You don't have to be a Yiddish speaker to join in on the fun. As comically described in their bright yellow brochure, FOY is open to people of all ages and Yiddish-speaking abilities. "Sometimes we almost tzebrech di tzeyn [we break our teeth] as we try speaking Yiddish, and we can't always find the right word. We laugh a lot too... sometimes so hard, we can't speak any language!" [Helen Smolkin] is a longtime supporter of the Ashkenaz Festival, the largest Jewish cultural event in Canada, and she wouldn't dare miss KlezKanada's Laurentian Retreat in the summer, Canada's largest annual festival of Jewish and Yiddish culture and arts. Smolkin is also on the board of the International Association of Yiddish Clubs (IAYC), an umbrella organization that connects Yiddish clubs worldwide, including FOY. Although Smolkin is only too happy to mention other Yiddish-focused events in the local Yiddish scene, such as the Yiddish Vinkl (www.yiddishvinkl.com), a group that meets monthly at Free Times Café on College Street in Toronto, to hear a guest speaker and enjoy a buffet lunch complete with latkes and blintzes, she beams when discussing the future of FOY....

Group celebrates Yiddish language and culture