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Join us for a special evening of Yiddish poetry and music with Dr Nathan Wolski and The Bashevis Singers (Evie Gawenda, Husky Gawenda and Gideon Preiss).

Widely regarded as one of the greatest Jewish poets of the 20th century, Avrom Sutzkever is known for his deeply lyrical and mystical engagement with nature. His prewar poetry has often been compared to that of William Wordsworth—a kind of Wordsworth in Yiddish.

Dr Wolski will guide us through Sutzkever’s life and poetry, offering insight into his unique voice and vision. The evening will also feature live music by The Bashevis Singers, who will perform selections from their new album.

A rich and moving exploration of poetry, music and Jewish cultural heritage.

Avrom Sutzkever (1913–2010) was one of the most important Yiddish poets of the twentieth century, whose work spans prewar lyricism, Holocaust testimony, and postwar cultural renewal. Born in Smorgon (now Belarus) and raised near Vilna, he became associated with the “Young Vilna” literary group and quickly gained recognition for his innovative, nature-inspired poetry. During the Holocaust, Sutzkever was imprisoned in the Vilna Ghetto, where he continued to write, joined the resistance, and helped rescue Jewish cultural treasures. After the war, he testified at the Nuremberg Trials and later settled in Israel, where he became a central figure in Yiddish literary life, editing the influential journal Di goldene keyt. His work is celebrated for its linguistic richness, imaginative power and enduring commitment to preserving Jewish culture.

Dr Nathan Wolski is a lecturer at ACJC, Monash University. He is a scholar of the Jewish mystical tradition with a special focus on the Zohar, the 13th century classic of medieval Kabbalah. He is the author of A Journey into the Zohar: An Introduction to the Book of Radiance (SUNY, 2010); and the translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, vols 10 and 12 (with Joel Hecker) (Stanford Uni Press, 2016, 2017). His more recent scholarship focuses on the intersection of kabbalilstic thought with modern Yiddish literature. He has published two books on this theme, Kabbalistic Yiddish: Aaron Zeitlin's Mystical-Messianic Poetics (Cherub Press, 2020), and an illustrated and annotated edition of Der Nister's 'Der Kadmen', The Primordium (Panui Press,  2024). 

The Bashevis Singers are the children of generations of people who lived their lives in Yiddish. Husky Gawenda and his cousin Gideon Preiss are renowned Australian musicians and award winning song-writers. They are the core members of the critically acclaimed band HUSKY. Husky’s sister (and Gideon’s cousin) Evie is a playwright and theatre director who is known and loved for the beauty and warmth of her voice.

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