Program Description: "Labzik: Tales of a Yiddish, Communist Dog" with Jorie Slodki
In the Great Depression, a man steps off the subway at a Bronx station and finds a dog--cold and lonely, a note pinned to his collar, "This is Labzik. Please, take him home." This is the opening of Labzik: Tales of a Clever Pup, a 1935 Yiddish-language storybook for children by communist author Chaver Paver. As Labzik and his new family do what they can to help their neighbors, they must confront big issues that remain relevant 90 years later, including police violence, food insecurity, and racism. The story of Labzik, a revolutionary puppy, and his political ideals have found relevance and new popularity in today's times.
Yiddishist Jorie Slodki, promotes Yiddish language and culture at Jewish organizations throughout the Triangle, giving lectures on the history of Yiddish and Yiddish theater, and is the founder of "The Alright-niks," a Yiddish conversation group in the Triangle. Jorie earned her BA at Indiana University, where she had a minor in Yiddish. She is the Content Manager of the Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh and lives in Raleigh with her husband and her dog that she named after Labzik.
