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Hampshire College closure reverberates for alumni who treasured a Yiddishist hub

JL;DR SUMMARY Hampshire College, renowned for its alternative education model and significant contributions to the Yiddish revival movement in the U.S., is set to close by the end of the year due to financial difficulties. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CultureYiddishYiddish Book CenterClosureYiddish RevivalAaron LanskyHampshire CollegeAlumniAlternative EducationSteiner Summer Yiddish Program

Places mentioned

Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
"Founded in 1970 in Amherst, Massachusetts, Hampshire College was conceived as an experiment in alternative education, offering self-designed concentrations instead of traditional majors and narrative evaluations rather than grades."
New York City, New York, United States
"New York City seemed the obvious base."
Burlington, Vermont, United States
"Hannah Feuer joined the Forward as a general assignment reporter in May 2025 after two years as a culture reporter at Seven Days, an independent weekly in Burlington, Vermont."
Washington, D.C., Washington DC, United States
"Originally from the Washington, D.C., area, she is a 2023 graduate of Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism."

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Cairo Item ID 80065
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2026-04-15 05:31:02 UTC
Curated 2026-04-15 08:31:19 UTC